[greeba]

My DS is almost a year old (1/25) and he has 9 teeth so far with the 10th just coming in. I really really want to do EBF, but he is biting me a lot and it's upsetting and and makes me angry sometimes.<br><br>
Yesterday I was seriously considering weaning because it has become so stressful to contemplate nursing him when he needs me to. I was feeling like maybe the benefits to him were not enough compared to the pain and resentment I am starting to feel.<br><br>
I really don't want to wean though! I'm hoping as they get older, they understand more that it hurts when they do this and we can get back to loving breast feeding. I'm not sure if this would be the place to post this, but I figured since you are all EBFing, you might have some insight to an end to this.<br><br>
Thanks

 

[kylatay]

I am having the exact same problem with my little dd. She'll be one 1/24. I am so ready to wean because I too am dealing with pain and resentment with the biting. She also pinches my breast everythime she nurses. It's really bothering me!<br><br>
I don't have a solution just wanted to le you know you are not alone!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked">:

 

[thixle]

i just lost a huge emotional post <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/angry.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="angry"> It was much more coherent than this one <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/Sheepish.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Sheepish">:<br><br>
DD went through a short biting "phase" she was almost a year old, which is the holy grail of bfing in the US (she was also not sleeping, teething, and nursing as much as a newborn)... anyway, we got over the bump. DH waivered and said, well, the benifits aren't as much as a newborn... blah, blah blah (that is not true at all) and tryed to talk me into stopping. But since that big milestone of ONE YEAR, DH has been my best supporter.<br><br>
DD would bite and I would say "ouch" and jam my finger in her mouth, she would smile- in hindsight, I think she was smiling because she thought <i>I</i> understood <i>her</i> mouth hurt. I was just so <b>angry with her</b> at the time.<br><br>
I'm going to cry again if I try to write it all out again. And I don't have time because my (now) big girl is getting home from head start in a few minutes.<br><br>
Here are some tips-<br>
-trust yourself<br>
-offer something else to bite on (I froze bagel chunks to give her to gnaw immediately after prying her off-- and she still asks for cold bagel when she doesn't feel well)<br>
-it doesn't last forever. the pain, the joy- none of it. I look at my 2.5 year old and know that one day soon, she just isn't going to ask again.<br>
-just because the US thinks one year is the magic number, it is not. They don't magically become "children" overnight- they are babies for a lot longer than our culture accepts.<br><br>
I've been bfing for 2.5 years this month (I actually came to this forum to post a "go me" thing)... Like any relationship, it has it's ups and downs and I honestly thought I wanted to end it at one point, but. I. just. couldn't. And I'm glad I didn't. And I know now that I could not refuse my DD a booby- i may tell her to wait, but i just cannot "wean" her. She'll do it when she is ready.<br><br>
You gals sounded like you needed some support-- it does get better, often overnight. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug">

 

[superstella]

My little guy went through a really bad biting phase recently too but he seems to be coming out of it (at 13 months and knock on wood!) I would (like pp) jam my finger in his mouth and pull him off, saying every time, "Biting babies don't get boobies!" I would let him try again and if he bit again I'd repeat the above but I would close up my shirt and not let him back on immediately. He finally got it, although it did take a little time and pain on my part.<br><br>
THe pp has a lot of good advice and tips so I won't repeat just give a big <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/yeahthat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="yeah that">: It does pass. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"> those bites really hurt though!

 

[greeba]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>kylatay</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10253504"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I am having the exact same problem with my little dd. She'll be one 1/24. I am so ready to wean because I too am dealing with pain and resentment with the biting. She also pinches my breast everythime she nurses. It's really bothering me!<br><br>
I don't have a solution just wanted to le you know you are not alone!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked">:</div>
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It always helps to know you're not alone and that whatever they are doing is "normal."

 

[greeba]

Hi thixle - thanks for your response. I definitely am not following anything about the one year of breast feeding. did you know that not too long ago the aap recommended only 6 months? crazy. i can see myself nursing as long as ds wants to, but just need to know this biting crap won't last for the next several years. so thanks for your reassurance!<br><br>
this has happened on and off in the past as well, so maybe it'll just happen when he's teething, i don't know. no biting all day today though!! yay!! i've definitely done everything that's recommended and it just doesn't change anything. he doesn't get that it's not okay to bite yet and i know it's not on purpose.<br><br>
i'm not going to stop nursing. i came to my senses today and felt like i just need to be tough and deal with it, it's important for both of us for this to continue to succeed.<br><br>
thanks a lot!<br><br>
greta

 

[greeba]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>superstella</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10255683"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">My little guy went through a really bad biting phase recently too but he seems to be coming out of it (at 13 months and knock on wood!) I would (like pp) jam my finger in his mouth and pull him off, saying every time, "Biting babies don't get boobies!" I would let him try again and if he bit again I'd repeat the above but I would close up my shirt and not let him back on immediately. He finally got it, although it did take a little time and pain on my part.<br><br>
THe pp has a lot of good advice and tips so I won't repeat just give a big <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/yeahthat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="yeah that">: It does pass. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"> those bites really hurt though!</div>
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hi superstella.<br>
this has been going on for months on and off. i do tell him no, but he just doesn't get it and the session is always over. he definitely bites when he's no longer interested in nursing. he did go on a nursing strike a couple of months ago. fun to have to manually express in an airplane bathroom into a cup!! so i got through that, which also included biting and crying at the breast. i can get through this too. especially with the help of people who have been through it. i appreciate it. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"><br><br>
greta

 

[xaviera]

I breastfed my youngest until he was 3 years old and several times before I eventually started the weaning process he bit me - I would remove him from the breast by placing my finger inside his mouth and gently manouvering him off the breast (the bitings always occurred when he'd gone to sleep at the breast).<br><br>
You cannot allow your child to clamp down on your nipple and not do anything - you need to remove the child from the breast with the least damage to your nipple. A finger in the corner of the child's mouth will firstly stop the vaccuum and allow you to place a second finger inside the opposite side of the child's mouth and detach the child without damaging your breasts.

 

[greeba]

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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>xaviera</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10261595"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I breastfed my youngest until he was 3 years old and several times before I eventually started the weaning process he bit me - I would remove him from the breast by placing my finger inside his mouth and gently manouvering him off the breast (the bitings always occurred when he'd gone to sleep at the breast).<br><br>
You cannot allow your child to clamp down on your nipple and not do anything - you need to remove the child from the breast with the least damage to your nipple. A finger in the corner of the child's mouth will firstly stop the vaccuum and allow you to place a second finger inside the opposite side of the child's mouth and detach the child without damaging your breasts.</div>
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He doesn't clamp down usually, it's mostly when he's coming off. I'm very clear with him that it's not okay.<br><br>
My question really is do they do this later on too or do they learn not to?

 

[thixle]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>greeba</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10261752"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">My question really is do they do this later on too or do they learn not to?</div>
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Both <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"><br>
DD still clamps down if she is falling asleep (I swear, I think it is a reflex)...<br><br>
But she hasn't bit "on purpose" in <i>well</i> over a year. The last time she bit, I kind of lost it (screamed at her), and she cried really hard. I felt awful, she felt awful, but no "ha-ha" bitings since...<br><br>
He will eventually understand <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love">