Breastfeeding and teeth, Ouch!

[stizler]

My munchkin just got her top teeth a few weeks ago and sometimes it hurts when she nurses.  Will my nipples toughen up like they do when you first start breastfeeding?  She nurses to sleep and sometimes she's on there for awhile and it's nearly unbearable! 

Edited by stizler - 7/10/11 at 10:23am

[McGucks]

We are still nursing a lot (I don't count...maybe 6-10 times in a 24 hour period?).  He has 11 or 12 teeth.  At different times, I have had to work with DS2 (15 months) on his latch, usually by tilting my nipple up and then kind of flopping it down into his mouth (this makes it sound like my nipples are as big as a cow tongue, but I'm actually fairly small).  I read about this technique for infants in the new Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and decided to try it when I was getting sore as he got teeth.  Teething can change their latch since they may be trying to change where their mouths feel uncomfortable (like how you might chew differently if you had a toothache).

If you have access to a La Leche League leader or a lactation consultant, they may be able to offer some other ideas.  I always hear that the more of the nipple/breast you can get into the mouth of the baby, the more comfortable it'll be.  Good luck and hang in there!

[kanga1622]

Yup, every time DS gets new tooth we have a couple of days where I am uncomfortable while he figures out a new latch. He's got 12 teeth now and we're still nursing ALL NIGHT (I swear, if I get a solid hour not nursing during the night it is a miracle) and at least 6 times during the day.

Sometimes now when he is done eating I can see little teeth indents on my areola but it doesn't hurt.

We talk a lot about not biting, being gentle, and opening wide, but those little gums are just sore and he's focused on that.

[stizler]

Thank you!  I hadn't even thought about the latch changing with teeth, so we'll work on it. 

[cadybh]

Just wanted to chime in and agree to check the latch.  I also find positioning helps.  If I can get my son into a position where his head is close to my body, I don't feel the teeth.  When he's further away he seems to hold on to the nipple with teeth, yeowch!