My 4 month old cut his first tooth last week and today I notice another one is trying to come in too. He has already bite me quite a few times. Those little teeth are so freakin sharp I end up yelling in pain when he does bite. It scares him and he cries and takes for ever to get him to latch back on again. Any advice on how you handle your baby when he/she bites? Right now I fear that I am going to get fed up with the biting and resort to bottle feeding only and I dont want too do that yet since i do enjoy the bonding while nursing.
I just asked that same question a week ago or so. Click on my name and view my question. Hang in there. It does end! =) I got mine to stop biting within a couple of days.
My 5 month old doesn't have teeth yet. But when my two year old was younger he bit me when I was nursing him. But when he did it I wouldn't scream or laugh. I would tell him no biting (which I'm sure he didn't understand) and I would "shut down the snack shop." I would close my shirt and dinner would be over. He only did it twice and I guess he got the message. Hope this helps.
I breast fed my daughter till 18 months and is currently breast feeding my son who is 10 months. Yes, these cute little buggers will bite and will bite HARD! I know it's hard but try not to scream out because it will frighten them away from the breast. Instead, when feeding, keep a finger near their mouth so that you can unlatch them quickly when they start to bite. Follow with a firm "NO", wait a few minutes before trying to feed again. You'll have to do this a few times before they get the message but they will learn. However, just because they've learned that they're not suppose to bite you doesn't mean that they won't still do it from time to time.
My son still does it every now and then if I look away from him for too long while he's feeding.
I was taught to plug my son's nose when he did that. They have to open their mouth to be able to breathe so it ensures a quick release and it is unpleasant enough to be a deterrent. You might also consider ending the nursing session and trying again in a little while. Try not to scream if you can, I know, easier said than done....
When my daughter did that i would yelp, pull the breast away and say "no biting"........they get the hint, the boobie will get taken away if the teeth make an appearance. keep on doing what you are doing, Its the best
I broke suction with my pinky finger, did the "no biting" thing as suggested by many and changed breasts (pumped the other while he nursed) all calmly and smoothly ... he got the hint after the 2nd time.
This usually takes only 2 days to adapt behavior.
1st bite, sternly say "No Biting!", place baby down and keep off breast for 5 minutes, even if baby wants to come back
2nd (same time frame) bite, sternly say "No Biting!", place baby down and keep off breast for 20 minutes, even if baby wants to come back
3rd bite within the same time frame, bite, sternly say "No Biting!", place baby down and keep off breast 2 hours, even if baby wants to come back.
Baby will learn very quickly!! You must be consistent, must also do it all with a stern face - no smiling, laughing, screaming or funny noises.
Both my daughters got teeth pretty early on...like 4 and 5 months so I know what you're going through. What worked for me is next time he bites instead of pulling him off (which can cause more damage if he's got a good bite on you boob) push his face into your boob so he can't breath and he will let go. He won't like this at all and after a few times he'll learn the pattern that when he bites he can't breath and he should stop. I was always told to try not to yell or say "No" harshly cause when they are this young it can scare them to the point where they don't want to nurse at all. I had a friend who tried the flick on the nose when her daughter bit her and it upset her baby so much that she never nursed again. Stopped cold turkey so she had to start giving her formula. So try this method first before anything else. Good luck.
