I am finally back from vacation and I missed this board while gone, I have to catch up, but wanted to ask you nursing moms out there about this.

My son is 11 wks old now and now just the past few days he has been pulling my nipple while nursing and I think biting it with his gums. It hurts, I am almost ready to switch him to the bottle, and possibly pump for him, it really hurts, is there a way to stop this behavior or no. The other thing is also, he does not like the bottle at all, is there a easier way to get him to accept it, or just to keep up at it and hope he will eventually take it. Maybe he could be starting to suck to hard also, but that pulling he is doing is killin me lol, grrrrrrrr, what to do. thanks

You can put your finger in his mouth and seperate his jaws when he chomps down, maybe that will help, and tell him no. They maybe infants but it's not too early to let them know that what they are doing isn't good.

Now getting him to take a bottle is work. My 8mth would not take a bottle at first, we tried every nipple and bottle there was, he finally took the Platex Nurser (wa-who) with the drop in bag. Now he will take any bottle and any nipple. Another thing is to let someone else besides you give him the bottle, that way he wont smell you and wont the booby. Try everyday to get him to take a bottle and he will get it sooner or later.

Good Luck

Hugs,

My DS also pulls on my nipple like crazy when he is done eating and wants to stretch. I just don't let him, I hold his head close or just unlutch him. He should not be biting you, unless he is not lutched on properly. Yes, saying NO loudly every time he does it may help. Try different positions. My son liked one position for a long time and them for some reason would not eat properly, switching position for couple of feedings a day helped.

My son just started biting me this week, but now it's every time. It hurts so badly, he has two teeth! The last time, it took my breath away, and he got scared and cried. Now, he doesn't want to nurse on that side. I was told to stop nursing them immediately, put them down on the floor, and try again in 20 min. But saying something didn't work for me, it backfired! Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!

My daughter bites and thinks it's just the funniest thing. She's 8 months old and has three bottom teeth. I nurse her when she is hungry so she'll eat and not mess around, but as soon as she starts getting full, she'll nibble down on my nipple to see if she can get a response. I'll yell out "OUCH!" and she laughs. She thinks it's a game, but I just put my finger in her mouth and unlatch her. Then I look at her sternly and say "NO! THAT HURTS!" I know when she's biting, it's a sign that she's not really hungry, so I stop feeding, or switch to solids at that time and try breastfeeding again later.

Your little one shouldn't be biting yet, though... it seems too early. Have you checked to make sure that you're latched on properly? Try laying down on your side when you nurse him, that works best for me. Also, Lansinoh makes a good product for sore nipples. (And ice helps) Remember that the longer you breastfeed, the healthier your baby will be. Try different techniques before switching to a bottle.

I know I should BF him as long as possible, that is why I was thinking about pumping and giving it in a bottle. I know he is not biting with teeth, he has none yet, but what about those gums, he drools already, and I am not sure if they are on there way. Its not always, just now and then.

I know it is not funny when this happens, but it is funny how your dd thinks its funny lol, I am sorry.

Dizzy how old is your baby, is it possible to be getting teeth at 11 wks old, and this is why he may be doing this? thanks all

Oh man my dd does it also. She is 4 months old with no teeth but it still hurts really bad. She seems to do it towards then end like she is trying to bite down to get more or something. I am going to stop giving her the boob when she get teeth. I will still nurse at night but that's it, it hurts plus it could get infected.

Hi hugs, DS is now 5 months, but he cut his first tooth at around 4 months, but was teething around 11 weeks! Look out!

My baby girl did that to me and cracked my nipple. Actually it was more like a small hole. I nursed on it anyway and eventually it healed. It hurt like crazy!!!!! But I put a lot of extra lanolin on and that seemed to help. I use the curity nursing pads and the Lansinoh lanolin. I don't like to touch it because it is sticky even if you wash so I put a big blob on the pad and smash it on. That helped within about a week. She does not do that anymore. She will pull off a little at the beginning because she is not patient and does it until the milk drops. Then she nurses contentedly and I switch when she pulls off again or fusses like the breast is empty. Good luck.. :)

Oh by the way.. the pharmacy at the hospital by my house sells nipple shields. That might be an idea so that you don't have to stop breastfeeding. Or check online for one!!

Is your son doing this at the end of the feeding? It sounds like he is just wanting to play...All my kid's went thru this stage, and when they got old enough and they did bite, I would put them on the floor and tell them NO....All it took was once for me, thank goodness.....But as soon as he starts the pulling I would immediately unlatch him and not let him nurse again until he is hungry....I do wish you the best of luck..Ralinda

thanks for the replies guys, lots of great info, he is doing it at the end or so I think, maybe he don't want no more and is telling me that lol, he does the pulling off at the beginning too until it comes out then nurses well, he actually is a quick eater, he will be done in about 10 minutes, he has just started doing this, but now today, he has not done it at all. I am also wondering about the teeth thing, and not sure if I want to nurse with teeth, anyone doing that? thanks

Yep, I nursed with teeth....Matter of fact, I just quit nursing about a month ago and she is 22 months...I know that is along time to nurse, but I am so happyyyyyyyyyy it is over, and I feel like ME again,lol.....As long as there is no bitting, you shouldn't ever know the teeth are there. Atleast I didn't ....Good luck, Ralinda

wow good for you for nursing so long, I don't think I would be able to go that long lol.

Hi,

my dd used to do that and if she still did l would take her off by breaking suction and rub her back and she would burp! honestly it would work and l notice her pulling on th ebottle nipple too, its the burping htat owuld cause it. Good luck.

Please don't flame me for saying this - but when baby bites (you'll know it's a BITE), quickly snap their cheek. Yes, it will hurt them and they will cry, and you won't want to do it . . . but they won't cry for long - they'll go back to eating. You shouldn't have to do it more than 2 or 3 times before you 'cure' their biting. Babies are SMART! They learn cause and effect VERY fast. But don't do it half-heartedly . . . I nursed my last one until 12 months - he would 'test' me! Once he was older, he would place his teeth on me with the slightest of pressure and look at me. If I didn't do anything about it, he'd get harder the next time. He had to learn that there was an unspoken 'no biting AND no teeth' rule! (He was the only one of my 5 who did the testing thing.)

This worked whenever we had that little 'problem'. My mom taught me, and she nursed 7 of her children.

I'm sorry chickboo, but there are other ways to make them stop than hittiing your baby.