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Biting the Breast that Feeds
Educating Yourself
By Sharon Waldrop
Californian Suzie Calvin asked her toddler not to bite her when she noticed a mouth open bigger than usual during a nursing session. Her toddler's response? "No, I not bite the me-mes." Then she kissed them and said, "Bye-bye, me-mes. I love you. Talk to you later."
Gretchen Andrews, IBCLC, is a certified lactation consultant at The Lactation Connection at The Birth Center in Redlands, Calif. "Most often babies bite because they are uncomfortable," she says. "The breast is seen as a
means of nurture as well as nutrition to babies, so naturally, they look to soothe themselves and ease their discomforts by biting down on this wonderful soft body part." When Mom shrieks, yells or utters some other less-than-tranquil word, Baby usually has one of two responses. Either he is shocked, wondering how Mom could react that way when it feels so good to bite down and ease pain, or Baby may think to himself, "Cool! New game! I chomp down like this, and Mom makes great noises – let's see if she'll do it again!"
"Baby needs to be clearly communicated to that this is not a game, and we will not be playing again," Andrews says. "This does not give permission for Mother to bite her child back to show him how it feels, nor to spank him." Andrews recommends a firm, clear "no" and removing Baby from the breast and lap to clearly state that biting is not acceptable. This is usually all that is necessary.
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Re: Biting the Breast that Feeds by anonymous on 01/24/2009 09:35AM
Wow, this article is quite helpful. I have suspected for some time that my 9-month-old's biting may be because she thinks of it as a game, and at least I was correct in firmly saying "no" when she does that. But I have not tried to put her down to stop nursing, so at least now I know that that's what I'll try to do next time, thanks to your advice. I just hope it's not too late to disabuse her of the notion that it's a game!
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Biting the Breast that Feeds by Crystal on 07/27/2010 10:05PM
My daughter is getting her first tooth. I hope it doesn't hurt! Toddler Boy Clothing