amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

~noodlefrog~ · 01-22-2006, 11:22 AM

I am absolutely and totally at a loss as to what to do about my two-year-old who is leaving deep tooth marks on my breast every time he nurses. Essentially it is like a red groove where his top teeth were resting.

History: Both my children have had times when they were young and teething that they would gently sink their top teeth into my breast while otherwise nursing normally. I am not talking about biting. I can't imagine they are unique, but I have never found anyone who really understood what I meant, let alone had any suggestions. It would last I few days, at worst a week, whether or not I let them keep nursing when they did it.

Ds is nearly two-and-a-half, and started doing this again over Christmas. I was displeased, but hoped it would end fast (and I didn't want to make a big deal when lots of relatives were visiting who would just say it was time to wean). I lost track of time, and here it is almost a month later and it's still going on. For the past week I have stopped nursing whenever he does it, but rather than it getting better, it seems like I am clumsily weaning him against both our wills.

Help! Does anyone have any ideas? Do you know how much he can understand about what is going on in order to change it. (Discussion has seemed fruitless.) I'm beginning to feel like he has forgotten how he should be nursing, but perhaps that is silly. (His sister, nearly five, has periodically been admonishing him to nurse "right" or saying "Nooo, you nurse like this, see?")

Please, please give me any advice you think could help.

Lis

Maura · 01-22-2006, 11:29 AM

Stephanie is 15 months. As soon as I feel pain and see the telltale marks I know she is teething. Right now she has 12 teeth. I had to turn her backwards to nurse so I could get some relief. I guess it would be like nursing her in a football hold to get the teeth on the opposite side. Does that make sense? I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but there are peobably more moms on here who have been through that with children the same age. Funny thing, when Ava nursed, until age 3, I never had one mark. She was a terrible latch for the first 3 weeks- I bled, but once she and I worked together, never another problem. Stephanie was a natural latch from the beginning, yet each tooth brings these marks and pain...go figure!

Just thought of this..I was told that sometimes we get lazy about the latching with older children...????

Soledad · 01-24-2006, 09:43 AM

Wow, what a coinky dink. I was just going to log on and post my problem with my 19 month old. I have two puncture like wounds on both breast.

As I felt the pain I never thought it would be his incisors. So I will now try to nurse him football style today and tonight. He nurses a few times a night. Other than that I'm hoping once the do come in completely , he'll be better at nursing. Thanks and keep posting more tips to this thread. I need all the help I can get

RC · 03-28-2006, 12:10 AM

I would have to have my child practice opening big (I would say open bigger, bigger and then latch on). If he bit down, I would break the latch and say again. We would repeat until he got it right or switch sides for awhile. I would also say be gentle to Mamma please. Soft touches.

Sometimes changing positions helps (lying down vs. sitting up, etc.). I found sitting up straight on would help prevent biting.

Also, I borrowed my child's "boo-boo buddy" -- a plastic boo boo thing you keep in the freezer, and I would use that afterwards to help heal up the teeth marks. (bought this at Bed, Bath and Beyond) And I pulled out the lanolin again and started to apply that.

At 2 1/2 I doubt your son is teething. It's probably just laziness. He's gotten very comfortable with nursing. I noticed that my son got a very shallow latch and would bite down. So we would practice, practice, practice, or I would end the nursing session if it didn't go well and then would try again later. We went through this right around 2. He's 2 1/2 now and hasn't left any bite marks in a long time.

Sometimes a short break was all it took to get us back on track.

Hope that helps!

My2girlsmama · 03-31-2006, 11:14 AM

Alot of the time older nurslings get lazy when they nurse and their teeth clamp down without them knowing so. Simply explain it hurts a bit, de-latch and try again. If the child is doing it knowingly then stop the session gently explain that it is hurting mama and if it hurts mama no more nursing. If not knowingly then it is usually a lazy latch situation. Been there many a time.

scorch_dc · 09-11-2007, 12:17 AM

I hit that point with both of my boys. They just got bigger and lazy with the latch as they went along!

