I'm breastfeeding my 9month old and scared he is going to bite my boob off any one feel the same way?

Question

He also is intersted in being breastfeed more now than eatiing his food. Is this a faze? I'm scred he is going to be mad one day and bite me he has 6 teeth and they are so dam sharp.

Answer 1

Oh, do I know where you're coming from. My daughter is 10 months ago - eventually they kind of learn to stop doing it. She still does it every now and then but not as much as she did - though it comes in fazes and waves,she cut her first tooth three months ago. It's totally normal for him to be more interested in breastfeeding than food- take it while you can because my daughter's only a month older and she's actually pushing me away when I try to nurse her sometimes, it makes me feel sad. I know we're still a long way from ending our breastfeeding realtionship but it makes me sad that she's growing away already!

I dont think they do it when they're mad. My daughter used to laugh when she did it to me. Kind of like the hair pulling, skin grabbing thing, you know? just another thing to do that gets a reaction. if it happens, just take him off for a minute - eventually he'll get the picture.

Answer 2

OMG, for all the fools out there who say to wean B4 the baby is a year old....get educated!!! Breastmilk is best until the baby is 1 year old, and thereafter however long Mom and Baby would like to extend the breastfeeding relationship.

Now, about biting....I have an 11 mo old daughter who also has 6 teeth (2 on bottom, 4 on top). And she has bitten me a couple of times. Yeah, it hurts like crazy. I pull her off, and tap my finger on her mouth and say in a deep, stern voice "NO BITE"). She usually makes the pouty bottm lip, and wimpers, then gets back on the breast and gently continues.
Some mommies with larger breasts have had success in this method: When baby bites, pull them in close and tight so their nose and mouth are covered by breast....the baby lets go of the breast immediatly so she can catch her breath.

The key is to not give a huge negative reaction (like throw the baby across the room as you scream OOOUUUCCCHHHH!!!.....which is what you sometimes feel like you could do because those bites can really hurt !). If you give sudden screams or highly negative/violent reaction to the bite, it can REALLY scare the baby, and damage the nursing relationship. Make the baby think that nursing is bad and scary.

If it happens, be gentle yet very stern.
They do learn. Babies are smart.
And YOU are a smart Mommy to be Breastfeeding! Keep it up!

Answer 3

The reason he's nursing more than eating solids is that that's what he needs. Until a year old, the basis of the diet is nursing; solids are supplemental. That is what is healthy for him...he's a smart baby!!

As for the biting, most babies never do bite. The ones who do usually only do it once. Biting is one area where mothers are consistent and clear about the acceptability of the behavior!!

If he bites, take him off the breast *immediately*. Sit him on the floor and *don't* nurse again right away. (At his age "not right away" probably means 5 minutes later.) Say "No!!" strongly enough to let him know you mean it, but not enough to scare him. If he's one of the very few babies who don't get the message right away, call your local La Leche League Leader (see sources section below). She will help you for free with any breastfeeding question (although if you would like to give a donation to the organization, Leaders are happy to have it). Keep in mind that La Leche League Leaders are all volunteers who work from their own homes while caring for their own children. If you don't get through, try again later or call a different Leader.

Oh...one last comment... While a baby *can* hurt you with a severe bite, he will *not* bite anything off!!

Answer 4

I often thought my son would rip my nipple off too. Ouch! It does hurt. Please do not let this cause you to wean him yet. When he bites (and often won't let go) just press his nose into your breast and he will be forced to let go to breathe. Yes it sounds cruel and I thought so too until I caved in a tried it. He won't be deprived of air and you won't have an injured nipple. Deny the breast for about 20 minutes and then let him have it again. If he bites again then quit breastfeeding him until your next scheduled feeding. Generally, if he is biting he's done eating anyway. You will notice that he bites more often when he is teething so when you get him off your breast give him something else to bite and relieve that pain for himself. If his bites cut your skin, use some Lansinoh to help it heal quickly or smear breastmilk over the cut (I preferred both together). And the fact that he prefers bf over food - just a phase which will come back off and on.

Answer 5

Do not stop breastfeeding because your baby has teeth!! My daughter was a biter when her teeth came in. It hurt. I researched and found many women who had their "tricks" to make the baby stop. What worked for my daughter was this: you know when someone is snoring so you plug their nose and they breathe out of their mouth as a result. If your baby bites, gently plug his nose, he will release your nipple. Also, you will be able to tell when your baby is about to bite because they cannot suckle and bite at the same time, so you can watch for cues. Anyway, after plugging my daughter's nose a couple of times, she does not bite anymore, even with 6 teeth and while she is teething too. Good luck!

Answer 6

Babies go through these phases, sometimes they need/want to nurse more than others. And yes at some point your baby will probably bite you, not because he is mad, maybe because he's teething. My son has bitten a few times, but babies cannot suck and bite at the same time and luckily my son loved to nurse so thebites have been infrequent. Just remember how important nursing is and deal with the occasional bite.

Answer 7

I am breastfeeding my 9 month old. If he bites you, break the seal and tell him "NO!" Don't stop nursing just for that. If he is teething he will want to nurse more than eat solids. A baby will not starve himself, so don't worry. My daughter has 4 teeth. She has bitten me, but she was being playful.

Answer 8

I breast feed my almost 5 month old and am terrified of when he gets teeth. He has already gummed my boob when my 3 year old slammed the door and scared him. When my 3 year old was nursing he bite me 3 times all when it got real loud all of the sudden.

Answer 9

If he bites you then you must take it from him to show him that he can't bite and still feed. Also you should be giving him finger food by this time to encourage him to eat... he must learn to sometime, now that he wants to bite is a good time. Best wishes

Answer 10

I did breast feed my baby when he had teeth, yes, he bit, I took it away. Usually he'd nurse, then when he was done, is when he'd start to do that. At that point, you just take it away and say, no, that hurts. If your baby is still hungry, go ahead and give it back, but, just watch for the change in what your baby is doing, nursing, or playing...