Breastfeeding a biting baby
Many mothers decide that they are going to stop breastfeeding by the
time their baby has teeth, on the assumption that a baby with teeth will
make breastfeeding more painful. This shouldn’t be the case, because
when a baby is positioned well at the breast, his tongue will cover his
lower set of teeth.
But some babies do go through phases of biting their mother’s breast,
particularly if they are teething at the time, and have sore gums. When
this happens, it can be terribly painful and can elicit a cry of pain
or shock. Often, this will be enough to frighten the baby, who won’t
do it again. Some babies, however, are rather fascinated by the startled
reaction and may keep doing it in order to recreate the response, unaware
of the pain that they are causing.
Remedies
- Offer the baby a cold teething toy to chew on before a feed. This may ease his gums and
slightly numb them
- Try to stay calm if it happens regularly. Rather than pulling the baby off, gently draw
him in towards you. This will block his nasal airway, causing him to pull off in order to
breathe through his mouth
- If it becomes a game try taking him off the breast, saying no firmly, and putting him on
the floor for a couple of minutes, so he learns that you don’t enjoy this particular
game!
More breastfeeding problems and remedies:
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