Bf and teeth.....

So LO has started teething and was tough to settle tonight ........ even boobie juice couldn't take away the pain! It got me thinking though ..... in a few months, when those teeth finally cut, does it pose a problem and does it make BF agonisingly painful at times? Or do they just 'know' not to bite? (wishful thinking??)

Share your experiences with me ........ I want to be prepared!!

Olivia never Bit me, I breastfed her for just over a year.

She nipped a few times and I was abit sore when her teeth came in, but it was never a huge issue.

Although some women do experience biting, there are many ways to tackle this but its not worth the worry.

I often recommend giving them frozen booby ice lollys before feeds just to take the edge off for the sore gums which is mainly the only reason the bite.

I found that when Corey was teething, he went through a stage of 'gumming' me at the end of a feed - it hurt like hell, and i was terrified he would continue with teeth.
Strangely, once he cut teeth, he never did it again!
Occassionally, if he falls asleep on the boob and i dont unlatch him, he can clamp down a little - but you soon learn from that!

I'm not sure if you got a good look at Corey when we were at EJ's, but he has broken front teeth due to a fall. It was initially a little uncomfy if he grazed me, but even that hasnt been an issue for us.

Dont get me wrong - some will and do bite - we've had the stories on here! I think its the way you handle it that makes the difference x

I found when Emily was teething she would grind slightly and made me sore,i made sure i put Lanishoh on between each feed which helped loads,she did bite occasionally & best thing to do ispush them into the boob they will learn very quickly that if they do it they cant breathe,its quick so wont hurt baby & i know it sounds a bit cruel but its perfectly ok & stops them after a couple of times. If you yelp ouch or scream etc they find it very amusing & so it again & again !!

My DS has a full set of teeth. I found whenever he cut a new tooth, bfing would become somewhat more uncomfortable but once he'd adjusted his latch it would be find.

Try taking your baby off if s/he starts biting, saying "no" firmly, then offering the boob again. I've been told this method can work.

Interesting! Thanks guys. I do sometimes have an issue now if he is overtired that he will try and 'shake' my nipple - like dog with a bone! Ouch!! I've used both methods mentioned above quite naturally - holding in, and unlatching and keeping boobies (if at the end of a feed) with a firm 'NO!' - It's been happenning less and less, so I guess we will find a way to deal if it becomes an issue.

Lil miss was a biter but Tia wasn't. I think it depends on the kid really. The most pain where bfing and teeth were concerned was when lil miss chipped her front tooth... That was rather uncomfortable as there was a sharp bit to it.

Rhianna went through a phase of biting, but I think she must have been at least one and she used to bite me on the leg as well, I tried several things, but in the end the thing that worked best for us was to watch her after she'd been feeding for a while and keep my little finger close by, so as soon as I could tell she was getting bored and was about to, I'd take her off and remind her in a gentle way that biting was not nice. it depends why they do it, for her it was being bored, or if I was distracted like watching tv when she wanted my attention.
We had the slight grazes when she was falling asleep, but generally they dont bite or hurt without a reason.
Good luck with the teething