Educating Yourself
By Sharon Waldrop
Megan is a breastfed baby. She has a gorgeous complexion compliments of Mother Nature’s most precious gift. Megan also has bright eyes, a heartwarming giggle and a beautiful smile that shows a mouth full of teeth. Yes, you read that right. Megan is breastfed, and she has teeth. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding during at least the first 12 months of life, many babies continue to nurse long after the first tooth pops in.
First Bite
Krista Thompson of Ogden, Utah, was first bitten by her son when he was 9 months old. “I let out a shout of pain and surprise,” she says. “My cry stunned him – he unlatched, looked up at me and began to cry.”
The second bite came two days later. “I said ‘no biting’ loudly, but without shouting and put him on the floor, effectively ending that nursing session,” she says. That was 14 months ago. Her tactics worked; Thompson and her son are still nursing strong.
Hey, Pay Attention to Me
Shari*, a nursing mom in Ohio, knows that there are different kinds of biting. “Usually, biting seems to occur when I am nursing her while doing something else,” Shari says. “She loves to make eye contact while nursing, and I love it, too, though sometimes I have to use that ‘sit down’ time to get other things done.” Biting also seems to occur when the energy level in the house is high.
Non-intentional biting has occurred, as well, when Shari’s daughter falls asleep while nursing. Her mouth will sometimes slide down, closing tightly, causing a bite that hurts. Shari tries to unlatch her daughter before this stage of sleep.
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.”
Why Biting Happens
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.
Proper Latch-On
Andrews says that a baby cannot bite Mom’s nipple if he is latched on properly. “He’ll get his own tongue first.” Watching to see that about an inch and a half of areola tissue is in Baby’s mouth can prevent biting from occurring.
If Baby starts to slide down to just the nipple, then Mom needs to quickly slide her finger into Baby’s mouth and break the seal. This clearly communicates that feeding time is over to Baby. “He may wish to resume, and that’s fine, so long as Baby is latching on correctly,” Andrews says.
Teething Hurts
Andrews says that teething is a time when biting activity begins for many babies. Symptoms may appear in babies as young as 2 months old. She recommends putting a damp washcloth in the freezer that can then be given to Baby to chew on for a few minutes prior to feeding. This helps Baby resolve the urge to chew and serves to anesthetize the baby’s mouth somewhat, as well.
Biting doesn’t have to become a problem. Shari feels that a little preparation and attention go a long way. “Keeping the atmosphere as calm as possible, focusing on her as best as I can and unlatching her after she falls asleep while nursing usually helps prevent biting,” she says.
* Last name withheld to protect privacy.
