Breastfeeding a Biter - Advice Needed

[Binalina]

My son is 9 months - is taking solid foods (baby foods and a bit of table food) He refuses to drink formula and I'm not ready to wean him anyways. I'm not sure what to do about his biting me but it is getting so frustrating. He does it as a sign that he is done or doesn't want to nurse at all but also sometimes I think he does it for amusement because I jump of course and then sternly say "NO" and then he laughs :glare:

 

Does anyone have any advice on how to get him to stop biting? Or if I do have to wean him - how to do it since her really objects to formula? He is a bit underwieght at 15pounds 12 oz and the Dr is concerned for his growth.

 

I hope this all makes good sense - I am rushing out the door and will check back later. TIA!

[NanceXToo]

My son went through a brief phase of biting (I started weaning him at 15 months and finished weaning him at 19 months). Fortunately he didn't do it many times.

 

I found that pulling him INTO the breast so he had to let go to breathe was much less damaging to me than pulling him away was, and more effective than trying to break his suction with a finger was.

 

The best I could do was tell him firmly "No biting! Biting hurts!" and then I'd stop the nursing session and put him down, away from me.

 

You might find this link helpful, too:

 

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/biting.html

[*~Tina~*]

I found that a sharp, reactive, startling scream from Momma did the trick with mine ;)

 

Blessings,

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-Tina ~

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

http://seasonsoflearning.blogspot.com/

[Mrs Mungo]

Pull him *in*, toward the breast. When you cut off the air supply to their nose they release. Babies don't like this, it's a self-preservation thing. Then, put him down, he's done nursing for the moment. You'd be surprised how much an older nursling can get in a short feeding. They can't nurse and bite. Usually, pulling them in and then putting them down is enough to discourage them. I never had a baby bite me more than a couple of times.

 

Is he teething, perhaps? He might need something to chew on.

[PentecostalMom]

I had a similar problem with both dd's. I would immediately pull the child away and put my shirt down, and say, "NO BITING!"

 

It only took 2-3 times for each of them to learn not to do that, or no more nursing! I am sure you will get lots of good advice here. :)

[Binalina]

He does have 3 teeth ( with more coming)....Ouch! and has been biting me for a few weeks. He does it almost every feeding. I guess I am just not sharp enough with my NO BITING!!! when he does it - and I have been hesitant to do the push him into me thing ---

 

Ok - really running out now LOL!

[dirty ethel rackham]

Another thing to look for is when he does it. Sometimes babies will do this at the end of a feeding. If you watch them, you can catch it before it happens by sticking a finger in there.

[Mom-ninja.]

as others have said, cut off his breathing and stop the nursing session and he'll quickly learn to not bite. You must be consistent.

[ahousefullofjs]

as others have said, cut off his breathing and stop the nursing session and he'll quickly learn to not bite. You must be consistent.

 

:iagree:

Yep, this.

[Mary in VA]

With one of my dds it would happen at the end of a feeding. I could tell she was slowing down and losing interest so I'd stop the feeding before she had the chance to bite. One time I wasn't paying attention and she bit down hard. I screamed and set her down on the floor. Of course she was startled by the scream and the abrubt separation and started crying. That was the last time she bit me.

 

HTH,

Mary

[Melissa in Australia]

My mother had a biter, I remember her nursing my little brother, yelling don't bite then giving him a sharp slap on the leg. She only had to do it about three times, he got the message very quickly.

Mind you, he bit so hard that mum was bleeding.

I remember it so vividly, that as soon as one of mine started thinking about biting, they were weaned that day. My oldest was so shocked that I weaned him at 11 months, just like that, that he wouldn't talk to me for about 2 months afterwards.

[Catherine]

He seemed to clench his jaws reflexively when he was dosing off-made night nursing a bit uncomfortable. I learned to recognize when he was falling asleep and put my finger between his jaws-he still bit down, but it was jaws onto my finger, not teeth onto my breast. Pulling in worked well for my other boys, who bit on purpose, and much less hard.

[Tarreymere]

I had one of those. I would stop nursing, tell her 'NO' , and put her down and turn my back on her for several minutes or walk away. It worked eventually. Another child bit me one time, and I screamed really loud, she dropped the breast and looked up at me in horror and screamed too! It was really funny and that one never did it again.

