Biting and CLAMPING DOWN!

[newgirlintown]

Hi mamas, 

My 9mo DD nurses to sleep, and recently she has needed to hang on for a long time before she will let me unlatch her or unlatch herself. I don't mind this, and it has happened before when she is teething or otherwise needs her mommy more. 

However, now she has 8 teeth, and sometimes during this extended, sleepy latch time, she clamps down really hard and I almost can't get her off. I have to pry her mouth open, all the while her teeth are IN my nipple. It's really painful. I can feel her start to do this, and I try to gently do the Pantley Pull Off or something but she either jerks awake or fully clamps down and we start again. Other times she has a normal, relaxed mouth. I don't know what makes the difference. 

Anyone BTDT? Any advice, short of, don't nurse to sleep? (She will fall asleep in the Ergo, but it's quicker to nurse). 

TIA!

[MaJoie]

My son did that twice, several months apart. I screamed; he cried. Both times he had teeth about to erupt. Not much help, just commiseration. Sorry. 

[semmel84130]

Mine also tends to do this when a tooth is about to push through. I just try to detach her if she shows any sign that she is about to clamp down. If she does wake up, I rock her for a minute or two before I let her latch back on. It seems to sort of "re-set" her so that she doesn't go right back to clamping down. Once or twice she's clamped down hard enough that I really thought she'd drawn blood, but so far, I've escaped without real injury.

[newgirlintown]

Thanks. 

I think I will try the rocking to "reset", that is a good suggestion. Yesterday I headed it off without any clamping down, mostly because she had earlier reopened an old crack from before and I was so scared about how much it would hurt if she clamped down on that! 

Oh, teeth, how much fun for babies and mamas alike! ;)

[Erin77]

My son, who is 13 months now and has 6 teeth, has a similar issue. He just feels more "toothy" now- even his normal latch means I can feel an edge of tooth, and when I look at my nipple after, sometimes I can see a hint of tooth outline! I don't have any good suggestions, but I guess I've toughened up my nips, because it's not too bad! I used to use a nipple shield and I think that's my last ditch effort. I hope it doesn't go that far!

[scrappin-mama]

My almost 11 month old is doing this right now. His 4th tooth is about to erupt and he made me bleed tonight. :( I'm at my wit's end. There is absolutely no warning when he does it. He's nursing right along, great latch, everything is fine, and suddenly he just bites the heck out of me. I have no idea what to do. Neither of the other 2 ever bit.