Everything was going well for months and suddenly this – your baby is biting your nipple while breastfeeding.
Maybe you cried out in shock the first time.
Either your baby finds this really scary or even more funny.
It can even give the impression that your baby is now testing whether you squeak like that again.
STOP!
Take a moment and read.
First of all, if your baby bites while breastfeeding, that’s not a reason to stop breastfeeding!
Biting can be incredibly painful and leave injuries – so it’s now really important to find a way to deal with it right away.
- You received a biting injury.
Since injuries on the nipple are an entry point for germs, this can lead to breast inflammation.
It is important that you take proper care of the injury promptly.
I explain the 10 most important tips for sore nipples here.
- A resounding NO! after biting while breastfeeding is often counterproductive
The most common tip is “Say NO very clearly! and take your baby off your breast as soon as it bites!”.
Now I don’t agree with that at all.
Dont think that your breastfeeding child does have the goal of teasing you, annoying you or even hurting you.
Be aware this reaction might frighten your baby, unsettle her and even lead to refusal of the breast.
Not exactly a loving end to a breastfeeding relationship.
Suddenly stopping breastfeeding in such a “crisis situation” is neither friendly nor natural.
If you have been breastfeeding a lot, like me, you also risk a breast inflammation.
- What does your baby need if she bites while breastfeeding?
Your baby doesn’t bite simply because they want to test your responsiveness.
Your reaction to this is going to be important. You dont want to turn it into a game where you squeak and your baby might think this is funny.
Let find out why do babies bite
There are many different triggers for biting.
- Teething
- Frightened
- to stop the milk flow
- Fall into deep sleep
- Teeth have broken through and the angle in your position no longer fits
Since your baby can’t tell you what’s going on, you need to be in the situation and try to guess what the cause might be.
- How to help your baby stop biting while breastfeeding
Now it is important to support your baby so that the biting stops and does not become a habit.
Always remember – your baby doesn’t want to hurt you!
Be as “there” as possible when breastfeeding.
Try not to be distracted when you nurse and start holding your breast again.
In an emergency, quickly slide your finger into your baby’s cheek pouch to free your nipple.
Please don just pull the nipple out. You and Baby can get injured.
- Your baby bites when breastfeeding because of teething
When teething, your baby will experience discomfort and pain.
So that your baby does not accidentally bite through teething, it now needs more attentive breastfeeding support than may have been necessary in the past. You can also use Orajel before breastfeeding.
- Your baby bites when breastfeeding because of distraction
The more alert babies become, the easier it is for them to be distracted by anything new. Also during breastfeeding.
This is only for a while, but you need to change the environment for yourself and have as little distraction as possible.
It helps to nurse in a darkened room and to ensure a constant background noise during breastfeeding.
- What to do when she bites?
A bite is then a scary situation for both of you – and it can also be the case that you unintentionally react differently than is reasonable. Be gentle with both of you!
Try to breathe deeply into your stomach. Talk softly to your little Baby.
- Your baby bites when breastfeeding to stop the flow of milk
If your baby just wants to suck but doesn’t want to drink at all but triggers the milk ejection.
A very similar reason would be when your baby was not hungry at all and does not want to breastfeed.
- Your baby will bite while breastfeeding if he falls asleep
Another situation is that some babies suck less and less actively when they fall asleep and the tip of the nipple slowly slides towards the chewing ridges until it hurts.
It helps to switch sides early in breastfeeding so that the milk flow keeps breastfeeding active or stops when your baby is no longer actively sucking.
- Your baby will bite with their newly erupted teeth while breastfeeding
When new teeth have come through, the familiar breastfeeding position sometimes no longer fits.
When the upper teeth break through, it is important that you pay more attention to the breastfeeding position. In order to get the right angle, it often takes a lot of patience with older breastfeeding children. When working out your breastfeeding position, imagine you are eating a very big burger – at this angle your nipple is best protected from the sharp teeth.
- Preventing further biting while breastfeeding
To prevent biting, I like to try to open her mouth as wide as possible. Stay positive! Its going to work.
While putting her on, you also show your baby that it should open its mouth wide. You know it will take practice and patience.
Talk to your Baby, tell her please be gentle and tell her you love her. Remember she doesn’t want to hurt you.
Reinforce her and tell she’s doing amazing.
Any more tips? Leave some in the comments.
