The teething infant...

[saritabeth]

so, my almost 5 month old is teething and had taken to playfully bitting me when nursing. It has been suggested to me to flick her cheek with my fingers but I do not feel like that is nice or useful. I have tried to be dramatic and say "oooouch! no no, that hurts mama!!" but she finds that funny even though I try to be very frowny. I also usually take her off the breast and close up shop to try and get my point across. Any suggestions? I know she isn't trying to hurt me, but it is just a nuisance.

[NatureMama3]

I'd keep doing what you are (along with "ouch! biting hurts Mama").

I'm NOT a fan of either flicking or fake-smothering (the two popular "cures").

[saritabeth]

Thanks...I am also finding that when she is playing around and really done nursing that is when she starts chomping anyway.

[sweetest]

Dd would laugh at me, too when she was that age. We realized she was laughing to make me smile becuase she didnt know how to react to my unhappy face.

Closing up shop is the best way to stop it, along with a "hurts mama". A few times dd bit me so bad that I started crying, and then she started crying Luckily, dh was home both times to get me some ice.

After dd and I calmed down we would snuggle and rock and nurse on the other side. But I would not flick her

Keep your finger ready to break the latch and watch carefully - this will pass! But for me the biting stage marked the end of being able to doze off while nursing. Now I still wait for dd to fall asleep, then unlatch her, and then I go to sleep.

[merpk]

Am just at this stage, too. She thinks it's fun to either chomp (well, she's teething so I know she's hurting, too ) or to lean her head back as far as she can without unlatching, taking whatever part of me is in her mouth with her ... with a big grin on her face, to boot.

Ouch.

FWIW, each one of my kids has done the exact same thing, whether it was once or a few days' experimentation or a game that went on for a while. And did the same thing with each ... like sweetest said, keep that finger available to break the latch, and then make a sad face and a "that hurts me, don't do that" to go with it, and stop nursing for a little while.

They get the point eventually ...

[artymuminoz]

you poor thing...nothing hurts quite like a bite. The only time I have ever whacked my 5yo is when he bit me on the tush while trying to get my attention. I was chatting to a girlfriend and he wanted me and...well let me just say he got my attention!!

[saritabeth]

Thanks mamas...she is still bitting...she bit me so hard yesterday that my breast hurt for about 2 hours . I think she is starting to get it slowly...she is just so independent in so many ways; she just has her own ideas even at this tender age.

Yesterday, we were visiting my friend and her baby (only two weeks difference) and I did the whole frowny ouch, that hurts mama, no no....and her baby started to cry, as mine giggled back at me : . However, I know its just that her poor little mouth is hurting, and this will pass....we hope!

She is just so incredibly strong and we had a really hard time nursing at first...I had scabs, blood, bruises due to her eagerness and a very weak post surgical mama (after a long labor I might add) Im just so afraid to return to blood being drawn.

anyway, we will keep working on this!!

Thanks ladies!
sarita