I don't know if this counts as a challenge, but DS has been biting me, and now I get really stressed when I nurse him.
The first time he bit was just after his first tooth came in, and I think he was just testing it out, figuring out what that thing in his mouth was for. It didn't hurt much, and I thought we were done with that.
But last week he was upset about something, so we settled in to nurse (which usually works like magic) but instead he bit me. This time it hurt.
Then, starting Sunday he developed a fever and wanted to nurse all night long two nights in a row. He screamed every time he fell off the boob because he was asleep. In the middle of the night, after relatching, he was just holding on, not sucking, and he clamped down, hard. It hurt so much I screamed, which upset him of course. We calmed down, then later on in the night he did the same thing. That time hurt so bad I cried, and it left a mark.
Now I get stressed while nursing him. I'm afraid he'll bite me, which is making it very difficult to relax enough to let down, which understandably frustrates him. I'm worried that we are beginning a cycle of increasing stress and frustration that will lead him to bite me again. I know he doesn't realize that he is hurting me, and I haven't been angry with him, but I am afraid while nursing.
How can I relax enough to nurse him, and trust that he won't bite me? Is there anything I can do to keep him from doing it again?
The first time he bit was just after his first tooth came in, and I think he was just testing it out, figuring out what that thing in his mouth was for. It didn't hurt much, and I thought we were done with that.
But last week he was upset about something, so we settled in to nurse (which usually works like magic) but instead he bit me. This time it hurt.
Then, starting Sunday he developed a fever and wanted to nurse all night long two nights in a row. He screamed every time he fell off the boob because he was asleep. In the middle of the night, after relatching, he was just holding on, not sucking, and he clamped down, hard. It hurt so much I screamed, which upset him of course. We calmed down, then later on in the night he did the same thing. That time hurt so bad I cried, and it left a mark.
Now I get stressed while nursing him. I'm afraid he'll bite me, which is making it very difficult to relax enough to let down, which understandably frustrates him. I'm worried that we are beginning a cycle of increasing stress and frustration that will lead him to bite me again. I know he doesn't realize that he is hurting me, and I haven't been angry with him, but I am afraid while nursing.
How can I relax enough to nurse him, and trust that he won't bite me? Is there anything I can do to keep him from doing it again?
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