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Biting the Breast that Feeds
Educating Yourself
By Sharon Waldrop
Proper Latch-on
Andrews says that a baby cannot bite Mom's nipple if he is latched on properly. "He'll get his own tongue first." Watching to see that about an inch and a half of areola tissue is in Baby's mouth can prevent biting from occurring.
If Baby starts to slide down to just the nipple, then Mom needs to quickly slide her finger into Baby's mouth and break the seal. This clearly communicates that feeding time is over to Baby. "He may wish to resume, and that's fine, so long as Baby is latching on correctly," Andrews says.
Teething Hurts
Andrews says that teething is a time when biting activity begins for many babies. Symptoms may appear in babies as young as 2 months old. She recommends putting a damp washcloth in the freezer that can then be given to Baby to chew on for a few minutes prior to feeding. This helps Baby resolve the urge to chew and serves to anesthetize the baby's mouth somewhat, as well.
Biting doesn't have to become a problem. Shari feels that a little preparation and attention go a long way. "Keeping the atmosphere as calm as possible, focusing on her as best as I can and unlatching her after she falls asleep while nursing usually helps prevent biting," she says.
* Last name withheld to protect privacy.
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Re: Biting the Breast that Feeds by anonymous on 01/24/2009 09:35AM
Wow, this article is quite helpful. I have suspected for some time that my 9-month-old's biting may be because she thinks of it as a game, and at least I was correct in firmly saying "no" when she does that. But I have not tried to put her down to stop nursing, so at least now I know that that's what I'll try to do next time, thanks to your advice. I just hope it's not too late to disabuse her of the notion that it's a game!