Breastfeeding once teeth come in?

Amina - posted on 03/08/2012

I was JUST thinking about starting a thread like this lol! my sonny is teething and he has bit only a few times. It hurts. I unlatch and say "No" firmly. Sometimes he smiles, other times he laughs (lol). I don't know. I want to continue breastfeeding but I'm kind of scared now. But I watch him closely and kinda know when he's changing his mouth position ready for a little chew so I start getting my finger ready for the 'de-latch'. I don't want to be in fear when I nurse! I hope he does get the message soon, he's such a good boy. Oh and pumping is so so hard (for me anyway). Takes ages and I just can't be bothered hehe. By the way he has one tooth out at the bottom and another emerging.

Emily - posted on 03/07/2012

I nursed my first daughter until she was 15 months and am still nursing my 10 month old as well. Both had teeth around 8 months. Honestly, I do not ever feel their teeth while they are nursing. While latched, their tongue covers the bottom teeth and their top teeth are at an angle that does not apply pressure. I did have a few issues with my older daughter biting, but it only happened a couple of times. When she bit me while nursing, I just detached her from my nipple and sat her in the floor facing away from me for a few seconds. It was kind of like a mini time out. She quickly stopped and never bit hard enough to break the skin. Hope this helps.

Alicia - posted on 03/05/2012

Babies are just as smart as you and know that when they are sucking, no teeth are required....I never had any problems with that.



We generally psych ourselves out about this kind of thing and feel like we can't do it because we've mentally created a [negative] experience in our minds. You and baby will be fine!

Roxanne - posted on 03/05/2012

I thought the same thing.... but when the teeth cam its like everyone else said he bit once, it felt like a needle prick and when I shouted with surprise he got scared for a second but never did it again. You don't feel the teeth otherwise. Goodluck!

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/04/2012

Hang in there Chelsea! It gets better, early tethers always have a harder time. If he bites at the end of a feed just watch for him to be finishing up and take him off before he bites.

And yes, pumping can be much worse as your baby gets older, moms can't pump as much in time!

Keep at it, it will get better and he's so young yet, he needs t!

Amie - posted on 03/03/2012

My son nursed until he was 20 months old and only bit me once.He got his first tooth at nine months. His doctor told me to flick his nose when he did it. My daughter is 7months and just cut her first tooth so we will see what happens with her.

Chelsea - posted on 03/02/2012

I am actually going through this now. My six-month-old just cut his second tooth, and he is a biter. I have tried the whole taking-the-boob-away-for-30-seconds thing, but he does it when he's finished nursing. So, it doesn't seem to have any effect.

I have considered pumping exclusively, but it is honestly a lot of work. (So much easier to just whip out one of the girls and let the kid eat than it is to sit and pump for a half an hour.) Not to mention that my LO won't take a bottle from me, and is still learning how to use a sippy.

Also, I have seen women have severe decreases in their milk production when trying to pump exclusively over an extended period of time. So... I guess we're just toughing it out for now.

Trista C - posted on 03/02/2012

I breastfed both of my children for 12 months each.

My first born (son) got his first tooth at 11 months, and I never had issues with him biting during feedings.

My daughter, whose first tooth cut @ 8 months, was just as considerate of mommy Bee-Bee's until she was about 11 months and she noshed on my nipple once or twice, but it was never a major long-term issue.

Plus, I would say, my reaction after the first bite (I YIKED pretty loudly in surprise) - perhaps deterred her future desires to nibble on mommy. Anywho - I concluded my 12 months with her just a week ago - and I miss it - Enjoy every minute of BF-ing your child(ren)!

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/02/2012

Yes, every mom creates the perfect milk for her child.

All human milk is about 80% water and this is normal and healthy!

There's no such thing as a mom making too watery of milk

Check out

Kellymom.com and drmomma.org and llli.org these sites have the real facts. Specificly kellymom discusses most every breastfeeding concern imaginable!

Lori - posted on 03/02/2012

I just want to address your comment about making the "right" kind of milk.



Virtually all women produce the right kind of milk. It used to be that a Dr. would ask a woman to pump a bit of milk out and run a test on that milk to determine content... but that one sample doesn't really tell the whole story. There is a difference between fore milk and hind milk. The fore milk is much more watery and higher in sugar content while the hind milk is thicker and higher in fat. There are some women who do experience a true fore milk hind milk imbalance, but that is pretty rare. Really... there's just a whole lot of mis-information out there.



Check out this site that shows the difference between hind milk and fore milk.



http://thefunnyshapedwoman.blogspot.com/...

