Nipple bite

[gypsymom]

Today Z bit down really hard right on my nipple. My first reaction was to pull back and I said, "Ow ow ow no biting." He got the boo boo face...his lip started quivering and his eyes welled up with tears and he started to cry. :( Poor little guy, it just about broke my heart. I cuddled him for awhile and explained to him that it was okay, he just hurt mommy and he couldn't bite like that. When I finally looked at my nipple I saw a gash the length of his tooth and it was bleeding...right on the tip. Well, he wanted to nurse more but seemed hesitant to and I wasn't sure what to do about the bloody nipple. Finally he did nurse...and he bit me again. My reaction was pretty much a repeat of the first time and he once again got upset. After that he didn't bite anymore the rest of the day.

[zak frost]

I pulled them to me when they bit. It suffocates them for a sec and makes them break loose. I do that as I am yelling "no" very loudly and scaring them. I then put them down and they are done until the next feeding. I also don't pick them up and comfort them right afterwards (like they want because their feeding was interrupted and because you yelled "no" and scared them).

[SnowBirdie]

i am sorry..i know that hurts!:friends2

i used time at the breast to teach them manners from your boys' age or even a little younger i think, and it has made a huge difference in how they act. i told them "be gentle, love nanny!" and pat myself with their little hands. i would do the same to them...rub their heads or backs and tell them, "mommy loves amanda, love amanda" so they associated gentle touch with the words "gentle" and "love". that way if one nipped me i would remove the breast and pat my breast tell them to love nanny...that "ow!" love nanny, don't hurt nanny!" i would remind them to be gentle and praise them for being so gentle to nanny when they were latching right and being nice.

if one nipped after being removed and reminded to love nanny and be gentle i would tell her "if you bite, nanny hurts...bite and no nanny". if she nipped i would remove her and tell her more sterny and sadly, "ow! nanny hurts! you bit and that's not gentle!" she would of course look hurt and cry, and after a few seconds while i looked sad and patted nanny as if in pain (ow..i was) i would have her tell nanny she was sorry...they patted for sorry before they could talk, but that was fine. i would praise the one nursing nicely for being gentle while the other had to fuss a minute, and then when she indicated sorry she could come back. the condition was if she were gentle she could have nanny, and very rarely did it take more than one time taken off.

that only took a couple of times going through that and some reminding them if they got rough to be gentle or no nanny, and they got it. they tell each other to be more gentle and to love if one gets rough or is mean...lol, so they did get the concept, and now they love each other while they nurse and lean together.

i would give them cold washclothes and teethers to chew before they nursed so their little gums felt better and they didn't need to bite for relief, and i watched them closely to see when they started playing..that makes those bites come faster, and i would remind them to be gentle.

i know you didn't ask for all that i just said, but i figure someone might read the thread and need help with it. geez, those little teeth are sharp! how is your nipple doing?:hugs

[WhoserMomma!]

:faint Daniel did that to me "once" when I was BFing him. I let out a loud manly yell, scared the crap out of both of us, and he never did it again. He had a paranoid stare like this ":para" from then on.

[Bonkey]

Ouch! I am so sorry Gypsy, that must have really hurt. :(
Chloe chomped down on me a few times but she was all gums (and it still hurt like hell!). We had the exact scenario as you and Z (ow, then she bit again, I say ow again she cries more...) after that second bite she didn't do it again. I hope Z stops. :hugs

[gypsymom]

:lmao Dayna

Thanks, RA and Ash...it has been fine since then. Now he has been refusing to nurse during the day. :( He would finally do it when he was really really hungry. He wasn't eating any differently for his solid meals. :shrug I think it is a combination of teething/frustration that daddy isn't here. I'm really hoping he isn't getting an ear infection. :crossed I have a feeling that may be part of it because the tooth that was giving him the worst time (top middle) is in and he usually will only not eat solids and nurses more when a tooth is coming in. He has never refused to nurse. I'm just gonna give it another day or two and keep a close eye on his teeth.

[Smidget]

what do you do when you have a cut bleeding nipple like that? can you still nurse out of it?

[gypsymom]

I did. :para

[Pop Tart]

You can still nurse and the BM will help it heal, actually.

Mine bit. A lot :para I would tell them "No Bite" and remove them briefly. Then we'd start again.

They also started biting my shoulder or arm (or leg) when they wanted to nurse :para and that's when they'd get removed from my vicinity. Usually that was followed by a yell of "OWWWW" since it almost always took me by surprise.