So when I felt/feel teeth, I say open W-I-D-E please, and get it farther in the mouth like it should be!

bebe80 · 02-23-2008, 02:46 PM

Maybe this is a sign you should start weening. My daughter is 2 years plus 2 months and we have conversation now. You asked how much your son understands? He understands everything, even if he's not talking much. I've heard the arguments for breastfeeding toddlers, but I don't think it really affects children in any profound way. My daughter was only breastfeed for the first three months and we have a very tight bond. She is also very intelligent. You should be more concerned with buying organic foods and giving your children milk that hasn't been treated for rBGH.

I had to give her formula because 1. my nipples have always been sensitive ( i don't even like them touched during sex), so it really really hurt and I couldn't adjust. and 2. I had to go back to work and I had MAJOR leakage. I was like a fountain that never paused. All formula is treated with rBGH (the bovine growth hormone). I did notice that my daughter had larger than normal nipples. They looked the way your nipples first looked when you start getting breasts. I asked the doctor about it and she said not to be concerned.....well.....After I stopped giving her formula and started giving her organic milk her nipples went back to looking non-pubescent. I did a ton of research about rBGH ( i did a research paper for a nutrition class)

sorry I know this is a lot of information that isn't really related to your question, but my point is.....if you are going to wean, give your children organic milk.

there is tons of information out there on rBGH and it's effects on children. It was approved by the FDA in 1993. rBGH is full of estrogen, which will cause young girls/boys to grow breasts. The USA is the only industrial country that hasn't banned rBGH. One of the men who sits on the board for Monsanto, which manufactures, rBGH also sits on the board for the FDA....... It's no wondering children are starting to go through puberty earlier and earlier.

Please, please, please only give children organic milk!

Robin · 02-25-2008, 03:02 PM

Just so you know bebe80, the orginal thread was posted in 2006 so this is an older thread.

You might want to jump over the into board and make an introduction.

Sandi · 02-25-2008, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bebe80

Maybe this is a sign you should start weening.

weaning

Quote:

My daughter is 2 years plus 2 months and we have conversation now.

We have conversation too. Conversation good.

Quote:

I've heard the arguments for breastfeeding toddlers, but I don't think it really affects children in any profound way.

Tell ya what - breastfeed a toddler - then you can speak about this.

Quote:

My daughter was only breastfeed for the first three months and we have a very tight bond.

If you've heard the arguments for breastfeeding toddlers, then why are you asking about them in the thread?

If she was "only breastfeed" for three months, then why are you "having conversation" with her at 2 years, 2 months? I mean, really, you expect a two year old to understand that they cannot have breastmilk anymore and their comfort and nutritional needs are going to be met elsewhere from now on? That they have to cry themselves to sleep now because an ADULT - who IS capable of patience and rational thought, made the CHOICE to not fill their needs anymore?

Quote:

All formula is treated with rBGH (the bovine growth hormone).

No, it isn't. Formula isn't treated with rBGH. Dairy is. Soy is not. So no, not all formula is treated with it. And not all dairy for that matter - there are plenty of organic formulas on the market.

Quote:

I did notice that my daughter had larger than normal nipples. They looked the way your nipples first looked when you start getting breasts. I asked the doctor about it and she said not to be concerned.....well.....After I stopped giving her formula and started giving her organic milk her nipples went back to looking non-pubescent. I did a ton of research about rBGH ( i did a research paper for a nutrition class)

Wow. Are you actually suggesting a formula feeding mother stop feeding formula and switch to pus and blood laden COW MILK? Cow's milk is for one creature - a cow. So, it's okay to feed a baby breastmilk - as long as it's from a cow. But we shouldn't feed our own babies our own breastmilk?

Quote:

sorry I know this is a lot of information that isn't really related to your question, but my point is.....if you are going to wean, give your children organic milk.

Pretty sure 99.9% of moms on this board already know that.

there is tons of information out there on rBGH and it's effects on children. It was approved by the FDA in 1993. rBGH is full of estrogen, which will cause young girls/boys to grow breasts. The USA is the only industrial country that hasn't banned rBGH. One of the men who sits on the board for Monsanto, which manufactures, rBGH also sits on the board for the FDA....... It's no wondering children are starting to go through puberty earlier and earlier.

Mandy · 02-25-2008, 08:01 PM

Gooo Sandi!!!