Danielle - posted on 03/02/2012

Thank you ladies, all of your responses have been a great help.

I must admit when I typed this out I had biting on the mind due to a few friends of mine who had nursed told me how no matter what they did with their babies they seemed to get bit. One of the babies I was told about bit and latched on just right that the mom couldn't get a finger in to "pry" open the mouth.

So I figured I'd type up a question in here to see if switching to strictly pumping to feed would be a good idea if that were the case. Because I know that as long as I can produce enough and the right kind of milk (heard some women produce too watery of milk that doesn't do much for feeding) I plan on continuing breastfeeding since my family all has had stomach issues from birth and I'm wondering after reading so much if it has anything to do with formula sensitivity and not just us personally. Plus pumping/nursing is 100x cheaper than formula... And yes, cheaper is better. :)

Lydia - posted on 03/02/2012

teeth are no reason to stop feeding directly from the breast. If there are only bottom teeth the baby can't bite at all when latched on because the tongue is covering the teeth because it is rolled up around the nipple. This is also true for when the top teeth are there because in order to bite, top teeth and bottom teeth need to work together... so as long as the baby is latched the tongue is protecting you! To bite the baby actually has to stop nursing and release the tongue. (try it yourself: roll up your tongue towards the front of your mouth and try to bite. it's impossible) You also don't know if your baby will ever bite you, so I wouldn't make that decision so far in advance since strictly pumping is quite a hard work and much more hassle than just feeding directly from the breast. My daughter only ever bit me accidentally and it didn't happen often... maybe 5 times and I fed her for like 22 months (still feeding but in process of weaning) By now she has almost all her teeth except the last molars who are coming in at the moment. The feeling didn't change at all for me, even though sometimes I could see the imprints of the upper front teeth around the nipple after a strong nursing session, but this wasn't caused by biting, just the strong suction for a longer time.



When your baby is biting you just take her of the breast and say "don't bite it hurts mommy" and most kids will stop. If really your baby wouldn't stop biting than you always can switch to pumping.

Lucie - posted on 03/01/2012

Both my (now) 3 yo and 1 yo started biting when their teeth came in. I know some women who said they just stopped when that happened. I know it really hurts, but you can train them not to bite. One is to immediately remove them from the boob, place them (safely) on the floor and walk away. They will quickly associate losing the closeness, the cuddle and the food source. It only takes a few times. It worked for me both times. My 1yo still lays the teeth on - she has 4 - but it's not quite biting but annoying. When I don't like it I disengage her (finger in mouth and pry off lips), and let her re-attach. Seriously, don't revert to pumping. This is something you can work through. I nursed my son until he was 1 1/2 and he had a full head of baby teeth. Biting was only an issue for less than a week.

Angie - posted on 02/18/2012

Both of my kids got teeth and nursing didn't change at all. :)

Laura Zoey - posted on 02/12/2012

Teeth would never make me stop.

Yup it hurts to be bit. It hurt to be pregnant and hurt to give birth.

Moms endure pain for the sake of our children, we are tough and we can handle it for their sakes.

That's the pep talk I give myself if I get bit

No bite hurts worse then I went through to birth that baby anyways so quitting on them never is an option to me.

My babies would be devastated if I cut them off. Even at almost three years my son would cry if I said he had to stop.

They maybe can tell I see it as their right to be able to nurse. But for better or worse I've been nursing 1-2 kids the past almost three years and through clogged ducts, lazy latches, mastitis, biting, engorgement, sensitivity during pregnancy, tandem feeding, and all it's so worth it. No regrets.

Terra - posted on 02/10/2012

I nursed until my son was 11 months old. He was actually pretty good at sucking rather than biting, until he saw me flinch (approx around 9-10months) then he thought it was incredibly funny. So that's when i said enough is enough... You can pump if you choose to.. i ended up giving him formula for a month and then weened him onto cows milk just after he turned a year old. It was a pretty smooth transition.



But the teeth didn't bother me too much.

Danielle - posted on 02/10/2012

Thank you Deborah. That helps me a lot, I figure I've been bitten by bigger peoples teeth and I haven't always like that and figure I've heard that babies teeth are so much worse that I may not want to be a chew toy to such teeth. I definitely plan on pumping not only for after that happens but also because well I plan on going to work so it will happen either way it's just a matter of the amount of pumping going on.

Thank you again that really helped.

Deborah - posted on 02/10/2012

I breastfed my son until 8 months. There are two reasons I stopped. First, he weaned himself, he wasn't interested in taking the breast anymore (this could have been a direct result from us moving to a new place and he felt uncomfortable nursing in unfamiliar territory).



