Do i carry on?

[misdee]

dd3 is constantly chomping into my nipples, her teeth are very sharp. and she has been tecthy the last week. do i carry on breastfeeding? i wanted to carry on for past 6months (she is 5months) but am fearing for my nipples. i give her occasional formula now anyway when i am onj driving lessons or at the hospital. she ffeds every 3hours during the day but sleeps for 9hours straight at night. she is growing nicely, isnt dehydrated, or failing to thrive. yes she is little but is settling comfortably on the 9th percentile line.

why is this such a hard choice?

Got to be your choice sweetie, but well done for going this long - did so much better than me!

Possibly she is ready for a little bit of solid?!

she is obsessed with food, she loves sitting on my lap when i am eating.

Hi misdee, can't answer your question for you as it's such a personal choice, but you say you wanted to carry on past 6 months. When my dd got teeth I was able to carry on after just a few days of biting she gave up - I was told to interrupt her feed every time she bit and it seemed to work for us.

Sounds like she's doing really well - is the tetchiness and chomping maybe because she's getting more teeth through?

Good luck!

have you tried using those latex nipple guard things?

the tetchiness and biting could be a growth spurt or a sign that it's nearly solids time couldn't it?

Because it is! It's emotional, and you are under so much stress elsewhere. If she's tetchy then I imagine she's still teething. My dd - also five months - has no teeth (hooray!) but wakes up loads at night atm (every two hours) and I am so tempted by the mashed banana scenario!
Can you project forward six weeks and imagine fully formula feeding - how do you feel? Will it be more or less convenient? Will you miss it or feel liberated?
I don't know what it is like to breastfeed a baby with teeth - ds didn't get any until he was over one - but I imagine it is painful and dispiriting to get bitten. Have you tried the usual discouraging techniques - eg pushing her face into yours when she bites, taking her off the breast, yelping?

aloha, i have interuppted fgeeds, said no, puished into boob etc etc. she has had 2 bottom teeth for about 2 months.

she is also easily distracted now, so cant feed her in public as she pops off the boob and has a nosey, hence my boobs being seen by loads of people. she also pushes my top up.

i cant imagine giving formula full time, its such a faff about. all that boiling kettles, measuring out small amounts of formula, finding the right one, washing bottles.

i am also tempted to start solids, but its finding hours in the day atm. i know dd2 would be grabbing the spoon out of my hands and trying to force feed dd3.

I think you've done extremely well especially considering everything you have to contend with.

One thing I will say is that there's more work with bottles- washing, sterilising and mixing- I found it convenient to carry on with dd but that's not the deciding factor.

As jessicasmummy says have a chat with your hv about starting some solids in the next few weeks.

If she bites you try pulling her into your breast and saying no or owch or something.

The main thing is to do what makes you happy. happy mummy= happy baby. (gosh I can't believe she's 5 months old already)

Because it is! It's emotional, and you are under so much stress elsewhere. If she's tetchy then I imagine she's still teething. My dd - also five months - has no teeth (hooray!) but wakes up loads at night atm (every two hours) and I am so tempted by the mashed banana scenario!
Can you project forward six weeks and imagine fully formula feeding - how do you feel? Will it be more or less convenient? Will you miss it or feel liberated?
I don't know what it is like to breastfeed a baby with teeth - ds didn't get any until he was over one - but I imagine it is painful and dispiriting to get bitten. Have you tried the usual discouraging techniques - eg pushing her face into yours when she bites, taking her off the breast, yelping?

ds was like that, and I used to throw a muslin over his head to help him "concentrate" (also to help save my modesty although I was more or less past caring by that stage)

I do think the biting may be a phase so if it was me, i'd keep going for at least another week before making a decision. But it is up to you - 5 months is good going!

the bit uyesterday was like she has sliced into my nipple. i honestly thought i would be bleeding it was such a sharp pain. oh why couldnt she be a late teether?

oooooooooowwwwww!

my DS2 did this - I got very upset and emotional about it but got lots of good advice form Mnetters - pulling him in tighter when he did it etc. Saying "no" and stopping just made him laugh. It did sort itself out though and I carried on until he was 13 months. It was just another of the phases to get through.
Good luck

hi misdee. DS also went through a stage like this at pretty much the same age. He got his bottom teeth at 4.5 months and had 4 on top by 7 months.

When he bit me, I would pull him off and put him on the floor, walk away for 10 secs then come back. he was usually wailing his head off at this point! I have no idea whether this worked or whether he just gave up on his own, but it passed in a couple of weeks. Like you, I was really distraught at the idea of giving up BF before 6 months.

I also made sure I had a teething ring handy if I couldn't be bothered doing the 'on the floor' thing.

DS was never able to feed in public very well; too easily distracted and all that! I got into a routine of feeding him only at home just before his naps. I don't know if this will work for you - you're out and about quite a lot aren't you?

How are the driving lessons going? How's Peter feeling?

Hugs xxxxx

My ds (6 months) has just got one bottom tooth (nearly two)but no biting as yet, my plan for when it does happen is to do the taking him off putting him on the floor thing. Also to pay close attention to when he coming to near the end of a feed and starts to get more playful on/off kind of thing (this is when I have been badly gummed in the past). So my pinky will be at the ready to unlatch him. Also apparently they can't feed and bite at the same time so if you watch closely their facial expression changes as they move their tongue and slip off a bit into a biting position. Good Luck!