My baby is biting!

Teething

Typically infants start developing teeth between 3 months and 1 year of life and teething can sometimes last over 2 years. Teething can cause irritability in our infants, increased drooling, fussiness, diaper rash, swollen gums, gnawing or chewing on toys/hands, pulling their ears and a change in sleeping patterns. Sounds so fun right? Another sign of teething is when our infants bite us during a breastfeeding session. It can be a shock the first time it happens and also SO PAINFUL! Although our baby would never deliberately hurt or bite us, it can seem like a personal attack because IT IS a personal attack (on your very sensitive nipple). Let’s discuss ways to help curve this behavior and get back to nursing comfortably.

How to Help

  • Offering a cold or frozen teether to baby about 5-10 minutes before breastfeeding sessions can help numb the sore and tender gums and offer instant relief for infant. Amazon has many options, just make sure it’s one you can throw in the freezer between uses. By numbing baby’s gums we are reducing pain which should reduce the desire to use your breast as a teether.

  • Try to not scream/shout or make a big fuss but instead, run your pinky down your breast and into the corner of infant’s mouth to break the suction and unlatch your babe. You can then try calmly saying, “No biting Mommy” and offering a cold compress or teether instead. Once you are calmed and settled, let’s latch infant again. By staying calm after a bite we will keep baby calm and help curve the biting without making the breast seem like a scary place.

  • If infant is in full teething mode, check with your pediatrician on appropriate doses of infant ibuprofen, motrin or tylenol. Sometimes taking the edge off the pain before feedings can help with baby’s desire to bite. This can also be used in conjunction with the frozen teether.

Overactive Letdown

Sometimes when we have an overactive let down our milk can eject from many pores at the same time (did you know most of us have 5-9 pores on each nipple?) This can feel like drinking out of a water hose turned on full blast. Who wants that? Signs you have an over active letdown are infant choking while nursing, hand expressing and milk ejecting a fair distance off breast, quickly filling up at breastfeeding or pumping or baby pulling off breast frequently during feeds. If you do have an overactive letdown your baby my bite in an attempt to stop or slow the rate of flow. If this is happening let’s talk ways to calm your letdown in hopes of putting an end to the biting.

How to Help

  • To alleviate your overactive letdown you can try pumping both breasts for about 3-5 minutes before infant is due to feed, that way you can remove some of the initial milk, slow the flow and calm your milk flow rate. You can use a manual pump, electric or even hand expression can help. Once you’re past your quick initial letdown try latching your babe. If your milk is gently flowing we could see a reduction in infant biting since they are no longer trying to regulate our letdown.

  • Try a laidback breastfeeding position! This can allow gravity to help with milk ejection and slow the rate of flow as well. Also, if your infant is biting due to your letdown, we should see that behavior subsiding.

  • Grab the Haakaa! You can try to let baby(s) nurse initially and then unlatch when you feel your milk letting down or see your infant sputtering. Suction your Haakaa to the breast you were feeding on and allow your milk to let down while you burp infant. After a minute or two your letdown should have passed, and now you can remove the Haakaa and bring infant back to breast. This also can aid in reducing biting because you are regulating your letdown, not baby.