Secondly, he bit me. Twice. It was not pleasant. I wasn't getting a lot of support at that time (my fiance said "He's too old to be suckin on momma's titty." Yeah. Talk about degrading...)



I would have used my pump afterward, but with the new move and everything else, that just fell to the back burner.



Being bitten was definitely a reason for me to personally want to stop, as i said it was probably the least pleasant thing, EVER. Baby teeth are sharp.



My advice is to do it as long as you can, don't feel bad if your baby weans him/herself, and definitely try to pump afterwards! That's a great idea. I'm due in July, and when I face that problem again that is what I want to do, too.



Good Luck!

Michelle - posted on 02/10/2012

I still feed my daughter is 21months (mind you she only gets it at night now). She bite me twice the first i gave a little squeal and it startled her and I put her down till it wasnt hurting anymore. the second time i pretty much screamed and she drew blood and it definetly scared her, i put her down for a bout 30mins till i fed her again and she doesnt do it anymore. Apart from when she bites I cant feel very much difference at all. I love breastfeeding and i was pressured into cuting out before I started back at work and then I had to cut down when I did get back to work. Be ready for public scrutiny as well as from some if not most of your family and friends but remember its a bond that you can only have for so long with that child. and something that can not be replaced.

Jénean - posted on 02/07/2012

It never bothered me with my son ,I nursed him till 22m but my 5 1/2 month old he even clamps his gums on me since birth and chews haha I think I'll have a different story to tell when he gets teeth :)

Jénean - posted on 02/07/2012

It never bothered me with my son ,I nursed him till 22m but my 5 1/2 month old he even clamps his gums on me since birth and chews haha I think I'll have a different story to tell when he gets teeth :)

Amanda - posted on 02/06/2012

my son is 18 months has almost all of his teeth and we dont have an issue the bonding i better nursing directly from the breast but to each their own ...if they are bored or full they might bite ive been bit a few times i would say tell them no but try not to feed into it too much and they will stop

Amber - posted on 02/04/2012

my daughter has 2 teeth and nursing doesn't feel any different than it did before teeth.

Jennifer - posted on 02/01/2012

It's not a big deal. There's no difference in feeling, unless of course they bite... but I've nursed two with teeth now (my first son was 14 months old when we quit) so I'm not scared of teeth.



I would think you would feel differently once it actually happens, but do what you feel comfortable with. :)

Erika - posted on 02/01/2012

I am currently breastfeeding my third baby. From my expereince the teeth weren't a big problem, if they're latched correctly. My oldest bit me a few times, but then stopped. When she did this, I would take her off the breast, almost like a time out, and then put her on in a few minutes. She seemed to get the idea.

I only pump occassionally, to have a reserve in case something happens. I didn't switch.

Lianna - posted on 01/31/2012

I don't really understand why it would concern you that they have their first teeth? I have always heard to tell them firmly NO when they bite and be consistent and that it solves any biting problems easily. I also think a first tooth is a sign your baby is growing thanks to mama's milk :) so he or she will need more nursing to keep growing! I think a first tooth is just an amazing milestone to work through on a mother's breastfeeding journey.

Dora - posted on 01/31/2012

With both of my sons, once their 1st little tooth came in I switched to bottles only. The pumping can be a pain in the butt and time consuming but I didn't anyway. My milk supply never decreased because of pumping. I guess I was fortunate cause I was able to pump 5-6oz every time. I definitely have to say that I missed nursing at night. It was just much more convenient especially when 1/2 a sleep. If you are going to stop nursing and switch to bottles I recommend introducing the bottle ahead of time. I did this with both of my sons and the transition to just bottles was simple. It wasn't traumatic at all for either of them.

Monika - posted on 01/31/2012

Lots of good replies. I nursed my son for a long, long time & he maybe forgot & accidentally bit me once or twice. They learn to latch on without biting down - it's really not a problem.



BTW, I'm a working mom, so I did pump for bottle feedings at daycare during the day & then continued to nurse morning & night.

Suzie - posted on 01/31/2012

two Kids and each one bite exactly once they learn in a hurry if they want milk then dont do that i nursed my daughter till 22 months and my son is 17 month and still going strong

Natasha - posted on 01/31/2012

I never had any issues of biting or anything else when my son got teeth. I continued to nurse him until he flat out refused at 18 months. Lol. Just go with the flow and make that decision when you get there.

