For mothers who breastfed their infants past 6 months of age...

Question

I have a 9 and a half month old daughter that I breastfeed. When her first 2 teeth came in we went through a bit of biting but I got her to stop by saying NO firmly. Recently her top 4 came in and we had some more biting but it looks like this has now stopped.

My question is...will I need to repeat the retraining of how not to bite mommy's nipple with every set of teeth or is it just for the front ones that they tend to bite you with.

Answer 1

It is just for the front one, don't worry she will stop she just want to use her teeth you just have to repeat her to stop NO and at the end she will get it. To learn some babies need to coordinate the action with the consequences if she notice that you keep on saying stop or NO after she bite you she will understand it and definitively stop.

Best wishes!!!

Answer 2

My son bit me when he got his bottom two teeth. I corrected the problem quickly and he never bit me again. Not even when he got more teeth. You may have to repeat it. It depends on how quickly she picks up on it. With my son he got a very strict "no biting" and I took him off my breast and made him wait before he could eat again. I only had to do that twice before he learned. She may be testing you or just doesn't understand. They do not know they are hurting you. But they will usually corroparate when you take away their food source.

Answer 3

When a baby is actually nursing and not just playing, it's impossible to bite.  I had some issues with biting when my daughter's first teeth came in, and it was only for a while, as well as being just the front ones.

She's never gnawed on me with her molars, lol!!!

Answer 4

I did not have any issues past the teething of the front teeth. My son learned quick, and he simply lost interest in it. He will bite me on very, very rare occasions now (20 months) but it is mostly when he is not getting my attention and wants it. Since I became pregnant, my attention while nursing him has become very important to him.

I would not worry, it is something that has its phases, but does not become a real issue.

Answer 5

start weening her off of your breast. If you want her to have your breastmilk until shes one, try pumping till shes old enough for normal milk.  

Answer 6

I didn't need to repeat it because he caught on pretty quickly not to bite the boob that feeds you.  If he bit (which was only a few times), he didn't get any more boob for a few minutes.

I think she might be biting because it's relieving the pressure.  Typically, they won't nibble when they're actively feeding.  If you hear the nursing session coming to an end, pop her off before she even has a chance to bite.

My 12 month old has a full set of teeth- and (knock on wood), he hasn't bitten me since his first 2 popped through.

And pay no mind to the suggestion of weaning.....that's a ridiculous notion.  Why rob your child of your breastmilk because they innocently nibbled on your breast?  That's a pretty harsh punishment.

Answer 7

I have never had a problem with biting.I breastfed my first for 9 months and my second for 10.Maybe it's time to wean her.She is almost a year!! It felt awkward when my son started walking and talking and I was still breastfeeding,so I had to wean him.

Answer 8

It really depends on the child.  As they get older and understand more, they may just need a gentle reminding.  With my son, it was only the front ones he bit with.  It's well worth sticking with it, even if a bit uncomfortable at times.

Answer 9

No, I only had that problem with the front teeth.  The ones further back never seemed to bother us while we were nursing.

Good for you for working through the challenges instead of giving up!

Answer 10

I think you'll know when it's time to shop breadfeeding entirely. They have a way of letting you know when they are done. Children with new teeth like to knaw on whatever they can. They have to learn that mommy is not knawing material. When a bite happened I removed the source of food and said "No" rather sternly. Sometimes I added "owwy" and looked sad. Then we tried again and in a short amount of time both of my children learned. I think at 9 months they are old enough to get the message that they are hurting you. They should make the connection between your terrible owwy face and their biting.

Answer 11

I breast fed my son until he was 20 months and never had a problem with biting, except on occasion.  What really worked best for him was just removing him from the breast, gently, but firmly telling him "no," and then letting him try again.  If he tried again I would completely stop.  That got the point across that if he bit, he wouldn't be allowed to nurse.