What it is
Your baby bit you, and now you dread the next feed. Searches for 'biting,' 'teeth breastfeeding,' and 'teething nursing' spike around four to seven months, when first teeth come in. A baby who is actively sucking cannot bite; the tongue covers the lower gum. Bites happen when she is playing or done. Teeth do not mean the end of nursing.
What's typical
First teeth come in around six months, with a range from three months to past a year. Biting is most common in the first weeks of each new tooth. Most babies bite a handful of times and stop once they learn it ends the feed. A calm, steady response works within days to two weeks.
What's known
La Leche League and most lactation consultants describe the same approach: unlatch calmly, say 'no biting' in a flat voice, pause, then offer again. A loud yelp startles some babies into a nursing strike. The AAP notes that teething does not cause high fever.
What helps
- Offer something cold to chew before the feed: a chilled wet washcloth or a teether.
- When swallowing slows and the baby gets playful, unlatch first.
- Pull the baby in close when she clamps. She will open her mouth to breathe.
When to call someone
- Nowa bite wound with spreading redness, pus, or fever.
- Todaya crack not healing after three days, or pain through whole feeds.
- At your next visita baby who bites at every feed. This sometimes points to a stuffy nose, a tongue-tie, or flow problems.
Who helps
Tools: Birthworker Directory
Related
- Nipple pain, cracks, and healingPostpartum: Your Body
- Nursing strikes and refusalFeeding Your Baby
- Tongue and lip tiesFeeding Your Baby
- Starting solids around six monthsFeeding Your Baby
What mothers here say
No one has posted under this topic yet. The first experience here will help the next mother who searches for it at 2 a.m.
Experiences and questions are their authors' own, not reviewed advice. The topic's steward lists the ones that help most in a credited digest once there is one. Unusual experiences stay, with a note.
Sources
- La Leche League International — Biting
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Patient FAQ on teething: 4 to 7 months
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
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