I CANNOT do this anymore! Xander (10 months) has bitten me soo many times the last few days and he draws blood EVERY time. It hurts SOO freakin bad I *have* to put him down. I dread nursing him. My areolas are both completely swollen from the biting. He just bit me again, both nipples hurt so bad I'm in tears and he is in the bedroom in his crib screaming. I can't pick him up right now. I'm fed up, frustrated, in pain and don't know what to do. I know I'll feel completely guilty for feeling like this in about an hour or so but at this moment I could care less if he does go on a nursing strike because I don't ever want to nurse him again anyway! I gave him teething tabs, I gave him cold teethers to suck on, I've done everything I can do to help him with his teething but he keeps biting! He nursed all night last night and probably bit me 5 times. What am I gonna do??????????
I really wish we had an anonymous posting feature for stuff like this. :( Oh well, I can always delete later, right? Right now I just need support. :(

{{{{Tiffany}}}}

Have you noticed any pattern to his biting? Does he bite at the beginning of a nursing session, or at the end? I gave my kids tylenol for the teething pain they were having, because it meant less biting at the beginning (they were doing it because it felt good to them to have that pressure against their gums). For the end... it's most likely because he's done actively nursing. Some people find that if they pull their babies into their breast, the baby will let go because he needs to breathe, and stop the biting that way. It didn't work well with my physiology - I had to be very alert as to when the active sucking stopped and the baby was about to bite, and quick get my finger in the corner of his/her mouth and latch-off. If they bit, I would say "ok, that's the end of this nursing session" and put them on the floor for a minute, then pick them up again, and not offer the breast for a few more minutes at least (if they bit at the beginning of a session). I don't think putting them down for a minute contributes to a nursing strike - I've read that it's more the screaming that might do that.

Oh, and for yourself - do you have any lansinoh? Slather that on between nursing sessions. I'm sorry you're in so much pain!

He's doing it mostly at the beginning. I think you're right about it relieving his teething pain. I'm really wary when he is nursing and restless, kwim? So I try to put ninny away when he starts that but *that* is when he needs to nurse for comfort so of course putting ninny away causes a complete meltdown. Argh! I even tried giving him a pacifier. lol! He totally snubbed it. lol! As far as getting him off when he's biting that's no biggie because he doesn't clamp down and stay there he just goes right for the kill. LOL! Kidding of course. But he just does this lightening quick take a chunk out thing. Youch!!! :wah:
My lansinoh I loaned to a friend who just got his 2 month old preemie to latch on. I NEED to get it back. I'm making do with comfrey right now but it's a pain cuz you have to wash it off. I'm definitely getting the lansinoh back Wednesday. ;)

Do you have any LLL around you? Sometimes the leaders have lansinoh samples & you can get some today rather than waiting another day in agony? They sell it at the CVS drugstore around here, too.

I know you said you've tried the cold teethers. How about a washcloth, rinsed in cold water & put in the freezer for a while? My kids never really liked the smooth teethers.

And keep putting him down for a minute if he starts out by biting. Mime for him to put out his tongue before nursing - do a little game of it - you stick out your tongue, and try to get him to stick out his too. If his tongue is out, he's not going to bite it. It may take a day or so for him to catch on, but babies are smart.

I hope this works for you soon, and/or other people nip in here to give some other suggestions! (no pun intended!)

Thanks for the idea. I will definitely try them. The tongue one is too cute. lol! I was able to look in his mouth and the one upper tooth area is bright red and I can see it ready to pop so maybe by tonight??? Wow, I might get a good nights sleep too! lol! That would make the biting a whole lot easeir to put up with too! lol!

My DS doesn't have any teeth yet, so I haven't had to face this issue yet.

I frequent the breastfeeding support board at Parents Place, and I have read that when your baby bites, you can push your breast into his/her face and they will release their bite. Supposedly after a few times doing this, they remember, so they stop biting. Not too sure about this technique though....like I said, I haven't had to deal with it....yet.

Good Luck, and I hope it stops soon!!

((hugs))