Veronica - posted on 01/31/2012

Well My son has 6 teeth and just got his top teeth. The bottom teeth it was fine because his tongue went over his teeth when he ate but the top teeth scrape the nipple. It doesnt really hurt but its kinda irritatingly itchy

Regina - posted on 01/31/2012

i swore up and down that once my DD's teeth came in i was done. i stock piled milk for months so she would have enough, since i knew my milk would go down with just pumping, thinking she would be atleast 9 months before getting any teeth. my older daughters never got teeth till they were almost 10 months, i didn't nurse them though since i was young and stupid :) but then reality hit and she had 4 teeth at 6 months ld and i just couldn't stop myself at that point because i was as attached to nursing as she was. i have been bitten probbly a half a dozen times since then, she is 11 months next week, and it hurt like heck but following the suggestions from other mom's to yelp, take the boob away, and say no biting has worked. it seems like she does it with each new tooth just once. every mother is different and so is every baby, i wouldnt worry about it just yet. go with your gut when the time comes.

Debbie - posted on 01/31/2012

I didn't have any problems either. My oldest was 15 months before he got his first tooth... He did bite a few times, but we were already working on weaning anyways. And he only did it a few times anyways. My daughter never bit- nursed until 16 months. my youngest got his teeth the earliest (9-10 months) and didnt bit until way later. He only did it a few times and it wasnt that bad. He nursed until almost 18 months and never had a bottle ever.

The baby's tongue will cover bottom teeth anyways, so you shouldnt even feel them.

I think you should only worry about it if it's actually a problem. Dont even think about it til the little one actually has some teeth!

»-(¯`v´¯)-» Yanira (ñïå) - posted on 01/31/2012

I have an 8mos old baby girl. Mia started teething around 6mos and now has six teeth. Being a first time mom the thought of BF while teething concerned me. I can say that my daughter bit me on two occasions which made me bleed. My instinct reaction was to drop her because of the pain… please know that I did not hurt my child nor did I drop her. The second time Mia bit me I told her “No” in a stern voice and all I can say is that she is learning. Besides, nothing hurts more than a pierced nipple. ;)

Bernadette - posted on 01/31/2012

Haha, Danielle, I was just wondering the same thing. I just did a quick scroll through the previous responses to see if I could find what it was refering to, but still none the wiser...

Danielle - posted on 01/30/2012

Jacqueline what does "One pump and dump it a myth... just an fyi. milk doesnt 'store' its 6-8 hours after the 'buzz' is GONE" mean exactly?

Jacqueline - posted on 01/30/2012

One pump and dump it a myth... just an fyi. milk doesnt 'store' its 6-8 hours after the 'buzz' is GONE. Any who... The teeth are nothing to be afraid of I have pretty much been nursing for 3 years now. With a 2 month break. They are naturally gentle and they most of the time know what they are doing! when they do 'nip' put your finger in thier mouth to make them release. and say no biting DO NOT SCREAM, i did once on accident and what that does is make them NOT want to nurse anymore. I had to 'reforce' my son to nurse again! I love nusring its so peacful! I nurse till they are two the longer they have breast milk the better for their little growing brain :). My daughter stopped nursing at 22 months but kept with breast milk till she was 29 months :) my 15 month od is still nursing! :) good luck

Sophia - posted on 01/30/2012

I have nursed 2 little ones until 30 months & 28 months. I am also currently nursing a 7 month old who is in the process of teething. For me the actual teething (pre-rupture) was/is always worse-their mouth's hurt and they want to gum/gnaw on whatever they can (thus far though the only one who has tried to use me for a chew toy is baby 3).

The teeth are not a big deal usually. As mentioned before, when the latching is correct teeth don't play a part in the suckling. Good luck breastfeeding is the greatest thing!

Lyndsey - posted on 01/30/2012

Nursing a baby with teeth is more comfortable than pumping! My last couple babies bit by accident after falling asleep nursing a few times. My first baby started biting me on purpose at ten months because he thought my reaction was hilarious (tip: don't scream).

Kayleigh - posted on 01/30/2012

hi, nope i still continue to breastfeed my daughter 11months old and she as 2 teeth and another 2 coming through :) dont feel teeth at all :) x

Kayleigh - posted on 01/30/2012

hi, nope i still continue to breastfeed my daughter 11months old and she as 2 teeth and another 2 coming through :) dont feel teeth at all :) x

Kayleigh - posted on 01/30/2012

hi, nope i still continue to breastfeed my daughter 11months old and she as 2 teeth and another 2 coming through :) dont feel teeth at all :) x

Camille - posted on 01/30/2012

I breastfed my son until he was 3 1/2. He bit me a couple of times but we would just stop and talk about it and the session was over. He loved to breastfeed so he caught on. I think he was just playing. I also pumped for work reasons but it never substituted that one on one with my baby. :) I really miss it. He still asks for it even now when he wants to be comforted. He is four. sweet.