[scrappyhappymama]

Be careful with the sharp "No!" when they bite though. One of my boys got his feelings so hurt when I did that, that he went on a 5 day nursing strike.

 

I've had several biters and I heartily recommend the Kelly Moms link posted above. The thing that has worked best for me when a baby is trying out biting mama is to be a very attentive nurser- not at the keyboard or distracted by TV. Mine would usually bite toward the end of the nursing session, so once I'd notice him slowing or his latch staring to slide a bit, then I'd stick a finger in and stop him nursing before he'd bite. Then we'd relatch and keep going if he was still interested.

 

The pulling in closer thing is not really about cutting off their breathing. :001_huh: It's about encouraging a wider open mouth and a better latch. In order to bite, they have to slide down to a shallower latch first. If I felt them starting to slide down, I'd pull them in closer to the breast and they will instinctively widen their mouth, which resumes the proper latch, and then I ease them back a bit- never long enough to compromise their breathing!

 

I was just thinking about this today, while nursing my 15 month old with a mouth full of teeth! Sometimes it feels like willingly putting myself in the shark's mouth, but fortunately he learned months ago that it was counter productive to bite the num that feeds him. :lol:

[ZeldaRules]

I flicked my kids lightly in the mouth when they did this. This probably sounds awful, I know. Don't do it hard, just a light flick, it startles them. I had to do it 3-5 total times before they quit biting. Not 3-5 times in one feeding - this is 3-5 feedings.

 

Sometimes showing them a dramatic reaction (screaming), will make them do it again because they thought it was funny, so you have to be careful with that. ;)

 

Pushing them into the breast is a great idea as many have stated.-

 

You could always give him some watered down juice or some water to drink. 9 months is old enough for sippy cups. My kids went straight from the breast to the sippy cups.

 

Good luck, I know it hurts to get bit!

 

Vicki

[Impish]

Diva was given the nickname 'Hannibal' after she bit me x3, drawing blood each time. :glare: That was the end of nursing her.

 

Looking back, I can completely see that it was me being distracted at the end of the feeding that prompted it.

 

Tazzie did the Jaws/Hannibal impression once. My scream was enough to make that a first and last.

[delaney]

Flick the nose. Not very nice and listed in the parenting books but has nipped it in the bud with all 6 after 1-2 times.:D

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I've found that a biter is usually teething. When the teeth come in and they feel better they stop biting. In the meantime, I just stop nursing them when they bite. They are unlatched and placed on the floor.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Pull him *in*, toward the breast. When you cut off the air supply to their nose they release. Babies don't like this, it's a self-preservation thing. Then, put him down, he's done nursing for the moment. You'd be surprised how much an older nursling can get in a short feeding. They can't nurse and bite. Usually, pulling them in and then putting them down is enough to discourage them. I never had a baby bite me more than a couple of times.

 

Is he teething, perhaps? He might need something to chew on.

 

Yup, this. All of this. Pulling them into the breast worked better for me than anything else.

[SonshineLearner]

My first one was a biter. Started at her 5 month old bd and lasted until she was 11.5 months. Bit me every day. (As it was going... didn't know of a day that she didn't bite) I tried all of these... including the draw super close... (so she had to let go) and the slap on the face (totally not on purpose.... It wasn't that hard... but it wasn't planned either... I guess it was more of a push away....but I felt bad...) That was one of the times that she bit reallllly hard.... I tried... pinching her nose... (so she'd let go)... saying no... walking away after she bit.... One day I told my mom... "I'm just going to remain expressionless.... and not do anything even if it hurts" and guess what... THAT'S what made her quit. 2 days later... never bit again. So, at almost a year she stopped. I then had 2 more years of "biteless" nursing.

With my second, I took the Dr. Sears advice (I think it's his) of not even letting them start to gum at you... at all. I don't remember any bites... (And he didn't get teeth till late... wouldn't you know!!)

:)

[Beth S]

http://www.arcamax.com/babyblues/s-793536-784045

 

:-)

[Impish]

http://www.arcamax.com/babyblues/s-793536-784045

 

:-)

:lol::lol::lol: