Breastfeeding a Teething Infant
Most of my friends and family didn't breastfeed past 3 months, so the thought of breastfeeding a teething infant seemed like torture to them. But for me it really wasn't any different from feeding my toothless, gummy babies. I did get bitten —very hard— once by my eldest when he was teething and about three times by my youngest — but then he was a lot older when I stopped breastfeeding him.
I found that the only time they would bite me was at the beginning of a feed when they were waiting for my milk to flow (let-down), or at the end of a feed when they decided that they had had enough and just wanted to play.
The interesting thing is that your baby can't actually bite you while they are attached and breastfeeding as their tongue sits between their bottom teeth and your nipple. So if you keep an eye on your teething baby while they are feeding, you may be able to pick up on the signs that they are ready to bite and take them off your breast before they get a chance.
If you do get bitten, try telling them "no" very firmly and take them off the breast as soon as they bite you if it happens a second time in the same feed. I remember the one time my eldest bit me, it was in the middle of the night and I was half asleep, the pain made me scream which startled him…he never did it again. But when breastfeeding a teething infant this might easily turn into a game, so try and speak firmly to your little one rather than react like I did…granted, this is a lot easier said than done when they have razor sharp teeth!!
You may find that your baby will want to breastfeed more often while they are teething and if biting is a problem you can try offering something hard and cold to bite before a feed. You can also try putting some teething gel on his or her gums a few minutes before breastfeeding just in case they are using your nipple to sooth their sore gums.
Expressing some milk before a feed can also help if your baby —like mine was— is biting you to stimulate your milk flow. Rubbing some breast milk on your nipple after breastfeeding can help to protect and heal it if you have been bitten.
Some babies are actually born with teeth, and although breastfeeding a new baby with teeth may seem scary, it shouldn't make breastfeeding any more painful than a toothless new born.
You may have read different articles which debate whether breastfeeding your teething infant to sleep or feeding through the night leads to tooth decay. I fed both my boys through the night and they didn't have a problem…but I know mums who's toddlers have. The only thing I can say on this is that if feeding through the night or feeding to sleep suits you, then keep going with it. Just keep an eye on your baby's teeth and take them to see a dentist if you notice any signs of discoloration.
I like to think that babies bite by accident the first couple of times, especially if they are only about 5—6 months old. I'm sure they don't realise that biting actually hurts us, and most babies stop after the first few bites. It's also at this age that you may be introducing solids, so it's only natural that your baby becomes more aware of how they use their mouth to eat and swallow different textures — I guess it's all a bit of experimentation on their part.
I hope that this article will help you get beyond the biting so that you can enjoy breastfeeding a teething infant.
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