Breastfeeding Tips – When Your Breastfeeding Baby Bites

Posted by admin on October 6, 2009

My youngest baby just got her first tooth in. Besides this being a milestone in her growth, it is also what leads me back into the most dreaded part of breastfeeding. Biting.

Every mother fears the day that they will be bit. Some mothers choose to end their breastfeeding relationship in order to avoid the inevitable bite. However breastfeeding a baby with teeth doesn’t have to mean tears and pain. With patience and care you can teach your newly toothed one not to bite you, and be able to continue breastfeeding for a long time.

First you need to understand that all babies are different. Some get their teeth in very young, some not until closer to a year. Some babies rarely bite, some have a need to chew frequently. The first step is understand your baby’s needs. An older infant will understand not to bite much quicker than a young infant. And one who is experiencing a lot of pain may bite more often out of a need to ease the pain.

If you have a baby that is teething and biting, they may want to nurse for comfort rather than actual hunger. Offer a cold teething toy or cold cloth that your baby can chew on instead. If he insists on nursing you may want to offer teething pills, such as Hyland’s Teething Tabs, before you begin breastfeeding. When the pain is lessened the need to bite also decreases.

Some infants bite near the end of a breastfeeding session. This is often a baby’s way of saying they are done and are looking to play. Immediately stop breastfeeding, gently telling your infant that your breasts are not for biting. Offer a toy for your baby to play with instead. Your baby may want to go back to breastfeeding rather than play with a toy, but if the biting begins again end the breastfeeding session and remind your child that toys are for biting and chewing on.

No matter what try to be calm and gentle when bit. It can be hard to do so when a tender area is bit hard, but a loud reaction can scare your breastfeeding baby. Some have become nervous about nursing again after a scare and may go on a limited nursing strike. Be sure to use your words, even if you do not think your baby will really understand. Repeatedly reminding your baby not to bite will sink in, even if the exact words do not.

Older infants and children will occassionaly bite for attention or to get a reaction. It is important to remain calm and not give them a reaction to look forward to. Calmy end the breastfeeding session and let your child know that biting is not allowed. Your child may bite a few more times to see if you will react, but as long as you stay calm they will quickly tire of it and find something else.

Biting does not have to end a breastfeeding relationship. All babies can understand that biting means the breast will be put away. This is often enough to make a breastfeeding baby stop.

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