Considering weaning my 11 month old because of biting.

[dayiscoming2006]

My little girl is my third baby (I successfully nursed the other 2 for 9 months and then 17.5 months) and as hard as I try, I can't get her to stop biting me when she feeds. It's been a month now and I'm started to really feel afraid of her every time she nurses. It's so frustrating! I was hoping to nurse her for at least 18 months, but I don't know if I can take it anymore. I know she's teething really bad and she even clamps down and bites when she falls asleep nursing. But, it's lasting a really long time. Almost every time she nurses now she sucks and pushes her teeth into the nipple just enough that it hurts and then after she finishes feeding she bites. I sometimes have to shove my finger in there to unlatch and release her teeth from my nipple :( Any suggestions? I feel bad, but I'm really really tempted to just wean her. I could increase her solid food intake and give her homemade formula. If I wean her, should I wean to bottle or sippy cup? Thanks in advance.

[purplerose]

mine were younger when we've gone through this, but letting them suck on ice before feeding really helped!! the falling-asleep biting didn't happen often enough for us for me to worry. being bitten really does make you panic everytime the babe wants to nurse! this baby(my fourth) has been a biter from about 3 months. not always, but mine get teeth early and at 3 mths she got 2 teeth. i cringe just thinking about her first top tooth, ugh. top teeth is when my others bit so badly. dh says he can feel a top tooth :oO

i have read and heard these things to help: pull her face in towards your boob so she HAS to let go to breathe, thump her nose(a NP told me that one lol), firmly tell her no and put her down, yelp and cry, don't yelp or cry. ha. my reflex is to yelp, shove her away, then cry. then threaten to wean or put her out the window or bite back.

as for your question of what to do after weaning, i'd just use a cup. but i'd pump or use formula til at least 12-14 months for my own peace of mind.

[foreverinbluejeans]

Homemade formula is not safe. If you decide to wean it would be best to pump until she turns one. I had a child that would bite but it wasn't that big of a deal to me. I have a high tolerance for pain. I know what you mean about having to stick your finger in to pry open their mouth. I found massaging his jaw by his ears and warm compresses there even while nursing would help. I would watch for him to start to bite and be ready to stick my finger in to protect myself. He couldn't help it and as he learned to talk and he wanted to nurse he would say "no bite, no bite" because he was trying not to bite.

It turned out he had problems with TMJ and now arthritis (he is 32). He was diagnosed with the TMJ problems and started being treated in his early teens. It turned out to be a good thing I nursed him way beyond 2 and he had all the jaw and dental benefits of breastfeeding.

[dayiscoming2006]

I respectfully disagree on the homemade formula; especially with an older baby. I think it is a good choice as long as you include a good vitamin supplement in their day. Commercial formula is a joke. Nasty ingredients. Breast is always best of course.

I appreciate the input. I've stuck it out. She's started to be better. I'm certain the biting is because her back teeth are coming in. It must be pretty painful for her. The only things that actually seem to help are telling her no and pulling her off and then if she's good I praise her and give her some love AND teething tablets.

[littlest birds]

Originally Posted by purplerose 

i have read and heard these things to help: pull her face in towards your boob so she HAS to let go to breathe

This is the only thing I had to do, but it wasn't because it would block her breathing, it was to force a proper latch.  They can't bite while they are truly latched.  The nipple is too far back toward their throat.  They have to pull back to be able to bite.

I would pop that sleepy baby or who was almost done off the breast as soon as she started relaxing before anything painful could happen so she couldn't slip off slowly into a bite.  I used a finger to break the latch regularly, anytime I needed to, just slide it in there.  I would try to anticipate her moves when she is almost finished and get her off before she bites.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by littlest birds 

This is the only thing I had to do, but it wasn't because it would block her breathing, it was to force a proper latch.  They can't bite while they are truly latched.  The nipple is too far back toward their throat.  They have to pull back to be able to bite.

I would pop that sleepy baby or who was almost done off the breast as soon as she started relaxing before anything painful could happen so she couldn't slip off slowly into a bite.  I used a finger to break the latch regularly, anytime I needed to, just slide it in there.  I would try to anticipate her moves when she is almost finished and get her off before she bites.

Plus putting DS down on the floor when he bit (when awake) and telling him "no biting" and that it hurt me seemed to help. He always seemed sad that he had bitten me. Now he only bites in his sleep, so I'm careful to keep him pulled in tight when he's asleep!

[SilverSage]

I have a similar problem. My dd has never had a good latch. I worked and worked with her and got professional help, well at least as professional as I could find out here. Doctor said there is nothing wrong with her mouth or tongue. Anyway, nursing has always been irritating and a bit painful, but do-able. Now there's teeth. I have scabs on my nipple. I can't stand the pain anymore and I'm not sure blood is all that good for her anyway, :) She's down to morning and night, sometimes once during the night as she sleeps with us. She is having a very hard time with this. She nurses more for pacification than nourishment at this point I think, but still she seems to really need it. I really don't want to fully wean her, but I might need my nipples for another kid, ya know? Any ideas?

I've tried the pulling in tight thing, sometimes it works, sometimes not.