What is the trick to nursing a baby with TEETH?

[spade22]

The title says it all!  Jazmines teeth have just started to come through.  How do I prevent her from biting when she nurses?  She has already given me "gummy" bites over the last few weeks (clamps down pretty hard but she had no teeth at that point) and now she is growing teeth!  

[AndiJ78]

Gummy bites were way more frequent than toothy bites for my boys. That being said, T was a biter, split the skin more than once, and Bub bit me once hard enough that I developed mastitis.

Anyway, very quickly you will pick up the cues that tell you the baby is done feeding or not interested in nursing. Catch those cues as they happen and stop the session. They cannot bite while actively nursing, their own tongue prevents that, but if they break the latch, they can bite. Jonathan and Clay bit, but it seemed like it really was out of boredom and testing the line a bit. T seemed to enjoy it...he was an odd baby. He is the only one I ever seriously thought about weaning before 1 year and biting was the reason. We made it through, but it was very trying. Once I absolved him of all of the responsibility on it and remembered I had the power to stop the session before the biting, it stopped.

Anyway, 2 of 3 my three learned very quickly that a nip or bite meant their access to the milk was cut off for a little while. It worked well. Not overnight, but within a few days. T took a few weeks, but it stopped.

I am not one who likes or condones the physical "solution" to stopping biting, you will likely get advice that states to hit the baby, I have seen it on here over the years. I would like to publicly advise against that and would sincerely hope no one left on MH would ever suggest such a thing. It is possible to stop a biting baby and toddler with biting back or popping them in the mouth.

[Diane1003]

I've never head of hitting a baby -how awful!  My son was doing like a 'suck suck pull off' - yeah -that was fun.  I called a lactation consultant and she said to go back and forth- that when he pulls himself off burp him and offer him the other side.  That's worked when he gives me a good gummy chomp down too. I usually yell out 'Ouch!' or something and it statles him enough where he pulls off.  I go back and forth a few times and that works for me!

[spade22]

Thanks ladies!

Jazmine drinks expressed milk from the bottle during the day so Im not sure if cutting her off from the boob will help (since she has an alternative milk source) - I will try it though.

Not sure how much longer she will continue to nurse either - Jazmine has been doing what you describe Diane.  "suck suck pull off", "look around for a few seconds", "nipple lunge"......... repeat the process!  I think shes realizing the bottle is easier and faster.

[Diane1003]

My son is the same - he gets bottles of bm during the day but on weekends and holidays and such it's all me 100%.  When he pulls off and looks around or bits me or whatever- putting him on my shoulder and burping him for a minute, then offering him the other side works great. Yeah it might take longer but - he knows that when there's a boob in front of him it's go time and if he's going to play then he's on the shoulder -but will be given another opportunity.  I have found that as my son as gotten older and more aware of his surroundings we had to turn the volume off on the TV and really not even talk while I'm nursing him - that was maybe at age 5 mos - it seems to have mostly pass and I can have the volume up at least!  Good luck!

[tahariel]

My 2 each only bit once. After my shocking response of "ouch!", I quickly sat them down on the carpet in front of the chair we used for nursing, and I firmly said "no biting" and put their milk supply away. They both responded by crying and wanting to be held, which I did pick them back up yet explained they cannot bite. I don't remember having any further biting issues from either. Hopefully something like that will work for you too.

[Whitneylauren]

My son, too, only bit me once with each new front tooth. When I reacted in pain he noticed, after that he would not bite again. I never had a problem with that.