Biting while nursing to sleep

[Faither]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but I need some help.

DD (almost 17 months) has never been a biter. She's bitten me maybe twice. Until two nights ago. We generally nurse to sleep and it works wonderfully. Generally takes less then 15 minutes and she's out. Lay her down in bed and we're all good.

Two nights ago, she bit me as she drifted off to sleep. I didn't think much of it because it wasn't too hard. Then I laid her down and she stirred so we went to the other side. And she did it again. This time hard, like she's never done it this hard ever. She is working on her molars and possibly eyeteeth too. But this is so unlike her.

Any tips or tricks to dislodge a sleeping nursling? I really would hate to wean her (day or night) at this point but I'm thinking about it. How does one go about doing that when DD still looks for the comfort once or twice at night?

TIA!

[woodchick]

My girls tended to 'bite' when they were drifting off.  I try not to think of it as an actual, intentional, bite.  I think it is more like a reflex, kind of like that "walking off the curb" feeling that many people feel just as they are falling asleep.

What I did was try my best to anticipate it and slide my finger in their mouths quickly.  I could usually tell when they had fallen asleep (slower nursing, slower breathing, heavier head) and would hope for the best!

Google "pantley pull off" as well (from the No Cry Sleep Solution)  It's basically unlatching them before they have a chance to fall asleep and bite.

[marinak1977]

Yeah, DS does that too occasionally - it really seems almost a reflexive movement or an involuntary jerk. I started to pull out the nipple before he is completely out and he usually fusses/searches for it a few seconds without really waking and goes to sleep. I'll be doing it more frequently as it saves my poor nipples

[ElliesMomma]

yes that's a sudden relaxation of the jaw muscles b/c they lost consciousness. which is a great way to tell that they're actually asleep (LOL). but in all seriousness, you need to really focus your observation skills during the final moments of nursing to sleep. notice when your child stops touching you (mine loves to twiddle everything, i cover my opposite nipple and my moles or he goes after them relentlessly. he also touches all over my arms, my face, etc. ... until he is nearly asleep. then he stops touching and just lays there). perhaps his breathing becomes more regular and deep. perhaps there are just other little signs that he is getting close.

what you need to do is find that magic moment that comes after he starts to lose consciousness and before he drops entirely such that he jaw collapses and the "bite down" occurs.

as a nursing mother, you know your baby better than anyone, and you can relate to him on a level that is very personal to him. so just make it your business to learn all of his falling asleep cues and when you are reasonably sure that he is in that special place of almost-asleep-to-the-point-that-he-won't-wake-up-if-i-suddenly-yank-my-nipple-out-of-his-mouth, go for it! worse case, he startles awake in which case you just reinsert nipple and probably goes right back to sleep in another few minutes. 

if however he does catch you again with the clamp down, just insert your finger in the side of his mouth and remove your nipple. sometimes they can even sleep through that! other times, if it wakes him, reinsert nipple and probably goes right back to sleep again.