Breastfeeding a Baby with Teeth (Mom to Mom #14)
Given that physicians recommend breastfeeding for at least one year and beyond, it is assumed that at some point sooner or later, the breastfed baby will have new baby teeth! Some nursing moms and babies sail through that transition without problems, and even benefit from the soothing that breastfeeding can provide a teething baby. But what about the moms who start to notice tooth imprints in their nipples? The baby isn’t biting exactly, but those pesky teeth are getting in the way of mom’s comfort. This happened with a reader who writes:
My 10 month old son is not really biting me while nursing, but clamping down with his two new top teeth. Each of my nipples have sores in the shape of his teeth. I believe he is nursing the way he always has, but now that he has teeth he is clamping with teeth instead of gums. I do not want to wean him! What should I do? Both of my nipples are really hurting!
What advice do you have that might help this mother? What was your experience with nursing a baby with teeth? Leave a comment!
Tags: baby, baby teeth, breast feeding, breastfeeding, lactation, Mom-to-Mom, teeth, teethingRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Mom-to-Mom, advantages of breastfeeding, breastfeeding, mothering
9 opinions for Breastfeeding a Baby with Teeth (Mom to Mom #14)
Maria
May 7, 2008 at 5:40 am
I had a similar problem, and it seems that at 16 months, each time he is cutting a new tooth, he resorts back to what I call his “lazy latch.” (not sure if there is a technical term for what he does.) My son tends to latch with not enough of the nipple/areola in his mouth, and then to make matters worse, will pull away from the breast stretching the breast out. When he does this, it pushes my breast on to his teeth, causing indentations and pain.
For temporary relief, I will use a finger above his upper lip to push my breast down and off his front teeth. More long term, I tend to break his latch and force him to open wider by aligning my breast towards the upper portion of his mouth, so he thinks he needs to open wider to get it in.
I hope that makes sense.
Shannon
May 7, 2008 at 11:53 am
We just had this question at my local breastfeeding support group last week! Maria’s suggestion of working on latch came up, as did paying attention to positioning (some of us tend to get “lazy” about these things as baby grows). Another idea is to try different sippy cups or switch to straw cups or regular cups, as sucking on any non-momma nipple may adversely affect latch.
Janya
May 7, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Glen’s top two teeth are just about to burst through (10 months). He has accidentally bitten me with his two bottom teeth, but I’m worried about my nipple getting chomped between the upper and lower set- ouch!!
Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
May 7, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Thanks for the helpful comments so far ladies!
Janya, in my experience babies learn awfully quickly not to bite! Just in case, here are two prior posts on biting:
http://www.breastfeeding123.com/how-do-i-stop-my-baby-from-biting-while-breastfeeding-mom-to-mom-8/
http://www.breastfeeding123.com/how-do-i-heal-a-bite-mark-on-my-nipple/
Michelle
May 7, 2008 at 1:55 pm
It doesn’t sound as if your baby is intentionally biting you, but if he does, what works best in my experience, is to take the baby off of the breast as soon as he bites and tell him no in a VERY firm voice, I have only had to do this with both of mine once or twice. Of course, this will probably only work if your baby knows what “no” means…both of mine definitly did!
Sarah Fordham
May 15, 2008 at 1:31 pm
My son also used to do the same at the same age and occasionally still does at 2 years and 2 months. I just get him to detach (with a bit of complaining) and make sure his whole mouth is over the areola - this way the teeth don’t touch the nipple. Proper latch-on like this is also important for proper milk flow and makes for more efficient feeding (he’ll also do it for a shorter time). For more advice visit Jack Newman’s website at http://www.drjacknewman.com.
Don’t give up - you can solve the teeth problem. Congratulations on coming this far too.
Best wishes,
Sarah.
JennyLynn
May 19, 2008 at 1:22 am
My six month old has cut his lower front two teeth. My problem has been that it really, really hurts when he nurses on my right side. On my left has been no problem. Well, tonight, my hubby convinced me to rub a little baby orajel on his gums before nursing… a veil of tears resulted. He did not latch. HE BIT my left breast! and continued efforts to get him to latch… failed.
Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
May 19, 2008 at 6:43 am
Hi JennyLynn,
That had to have been so frustrating for both you and your son! I hope you’ve been able to get him to latch again. If not, he might be starting a nursing strike, and this resource could be helpful:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html#strike
For more support, be sure to contact a La Leche League leader or lactation consultant. Good luck!
Erin
Jul 3, 2008 at 7:50 pm
My 8 month old went through a biting stage at around 5 months when his first two teeth (the bottom front ones) came in. I found the firm “No” and taking him off the breast immediately worked. Now three more teeth have come in (on the top) and at the end of a feeding, sometimes he will clamp down and turn his head, grinding my nipple through his top and bottom teeth, which is excrutiating!! I’m not sure what to do, because it happens when he is full and half asleep, so telling him “No” and not allowing him to feed anymore wouldn’t really work.
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