Oh the joys of breastfeeding. The snuggles, the feel good hormones, the precious sounds your little one makes while nursing, the biting… wait, what?! No I guess that one isn’t a joy of breastfeeding but unfortunately it is a reality most of us mommies have to deal with at one point or another in our breastfeeding journey.
Baby L is doing great! He’s crawling up a storm, pulling himself up to stand, and I swear he’s saying mama (my husband will probably disagree with me though, lol). BUT, here lately he thinks it is HILARIOUS to bite mommy while nursing. He thinks it’s even MORE funny to grab mommy’s hair at the same time, but that is another rant for a different day. He has been teething more and more recently and a little nub is popping up on the bottom row of his jaw.
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Below are 5 tips to keep baby fed and happy and mommy sane:
1.) Let baby know you are not happy – Seems obvious right? It’s not like you can hide your yelp of pain and startled reaction from your baby, but let them know, “Ouch, don’t hurt mommy!” Don’t scream at your baby, but let them know that you are in pain. Babies can sense your tone.
2.) End the session – Have a finger ready to unlatch your baby when they clamp down. Your baby will quickly figure out that biting = no milk. Do not offer the breast again for several minutes.
3.) Make sure your baby is latched correctly – If your baby is latched correctly, there is no way that he should be able to bite you. Biting incidents occur when the nipple slips out of position and comes toward the front of the mouth. I find that this usually happens when the session is coming to an end and Baby L is almost finished.
4.) Pay attention – Learn your baby’s cues. They often bite when they are bored or distracted. When you learn their cues, you can easily end the nursing session and keep your nipples intact!
5.) Look for tension is the jaw – This one is especially true for my little one. Once baby’s jaw tenses up, a bite is likely to follow.
Bonus Tip: Hold your baby’s nose – Give it 1-2 seconds and he’ll pop right off!
Please don’t let this obstacle stop your breastfeeding journey. Just remember that this is a phase! At least that’s what I tell myself 🙂 This can be a painful and discouraging time for some, but baby will learn that biting means no more milk and things will go back to normal soon.
What techniques have worked for you when your baby bites? I would love to hear from you!Â
