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momophile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:41 PM
Original message
question for moms who breastfed
Hi. My four-month old just got her first tooth. And now she has bitten me several times. Yikes!!! It hurts like hell and now my nipples are sore like no other time. Does anyone have advise for me on what to do when she bites me? I need help!

Thanks.
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bleedingheart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:43 PM
Response to Original message
1. It has been a very long time, but I would immediately break suction
and separate the baby and say "no" gently...eventually they associate the idea of biting with losing the milk supply and they stop...

but then again it has been about 6 years since I last breasfed...
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momophile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:47 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. makes sense to me
I hate having to say no to her but I guess it's something I have to start getting used to.

Thanks.
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bleedingheart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:59 PM
Response to Reply #3
11. I am sure it will all work out...and as others have posted perhaps
a teething ring or something else for her to chew on would be good...that way she will know the texture of what is bite-able and what is not..
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LeftyMom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:43 PM
Response to Original message
2. If you think she'd going to bite, push the breast farther into her mouth
so she can't do so very effectively. If she does bite, end the feed immediately.

If she keeps it up a call to a lactation consultant or LLL leader may not be a bad idea.
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momophile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:49 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. I guess if she keeps it up...
I'll call my midwife. Thanks for reminding me to call for help!
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Lars39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:48 PM
Response to Original message
4. I agree with bleedinghart.
Wet tea bags can help with nipple soreness. :)
Dunno if you've seen this forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=238

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momophile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:51 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. thanks. I'd forgotten about the parenting forum!
Any particular tea?
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Lars39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:52 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Just regular bag tea works fine. :^)
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aQuArius Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:55 PM
Response to Original message
8. A great question, I had a similar situation...
My son didn't get his 1st tooth until 7 1/2 months, and that's when the biting started. I would break suction and tap his cheek to get his attention. To no avail, he finally bit hard enough and drew blood at 8 months. It wasn't worth my sanity, so I weaned him from the breast and used my electric dual-pump. He got breast milk until 11 months, just not from the breast. Since yours is so young, an investment in a pump may be necessary. :) Hope things get better. I remember how TERRIBLE my nipples HURT! Use a warm washcloth so sooth pain!
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LeftyMom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:56 PM
Response to Original message
9. I woudl adress teething pain too.
Letting her chew on a cool, damp washrag, giving her some teething cookies and toys to chew on and trying a little baby orajel if you haven't already might keep her from using you as a chew toy.
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SoCalDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:57 PM
Response to Original message
10. Tap her cheek and say OWWWW loudly
If she does it again, stop nursing.. She will get the message after a few interruptions :)
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bleedingheart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 11:00 PM
Response to Reply #10
13. I remember saying OWWW loudly the first time they latched on...
hahahaha....

My husband could never understand why I would sometimes wince when they latched on...they had more suction power than a Dyson vacuum...
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momophile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 11:40 PM
Response to Reply #13
16. I heard that. And my husband doesn't understand either.
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Left Is Write Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 10:59 PM
Response to Original message
12. Gently remove her...
and firmly tell her "No." Every time she bites, end the nursing session with a firm no. It may take a while, but you can get through this. My son was a biter, and it HURT. I eventually broke him of the habit, though, and he continued to nurse for quite a while afterward with no problems.
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Whoa_Nelly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 11:07 PM
Response to Original message
14. Good site/info
Edited on Fri Jan-06-06 11:12 PM by Whoa_Nelly
Please don't tap your baby on the face as reprimand. No one likes to be scolded that way... just my two cents...

Good advice at this site:

When baby bites:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/biting.html

<snip>
If baby bites, it can be very effective to calmly remove baby from the breast and say nothing (or perhaps make a calm comment like "oh? don't want to nurse right now?"), then end the nursing session for a bit.

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.

From other moms:

<snip>
"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."

"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."


"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."



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momophile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-06-06 11:38 PM
Response to Original message
15. this is all great info, ladies - thanks
I like the idea of not yelling, which is what I want to do now, and instead just breaking suction and waiting a moment. But if she draws blood, I'm going to have to stop - it just hurts too much as it is. I do have a good pump so maybe I'll just have to turn to that fulltime. Now I have to go take care of my 'twins.' Damn, do they hurt! Thanks!
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cssmall Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-07-06 01:47 AM
Response to Original message
17. All the advice on here is great.
What also works is so lanolin, I remember the Breastfeeding Nurse at the hospital would have Michelle switch breasts every feeding and have her put lanolin on her previously used nipple.
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radwriter0555 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-07-06 01:49 AM
Response to Original message
18.  It could be a clear signal it's time to switch to formula and a bottle.
My daughter was a very aggressive nurser and the agony was far, far too much to handle.

I found bottles and formula a lot easier for everyone, and I wasn't in agony anymore!
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