Dealing with the Biting Breast feeder!

As we are immersed in the Christmas season of ‘good will, caring and sharing’, let me share some good news for our breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding a baby that bites does not have to mean the end!

Any person, with or without breasts can definitely empathise with concerns a mother may have when it comes to biting and breastfeeding right? I mean, your nipples are practically one of the most sensitive areas on your body and receiving an unwanted or unwarranted bite on that body part, from your infant while feeding is no laughing matter!

How many times have we heard people saying “Once baby has teeth, they can eat food and don’t need bubbies!” But most of us thankfully know this not to be true!

All jokes aside though, some people actually do believe this and use it as a way to determine when to stop breastfeeding; but thankfully many parents these days, have read and are aware of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continued with foods for two years, and they at least attempt to do so for a certain amount of time without too much worry about teeth!

Biting during breastfeeding is an issue many mothers complain about and need advice on, so it can be relatively common, but thankfully, for the most part, does not go on for long periods of time. Often you would find that the mother’s story is that “Baby bit once or twice and then never did it again”. So for those breastfeeding mothers who are dealing with a biter, here are a few basic tips that can help you eliminate this issue quickly; Remember that the success of the tips below will depend on your babies age, personality and temperament!:

• Don’t take it personally! Babies DO NOT set out to hurt their mothers and aren’t biting to deliberately cause pain.

• Expect that biting may occur before or after teeth come, and be prepared to deal with it quickly. Offer a teething toy or something cold to bite on for relief (theirs and yours!).

• Be consistent in your response, so that your baby gets a clear message from you and is able to adjust their behaviour more readily.

• Try to avoid baby falling asleep at the breast, or getting bored at the end of a nursing session, as this is when biting often takes place.  Watch for signs if you have experienced recent biting episodes. This is because babies are more likely to bite down by accident if startled, on waking if he was drifting off, or when baby is getting bored and is no longer hungry.

• If baby is biting to get your attention, which is a very common reason; try to feed baby in a way where there are minimal distractions, and take time to pay attention, making them less likely to choose biting to increase interaction with you.

• If baby bites, be firm in your response. Say ‘NO’ but not to frighten. Remove breast from baby and make eye contact showing your baby that no breast will be offered unless they understand that no biting is also part of the deal.

• If a bite is particularly hard or distressing, show your emotion. Babies are very intelligent and understand their environment very well, particularly their mothers feelings. Don’t be afraid to show how you feel, but do not do so to frighten your baby!

• If baby bites down and doesn’t let go (most do let go immediately), try quickly placing your finger between baby’s gums/teeth so you can remove baby from the breast. If this is unsuccessful, some mothers advise pulling baby toward you, very close to the breast, which will make baby open their mouth and uncover their nose to breathe. Alternatively, gently pinch the nose closed for just a second which will again encourage the mouth to open so nipple can be released.

Remember that some babies actually never bite, but biting is a behaviour that most babies do try, usually when they are teething. Rest assured that biting can be stopped with a little know-how and persistence on the part of the mother. Despite the obvious displeasure of this phenomenon, biting is, for the vast majority of mothers, a temporary issue that only lasts a few days to a couple of weeks.

This fact should be encouragement enough for mothers to continue breastfeeding with confidence well beyond the time when the teeth emerge, into 2022 and beyond!

Wishing all our readers a blessed, safe and positive Christmas and New Year!

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea Bonita Jordan is a registered (freelance) Midwife, Breastfeeding Specialist and co-founder of two charities: The Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation (The BCNF charity # 1169) and Better Birthing in Bim.