Help! painful latch with a 1 year old

[LuluMama8]

I have a 1 yo DD and we are having a really rough time with a painful latch. She leaves 4 teeth marks above the areola which, as you can imagine, really hurts and won't open her mouth very wide so the nipple is a little compressed which also hurts. It is so painful which is hard because she still nurses 6-8 times a day. We have had latch issues on and off since birth which usually have been resolved by changing position (upright against my chest when she was younger, across my lap with her bootie hanging off the side a few months ago). I was hoping someone had advice about a different position or tips to get a good latch so the top teeth don't dig in. Anyone?

[MangoMommy]

My 12 mo really just started doing this too. She is also leaving indentions with her top teeth. I actually have a cut there now and am in so much pain, I find myself wishing I could wean her. My baby also nurses quite a bit too, especially at night.

[featherstory]

Have you tried telling your nurslings that they are hurting you? I remember my daughter occassionally going through phases where she would latch incorrectly while she was getting her teeth in... for me, I actively corrected her, either with my hand, gesturing to her, and explaining to her that she needed to open wider and be careful not to bite... you will find a way to communicate it to them so they will understand, you just have to be active about it and keep trying. The good thing about this age is they can understand, and having them understand this can really help them to develop in many other ways as well.

What kind of position are you using? You might try lying down, which would make your bodies more level and that could help...that was the best position with me and my daughter. Another good position might be either the football position, or a position where you are leaning back and your child is leaning facing you onto your body so that she reaches up to latch on...does that make sense?

[annettemarie]

Moving to Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy.