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Home > Breastfeeding > Nursing an Older Infant When Baby BitesBy Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC
Many people think that when baby gets teeth and has the ability to bite, then the nursing relationship has ended and it's time to wean. Not true! If your baby is nursing properly, then you should not feel teeth, even if baby has a mouthful of them. And keep in mind that it's physically impossible for baby to nurse and bite at the same time, because the tongue covers the bottom teeth/gum when baby is nursing. Some babies never bite, but biting is a behavior that most babies do try, usually when they are teething. Rest assured that biting can be stopped with a little persistence on the mother's part. Biting is, for the vast majority of moms, a temporary issue that only lasts a few days to a couple of weeks. All babies are different, so you may need to try several different things before you find something that works for you. What works for you will depend on your baby's age, temperament and personality. Many mothers have gotten through this stage and gone on to give their babies the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding for weeks, months, and even years afterward.
Stopping the nursing session is generally the most effective way to teach baby that nursing and biting do not go together. Once baby lets go, remove her from the breast for a bit - it may be a few seconds or a few minutes (this is something where you'll need to gauge your own baby's reaction). If baby is teething (which is often the cause of biting), this is a good time to hand baby something cold to chew on, a teething toy, etc. You might tell baby something along the lines of, "if you want to bite, we're not nursing." If baby really wants to keep nursing, she may get upset when you end the nursing session, at which point you can wait a few moments then give baby another chance to nurse. If baby is not interested in nursing, she might fuss a few seconds but then go on to something else. If baby bites, it's not a good idea to scream or yell on purpose as a method to stop biting -- there are better ways to teach baby not to bite. Sometimes, of course, it's impossible not to yell in pain if baby catches you by surprise and/or bites hard. Sometimes yelling does stop baby from biting again; however, some babies think it's so funny that they continue to bite for the reaction, and other babies are so scared that they go on a nursing strike. The chance that this method will stop baby biting is simply not worth the problems it can cause. If your baby bites down and doesn't let go (most let go immediately without mom doing anything), there are a couple of things you can do: First, quickly place your finger between baby's gums so you can pull away without (more) injury. If that doesn't work, pull baby TOWARD you, very close to your breast. This will make it a little hard to breathe, so baby will automatically let go to open her mouth more and uncover her nose to breathe. A variation of this that some moms use is to gently pinch baby's nose closed for just a second to get her to open her mouth and release the nipple. "A baby cannot suck for milk and bite simultaneously. When I start to nurse my son, I watch him intently. As soon as he stops sucking, I take him off the breast and talk to him gently for a minute before I let him resume." "My baby had two reasons for biting: either he was not hungry or not interested in nursing - he was distracted or bored. I switch sides during a feeding or move to a different chair or position." "What worked best for me was to be very vigilant during nursing sessions - no more reading magazines or watching TV. By watching carefully, I could tell when my son was beginning to lose interest, and I could remove him from the breast." "My baby begin biting when I became pregnant with my second child (even before I realized I was pregnant). I'm not sure why - perhaps my milk supply had already decreased due to the pregnancy." "The time when I yelled out in pain, it scared my daughter pretty badly (though not into a nursing strike). The few times that she bit after that, I just gritted my teeth and calmly said "no bite - that hurts Mama!" When my son tried biting, I found it was just as effective to say nothing (or perhaps make a calm comment like "oh? don't want to nurse right now?"), then calmly remove him from the breast for a bit." "Be sure you don't use any teething gels or lotions just prior to breastfeeding, since it can numb the baby's tongue, and even your nipple & areola, making it difficult for baby to breastfeed." "If you think your baby may have pain from the teething ask your doctor about using a baby pain reliever (like Tylenol) 1/2 hour before nursing." Teeth scraping, uncomfortable latch, or indentations on your nipple tissue from the teeth is not all that uncommon. It seems to be worse for most moms right when the teeth first cut through, and before they have a chance to wear down some and become less sharp. Babies may also change their latch a bit when they get new teeth, as nursing can feel different to them with the new teeth. With time, baby will learn to nurse better with the new teeth and you won't be so aware of them. Here are some suggestions that have helped other moms:
See also:
It never happens to most moms, but occasionally a mom will get a bad bite from baby. Applying ice right after the injury and between feedings can be very helpful. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) are compatible with breastfeeding and can be used as needed. See Healing broken skin in the nipple area for additional information on healing.
Page last modified:
10/10/2005
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