When your breastfed baby bites

 Is your baby biting the boob that feeds them? Lots of breastfeeding mums cringe with worry about this happening or cringe at the memory of it happening before. When your breastfed baby bites you, you might find yourself feeling really anxious about feed times. So many mums feel this way! It’s a really common (and temporary!) stage for babies to go through, but definitely not pleasant for mum! Some babies don’t do this at all, so try not to stress. It may not be a problem for you!

A few tips for breastfeeding mummas with babies that bite while breastfeeding:

Watch for a change in your baby’s latch

A baby who is latched properly can’t bite because their tongue is extended out over their bottom teeth/gum (don’t be fooled – a bite from a baby with no teeth still hurts!). If you watch closely, you might be able to see or feel your baby’s latch change and be able to take them off the breast before they’re able to bite you.

Many babies who bite tend to do it towards the end of a feed when the milk flow has slowed and they’re not really feeding anymore, so you might like to try and take notice of what they’re up to around this time of a feed. Some breastfed babies bite at other times, for example when they’re getting impatient waiting for the letdown (milk to flow). If this is the case, you can try expressing before a feed (by hand or pump) for a few minutes until the milk starts flowing and then latch your baby.

Even though your baby doesn’t really understand your words yet, it helps to say a firm “No. That hurts Mummy”. They will start to understand over time, long before they can speak words back to you.

Try not to yell or react when baby bites

I know, I know! Easier said than done! (Trust me, I’ve been there too!) The reason I consider this a tip is because some babies get a big fright from you yelling and this can make them scared to breastfeed. In really bad cases, bub can start to refuse the breast or develop breastfeeding aversion because of the negative association. Try your best to keep your reaction as quiet as possible.

It also helps to try not to visibly (or audibly) react at all. Your baby might think your reaction is funny and then keep biting at other times to get a reaction. Again, not all babies do this, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Pull baby into breast to make them let go

When your breastfed baby bites you and is still latched, pull them in super close to you. Your breast will cover their nose, so they’ll have to open their mouth to breathe. This is your opportunity to get your nipple away from your baby’s mouth with the least amount of pain possible!

Take baby off the breast for a minute before trying again

After you’ve freed your nipple, try stopping the breastfeed and putting your baby down for a minute or two. Babies are really clever. Usually, they’re very quick to figure out that when they bite, the milk goes away. Most babies only bite a few times before they work it out.

Soothe sore gums of teething babies

Some breastfed babies bite when they’re teething. You can try offering your baby a cold teething toy for a few minutes before a breastfeed to try and soothe sore gums before a feed. You can also try rubbing their gums with your finger before a feed. If this doesn’t seem to help, you might like to consider giving your baby some pain relief medicine (check with your GP/chemist to make sure this is safe and appropriate for your baby first).

Nipple care

If your breast or nipple is sore from a bite, you can:

• Use a cold pack to soothe
• Use a different position to your usual breastfeeding position so that the pressure of your baby’s mouth is on a different (not sore) area until the pain is gone
• If the skin is broken, express a few drops of breastmilk onto the area to help it heal (your breastmilk is full of antibacterial and antifungal properties).
• Change your breast pads regularly to reduce the chance of infection
• See your GP if the wound isn’t healing after a few days.