My baby has been biting me since she was born...

[ihugtrees]

...and at 12.5 weeks old, is still doing it. I've seen two different lactation consultants about it. One, who is also our ped, cut her frenulum and said hopefully that would solve the problem. The other lactation consultant said it was due to my excessive oversupply---squirting across the room--and that when that evened out it would be better. She also has been popping on and off of the breast since she was born...neither LC could give me a good answer about that--they said maybe it was my supply. Well, then I got thrush and nursing was so painful for a long time, that I didn't realize the original problem hadn't been solved. A week ago, because I was still having pain, I stuck my finger in her mouth. She drew it into the back of her mouth and was sucking, but also biting at the same time. HARD!!! She does the same thing to her own hand, and then cries. I had to switch peds because of insurance issues, and the other lactation consultant is an hour away from me, and my DD has started screaming bloody murder in the car so I try to avoid long trips.

Like I said, DD has been doing this since she was BORN. Before my milk even came in, so I don't think it's because of my supply, although it hasn't evened out at all so it could be contributing to the problem. However, I should mention that DD also went from 7 lbs 11 oz at birth (7 lbs 2 oz at her 2 day appointment) to now being 14 lbs...so she is getting plenty to eat despite her problems.

The problem is me. I am obviously in a lot of pain. I can handle it for awhile, but towards the end of the nursing session, I want to pry her off of me. Even if she isn't biting hard, she is doing something that is uncomfortable and I don't know what it is. I've felt while she was nursing and her tongue seems to be in the right place. She pops on and off the breast every 5-10 seconds and fusses for the first few minutes of nursing, until the flow slows a little, then she latches pretty well...while biting, of course. I can't nurse in public, I can't rest while I nurse at night, I can't even settle in comfortably while I nurse during the day because I have to help her relatch so many times. She often holds my nipple between her gums tightly and yanks her head back, stretching my nipple out very far. She spits up frequently and sometimes her spit up and poop is mucousy--not sure if its normal. I brought up acid reflux to the old ped and they said they weren't concerned at all.

I am about to see our new pediatrician, a military assigned doctor, and I know for a fact that they will not be breastfeeding friendly...my husband works at the clinic and personally knows all of the doctors there, and my old lactation consultant said the same thing...all of the doctors at this clinic are anti-breastfeeding, so I know they will be no help--unfortunately they are my only option right now. Also, the nearest LLL is an hour away, too. I love breastfeeding my daughter but I just wish it wasn't so painful and difficult.

[ihugtrees]

No one has any advice?

I have asked about this to so many breastfeeding moms, and of course the LC's, and NOBODY has been able to help at all. I feel so alone in this. I am not going to give up nursing, so perhaps this is something I need to just learn to live with...

[ewe+lamb]

I'm sorry i didn't see your post sooner - 5 days is a long time to wait for a reply!! let's see if we can sort this problem out ...

If the baby is still biting but the frenulum has been clipped - I'm assuming its a tongue clip and not the lips, the tongue tie could be deeper i.e. in the middle of the tongue - if you lift your tongue up in your mouth and manage to touch the point where the hard and soft palate meet then that's where I mean - that's when you'd have to get really really good LC help, you know what I would contact Jack Newman - you can email him direct through his website www.drjacknewman.com and see if you can get an answer - but before that just check that the tongue clip hasn't healed - sometimes the clips can heal especially if the frenulum that has been clipped is quite thick - this involves some quite in depth rooting around the mouth you may just need for it to be clipped again. Good luck and let me know how you are getting on.
ewe

[ewe+lamb]

I just wanted to add - that until this situation is sorted out I cannot recommend pumping enough, for the moment you have enough of a strong let down to nourish baby, but her tongue is NOT in the correct place if she's biting - it's physically impossible for a baby to nurse efficiently at the breast and bite at the same time, therefore the breast is NOT being stimulated enough and you could suffer supply issues if this isn't corrected, so pump if you can after she has nursed or inbetween feeds so that the breast is stimulated enough to keep up a supply for her until you manage to get her tongue clipped well enough, one of the pumps I recommend is the medela symphony which also massages the breast - it's a double electric pump.

Also please don't just put up with the pain - this can do some damage to the nipple - which is exceptionally sensitive and we need to see if we can resolve this.

Do let me know how you're getting on I have an American friend who is a highly respected LC here in France and could maybe help you find someone where you are that could help in this situation or get onto Jack Newman, I'm sure he'll know someone who may be able to help you too.

[Carita]

if you don't think it is oversupply - there is a medical condition in babies - rare from what I understand, that they do bite from the very beginning, and a lot... I think something about facial muscles that are tight... oh I wish I could remember the name... a coworkers wife was dealing with this with her daughter.

Maybe try taking your baby to a chiropractor - maybe a small adjustment or some manipulation could help?

[ihugtrees]

I don't think it's her tongue being tied. She can stick her tongue out really far (and does this a lot). Could it still be a frenulum issue?

She mostly bites at the beginning and end of nursing....at the beginning, when she is fussing and biting, but after the milk stops shooting out so fast so as to choke her, then she latches on and drinks well for awhile, and it's not painful. But towards the end, she starts doing it again. When she is finished eating she generally pops off (sometimes taking my nipple with her), and refuses to drink any more, so I don't think it's that she's just done...

Thank you for the replies! I will write Jack Newman.

[ewe+lamb]

No I don't think that this is a frenulum issue then - i thought when you said she was biting all the time that it was throughout nursing, so when she nurses I presume that the lips are turned out open like a book and that you can see a little bit of the tongue over the lower gums (sometimes)? If that is the case then no, no frenulum issue.

So I would go with a forceful let-down - at the beginning of the feed, and lack of interest at the end. You could try to take baby off the breast when the let-down happens - do you feel them at all, for some mothers a let down can be painful others not at all! at the end of the feed watch out for clues before she clamps down, relaxation of the jaw just before, if you manage to read the signs then you maybe able to get your pinky finger in between her gums before the bite. I'll keep looking up things for you but this maybe something to try in the meantime.