Breastfeeding vs Teeth

I have four children and I breastfed all of them. When each child started teething they would be nursing and then just bite down because their gums hurt. I instinctively pulled them off my breast. That seemed to help the problem. I think it surprised them and unfortunately upset them because they weren't allowed to nurse for a moment. It did help, though. My son was the worse and when he was in the middle of teething I was actually scared each time I went to nurse him, but it did get better. Something that seemed to help was giving them Tylenol when they were fussy with teething. If your baby's gums are less sore maybe she'd be less likely to chop down. I know there are products out there to help with sore nipples use them and make sure you let your nipples air dry before putting your breast away. That will help with the cracking. Keep at it. You're doing what's best for your baby! Good luck and God bless.

Hi K.,
Boy do I know what you mean about teething & breastfeeding!!! Even tho it was many years ago, I don't think I'll ever forget that experience. I breastfed my daughter (who is now 26) for 18 months. So I went thru all that teething phase and cracked nipples, what fun! And I also have experience with CF. Would you like to have a chat over coffee or a smoothie. I live in SA too. I still have 2 kids at home 12 & 13 and am a SAHM so if you'd like to visit, then email me back....I'll be here!
W.
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I BF my 15-month-old son right now, and he's getting his first molar. Even without the biting (which he does more than I'd like), I find that my nipples are sore when he's teething. From what I've read, it seems like it's because he slightly changes his latch to avoid hurting where the sore spot is. When that happens, I try to be really good about making sure he's latched on well (most of the areola is in his mouth) and I try to change positions some (football hold, lying down, etc.) so that his teeth aren't always rubbing in the same place. I also find using lanolin and making sure I'm dry helps.

Good luck. You'll get through this, and it's worth it. You're building a great bond with your baby and you are helping her grow on the best food there is for babies.

The best thing you can do is consult a professional on this. I've found they will give you the best advise b/c breastfeeding, though "natural", can be really be very difficult.
Call La Leche League at ###-###-####. They are great and free.
Or call Kathy Parkes at ###-###-####. She charges, but she saved me from lots of stress and heartache when BFing my first. I got lots of different advise with this problem I was having and she was the one made it all make sense and work.

Not sure how to help you with the teeth as I never had that problem but around the time my son was 8-9 months I noticed I felt unbelievably tired. I just couldn't keep my eyes open in the afternoon. Anyway I went to my Dr who found I was very anemic. Apparently the birth plus prolonged breastfeeding had depleted my iron reserves. I actually had some iron infusions done over period of 3 weeks as they said the tablets would take too long to work (usually a couple of months) and I have to say I felt like a new women afterwards. So it might be worth mentioning it to your Dr and getting some blood work done as it isn't normal to feel so so tired.
Hope this helps.
S.
p.s I fed for 13 months and am glad I did as my son really has not had too many ear infections, stomach bugs etc. By the end though I was only doing 1 feed at night and that was it so it does reduce with time as well which is something to bear in mind.

OMG I went through the exact same thing. It hurts so bad. The only thing I found that worked was every time she bit me, nursing ended with a "no bite". It took a while for her to put the two together.
To help me I just used ice, Motrin and Lasinoh cream. To help you LO get through the tooth pain try putting a piece of frozen fruit in a mesh feeder. No choking but it is cool and yummy. My DD wouldn't use teething rings or a frozen washcloth. We also gave her Motrin instead of Tylenol as it helps reduce the gum swelling and it lasts longer.
Good luck. It does pass though. My DD went through the molars without biting me. Our coffee table didn't fair so well though.
C.

Hi K.,

I'm not in this predicament yet, but have been wondering how women deal with teething. I just had a baby girl, 5 weeks old as of yesterday and I am also breastfeeding.

I wonder if a nipple shield would help. It's a very thin piece of flimsy plastic that fits over the entire nipple area and shields between yourself and baby's mouth.

Just a suggestion. Good luck!