Biting Toddler!

Ouch, none of my 4 children did this. Just try to be consistant. Limit the breast feeding time, and by all means give her things which are meant for teething. Best of luck to you, must have been a hard question to ask, but one that needs an answer. If nothing else works, pump, until she gets through this stage, nothing compair's to a mother's milk.

Without knowing it, maybe this is your daughter's way of saying she doesn't want to be breastfed any longer.

If it is stressing you out and upsetting her, is it worth it?

I had the same thing with my children. My oldest bit me once. I took him off of the breast and scolded him. He cried, but never did it again. My second baby however had her own ideas about nursing. She bit a lot. I tried everything I could think of with her (removing her and saying "no", completely ending the feeding, gently poking her cheek or her nose to get her to stop) but nothing seemed to work. She learned how to say "ow" very early on because I would say it so often. Twice she bit me hard enough to make me bleed and I would have to pump on that side and throw the milk out because it was full of blood. I persisted and eventually she stopped biting as hard, but I never did figure out how to get her to stop. Unfortunately I didn't nurse her for as long as I nursed my son. When I quit nursing her she began biting almost anyone that would hold her. My husband finally bit her back. At first she laughed at him, but he did it again a little harder, and she hasn't bit any of us since. Good luck.

I think she is trying to relieve the discomfort of new teeth as well as to try them out. I'd keep a finger handy to use to break the suck quickly as needed until she gets through this. You can use a cold pack and Lansinoh ointment on your breast if you need to and I'd continue to lovingly express your own pain and that this cannot be done. Some kids at some times give you a harder time about this but they really don't understand. It will pass. You can look on www.llli.org then check Resources and look in the Answers section to see if there's any more ideas. Hang in there, Mama! Good for you for breastfeeding! This will pass. I've been through it and so has my daughter.

It sounds like you stop and tell her no, but then go back to feeding? If so, try stopping the feeding session all together when she bites. Tell her no, put her down and go off and do your own thing. If she stops getting the attention and snuggle time with mom, she might stop biting. Good luck!

I had one do that too. (nursed him until he was 26 months and only weaned because I was 26wks pregnant and my boobs were too sensitive to handle nursing anymore)

What we discovered is that he had/has a very high need for oral stimulation...he needs to bite and chew on things. so I found him a soft tipped sippy cup that I put water in that he could chew on all he wanted. That helped with the biting. I also would stop the feeding completely put him down and walk away each time he bit me. Though I didn't start that until he was closer to 18months.

I've been having the same problem, my daughter is now almost 11 months old. It hurts!!! I've found that each time new teeth come in (she now has 6 and is working on 2 more) she likes to try them out on me. I, too, always take her off and firmly tell her "no, that hurts mama." I definitely don't let her "snack" at the breast anymore either, that's just asking for trouble. She also bites me on the shoulder when she wants to eat, which I don't really appreciate either. Consider it a phase, if it continues, I don't know...GOOD LUCK!!!

My daughter did this as well. I kept being firm with her. She did stop. I emphasized the 'we do not bite mama' and ' being gentle' thing. My sister who has z degree in childhood development said some babies like the feeling of biting as well as testing their new teeth. So really talking about being gentle and not hurting one another is important.

I nursed my daughter to 18 months when she weaned herself. However at 12 months she began eating a good deal of table food. Maybe offer some table food so she can use those new teeth.

Cobgrats a
on the extended BFing!!!!

First, HOORAY for you that you are still breastfeeding. You are doing the best thing for you and your little sweetie!!
You are doing the right thing by taking her off the breast and saying a sharp "NO!". Make sure you put her on the floor and walk away from her. Tell her she really hurt mommy by biting and it is not nice. You might try explaining what biting is, give her a little bite on her finger to let her know how it feels. She is old enough to understand pain! I know it sounds cruel but sometimes with biting, biting back is the only cure. Like you said she could just not be aware she is doing it, since she now has all four teeth to use, but it could become a habit with very painful results for you. Be consistent, take her off the breast with a sharp NO! EVERY TIME...she will get it. :)

When my son would try to bite I would tell him gentle nursing.... and he understood the different cause he'd try to hit the dog and things... consider going to a La Leche League meeting. They would have a lot of other good ideas. It might just be the phase of new teeth. My son went through that and once he was done with the teeth it was fine.

Ouch! I've got 4, breastfed all of them until they were 3 (or thereabouts, except the youngest, 21 months whose still nursing), and they have all bitten at least once. My youngest was the worst, though! When he was first getting his teeth, he would practice on me, and hey, it hurts -- those little teeth are sharp, and combine that with those strong little jaws...

But, happily, it is usually just a phase, about 11-13 months is the worst part of it, it seems, in my experience, though every little one is different and is not above doing it before or after that -- 2 of my newborns bit before they even had teeth, and it hurt then, too!

Anyway, La Leche League is great, and can offer lots of support and information and tips.

Also, the little ones don't bite when they are actively nursing. It is usually only at the end of a feeding or when they are ready to play with it that they bite.

When she bites, you can try pulling her in to your breast (like hugging her nice and tight really quick while you are nursing - when she bites) and let her know it hurts (for example, "Ouch! that hurts, you have to be gentle with Mama!") It does block her air, like plugging the nose, so she will naturally immediately let go (try plugging your nose - your natural reaction/reflex is to open your mouth).

You could also end the session when she bites (use your finger to break the suction) - don't give her back the breast right away. Just get up and go do something else, or pick up a book and read with her, but not let her nurse right away.

Doing both and being consistent, and emphasizing gentleness, finally did the trick for us, and my little one does not bite me anymore, though he teases me and acts like he is going to while he looks at me and laughs! :) But, he knows Mama won't let him hurt her, so he is learning to be gentle with her.

Good luck, it will get better...

In addition to the advice the other Moms gave you, watch for cues that she is ABOUT to bite you. My son was a biter as well, and after a while I realized he bit me when he was full. He would stop nursing, giggle( I dont know why because My reaction to being bitten was ALWAYS unpleasent ie that was the end of the sessoin and he was placed down on the floor), and then bite . Hard. I feel your pain. If she bites and wont let go( unfortunately this happend to me a couple of times) you can slip a finger in her mouth to pry it open or gently pinch her nose closed.I suggest the 2nd option as it does not involve the risk of getting her finger bitten as well.

I'm of the belief that if your daughter didn't want to nurse anymore she just... wouldn't nurse anymore. Biting is more of a reaction thing in my experience. She might think your screams or gasps are just *hilarious* (I know my daughter did!), so try not to react that way. Just unlatch her, tell her "no, that hurts mama. No biting." If she does it again then set her down and leave the room or do something else. It might take a few tries but it should work. You just have to be consistent. The biggest hurdle for me was actually being consistent. My daughter would be nursing to sleep and just about to drift off when she would bite and I would hesitate to correct the behavior because she was so close! But it only prolonged the inevitable. Yes, it took a little while longer to get her to sleep on those nights but it was worth it in the long run.

Your daughter is probably trying out the new teeth as well as testing you. It's all a learning experience... at the expense of our nipples. Wonderful, I know!