Biting!

[Jessie81]

GRRR... DS bites my nipple while nursing about 8x/day! Its usually no more than a quick nibble but it hurts like hell! I have tried scolding him gently but firmly- he just laughs! I have a blister now and I have been soaking it in epsom salts (not as often as I should) and it is painful to nurse on that side. I hate pumping- I am not good at it and it takes time that I pretty much dont have. Any suggestions?

[Amy_G_]

Watch him for signs of change in his latch. Before he bites, take him off and put him down. Don't yell, don't scold, for one of my sons, saying anything about it at all would make him continue to do it and he thought it was hilarious too! He has to change his latch in order to bite, so watch carefully for that. and if he does bite, unlatch him with your finger, or smoosh his face into your breast so he has to let go in order to breathe. then put him down and that feeding is over.
soak in warm water, warm water with salt, use lanisoh ointment, try to give your boobs some air time without a bra on. Also feed off of one side per feeding to let the off breast rest. Change your position for nursing so every time he feeds he puts pressure on a different part/side of your nipple. This may require some interesting positions--nurse him standing on his head maybe? ;)

[bunkybean]

I had the same issue a few weeks ago with my daughter. She would bite & laugh at me. I took some advice I got here. She would usually bite me towards the end of her meal. I would just say no bite and put her down immediaitely and walk away. I would come back a minute or so later and pick her up. We did not resume feeding as she was pretty much done. I only had to do this 3 times and have not been bitten in a week. I also started to look for her bite cues and would gently say no bite as she was nursing. I think she got it. Thank goodness cause it HURT!

[Nipple_nectar]

Oy~ I have a biter. It really sucks! Most of the time, she can be distracted with a nursing necklace and that works very well.

She mainly does it at night, in the dark and we are not playing with the beads, nursing necklace, I think she does it when she is bored and somewhat does as the PP suggested.

I watch her like a hawk, she has to stop nursing and move her tongue out of the way to bite, the minute she does this, I end the session. I don't scold or talk about. In fact, when she bites, I muster all my strength and say nothing because I agree that if baby learns that she/he can envoke such a strong reaction, you will be suffering constantly.

In the meantime, for pain management, my silverette has been a lifesaver! A small pair of pure silver cups that you literally place on the nipple~ heals small cracks and punctures overnight! Silver has long been known for it's healing qualities. You can read about it here: www.breastfeedingheaven.com

You can also use www.soothies.com heated or cooled, whatever you prefer and also, you can take motrin for pain.

Make sure that your baby is not teething on you. Give baby plenty of opportunity to gnaw on something cold like a frozen bagel or a frozen teether or washcloth, for at least twenty minutes, prior to nursing, this will minimize the need for biting. You can also give www.hylands.com teething tablets.

[Mocosita]

I have a biter too! All of the advise here was very helpful and ds has cut down his bitting for now. I was also afraid of giving him motrin, but have since learned that if he's bitting it's because it hurts him. So I'm more likely to give him some motrin if he's biting a lot.

Hang in there.... hopefully this phase will pass quick for you!