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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

How does breast feeding work once they've got teeth?

15 replies

Pootles2010 · 14/06/2010 12:54

Ok am getting hugely ahead of myself here - baby's not due till next month! But i'm trying to find out all about bf'ing, and i'd like to do it for at least 6 months, hopefully a bit longer.

Discussing this with my parents the other day - they're really supportive generally, but were a bit puzzled as to how it worked once baby gets teeth, and i didn't have an answer! Do they just not bite? or do you have to grit your teeth?

OP posts:

CMOTdibbler · 14/06/2010 12:58

No, they don't bite. Easiest way to think about it is to suck your thumb - you can't suck and bite at the same time, and it's the same with bfing - to do with the position of your tongue mainly I think.

You occasionally get a bit of nipping when they first get teeth and are confused about them, but that soon goes away if it happens

belgo · 14/06/2010 12:58

I'm bfing ds who has all his teeth. he has very occasionally clamped his teeth down,(not hard enough to do damage) and I've swiftly disattached him, but mainly it hasn't been a problem. It's certainly not a reason to stop bfing imo!

Poledra · 14/06/2010 12:59

I have bfed 3 babies, who all had teeth for at least 5 months of feeding. They do not bite, as a general rule - the place their tongue is for sucking means that it gets in the way of a good bite.

However, you will probably get nibbled at some time or another. DD1 gave me a really nasty bite but she'd actually fallen asleep on the breast, I was reading a book so hadn't noticed. DH came in, accidentally slammed the door and DD1 jumped out of her skin, biting down hard on me in the process! The other two occasionally nipped, usually when they were finished feeding and were just messing around.

If your baby does bite, do not follow you instinct and pull them off your breast - you will hurt yourself. Instead, if you can retain the presence of mind, pull the baby's face firmly into your breast, so that you block their nose. This will force them to open their mouth to try and breathe and you can then take them off you without any more damage.

TanteRose · 14/06/2010 13:02

They do sometimes bite - but you can stop them doing that by screaming very loudly gently unlatching them and telling them not to....you have to get them to realise that biting means "no milk" by taking them off the breast every time they bite and they soon get the message.

I breastfed my DD until she was 16 months and my DS until he was 3 years old, and we got over the biting very quickly.

Good for you for finding out all about breastfeeding - its ace!

belgo · 14/06/2010 13:04

I always use my little finger in the corner of the baby's mouth to unlatch.

Bucharest · 14/06/2010 13:13

Rare to get bitten. You don't chomp on a bottle of pop when you're drinking, do you?

It will be fine!

Original poster

Pootles2010 · 14/06/2010 13:23

Thanks for your responses! Very reassuring. I knew there must be more to it! I do love mumsnet

OP posts:

jemjabella · 14/06/2010 13:55

My daughter has got her first couple of teeth (bottom row) and so far no biting

sweetnitanitro · 14/06/2010 15:23

20 mo DD has bitten a couple of times when she had a cold and her nose was blocked up. I stick my little finger in too, I could never do the pushing her onto my boob thing.

StealthPolarBear · 14/06/2010 15:47

i do get a perfect impriont of DS's teeth round my breast though

GormlessHeart · 14/06/2010 16:01

Stick with mn for any bf issues/queries you may have- better than most other places!

MrsvWoolf · 14/06/2010 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QualityTime · 14/06/2010 22:40

DD's both had teeth at about 3 months, I fed DD1 for a year and DD2 for 2 years, she had nearly all her teeth by then.
They did nip occasionally, normally when tired, but it's easy enough to unlatch them.

Someone told me that babies chew on bottles so they must chew on nipples (sorry for phrasing) but then no-one goes 'Ow!' and removes the milk when they chew on a bottle so it's not the same!

lindy100 · 15/06/2010 12:41

Poledra I read all the time when I'm bf too!

My DD has had teeth since 9 months - she loves bf so much that wouldn't bite me as is too busy sucking!

Friends who have problems with biting seem to have DCs who are starting to lose interest - obviously this would depend on your LO.

Tigerlily1 · 15/06/2010 17:09

My 7mth old bit me the other day with his first 2 razor sharp emerging teeth - i am now scared every time I feed him! I think making sure they get the nipple right in and past the teeth helps. It was when he wasn't properly on and just messing about that it happened. Very shocking for me and rather hideous for my 3yr old when the air turned blue as I screamed!

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