Malinda - posted on 01/29/2012

my nine month old has 4 teeth, and in the beginning he did bite, but it's not on purpose, he has to learn as well something new is in his mouth. it is painful when they bite, especially if you've been breast feeding for long, and your nipples are sensitive. but saying that, now he doesn't bite...

I had to pump to feed for the first two weeks of his life, as he did not latch on, and i promise, it's not something that's easy to keep up.

before i fell pregnant, i had the idea that i would breastfeed until about 6 months, then pump and bottle feed till about a year. but pumping does become a pain, and when baby is crying and you still have to wait half an hour to pump.... it doesn't really work unless you are going to pump way before you think baby will need it.... then keep it in the fridge, and then make sure the milk is the right temp before you give it to your baby. and then washing the bottles.

basically, baby bit just a few times, and although it was painful, i still think pumping is a lot of effort, especially if you are a stay at home mom - you feel like you have no spare time for anything.

i still feel like my baby is benefiting from breastfeeding, and it's also an attachment in the mom's part, it's not easy to just one day stop - it is an emotional thing.

what i would say is to just have an open mind with what you are going to do, you may find you want to pump, or you may find that you don't need to... as a mom you have a pretty good idea of what your little one needs, so you will always do what's best!

i did use to pump for when we went out when he was younger, and also if my breasts were a bit sore for whatever reason, and just needed a break, and sometimes so that daddy could help out with a night feeding.

Victoria - posted on 01/29/2012

My daughter got her first tooth fairly early (@ 5 months old). She continued to suck on the nipple as always w/o using her teeth. There was one time she accidentally bit me. I was so caught by surprise that I jumped & screamed. She was startled & never did it again. I nursed her until she was 13 months old by which point she had a mouth full of teeth. I say give it a try. If you do have issues you could always try pumping instead, but breastfeeding is SO much easier than dealing with pumping & warming up bottles.

Jennifer - posted on 01/29/2012

I nursed my babies well after their teeth came in. There was maybe 1 biting incident with each of them, but they learned very quickly that it hurt mommy and never did it again. The feeling is exactly the same. I only pumped when I was working and couldn't nurse.

Monique - posted on 01/29/2012

Because teeth don't play a big part in the latch and your baby will have plenty of practice before teeth even come into play, you shouldn't even feel the teeth after the baby is used to something else being in the mouth.



As for me, I found that my son never wanted to bite and once he got used to the teeth in his mouth, I never had a problem with feeling his teeth. I nursed up until he had a mouth full of teeth and found that he did better with his teething and sleeping than my other son, who only nursed for a little bit.



I think you should keep your options open and just play it by ear.

Lynnette - posted on 01/29/2012

It will just depend on your preference, really. I never got the hang of pumping and it was just so much more work with the extra time and all the parts of everything to clean all the time.. It's not that bad, I guess. I'd just rather deal with a few teeth. They are usually not painful. My son got his first 2 teeth at the tail end of two months, so we had teeth for the last 10 months of breastfeeding we did. Some kids don't get the first one till almost/around a year so you might not have as long. Try it and see what you think, really. Hope it goes well!

Monica - posted on 01/29/2012

Danielle,



I nursed both my babies for about 2 years, so they had teeth for over a year. There is little difference in the feeling of nursing if they are latched on correctly. My first son tried to bite a little, but you will need to nip that in the bud immediately, tell them in a firm voice NO and remove them. The problem with strictly pumping is that you will get some milk, but not as much as if nursing, so your production will go down. I pumped 2-3 times a day during work hours and sometimes barely got any milk. You just don't get the letdown you would with the baby. Congratulations on your choice to breastfeed your baby. It is the most natural and healthiest choice for your baby if you can do it.

Jane - posted on 01/29/2012

Hi Danielle,congratulations and good luck for April. I fed my daughter til she was 2 and a half and had all her teeth. i thought id feel it was time to quite once teeth came thro but it didnt make any diffetence. theres strategies if you do get a nip but see how you go. to feed they cover their terth with their lips when suckinghope all goes well. breast feeding isnt just good nutrition but very comforting and lots of babies when teething find it a great comfort. all the best. j (teeth tend to come in at 6 months but can vary lots. some even born with a couple of teeth some not yil a year old)