Biting!! Talk me down!!

[kecmom]

My 1 yo has started biting every time she nurses and those 6 teeth that she's had for many months HURT!!! Why did she start this?? How can I get her to stop??? My other 2 didn't do this! They bit a few times before they realized that they shouldn't do it and that was the end of it... If she doesn't quit soon, I am going to simply give up.

[zionnecherub]

I have a 5 month old with 6 teeth too. He hasnt bit in a week or so, but he was biting for a while. I feel your pain

[kecmom]

She went through the typical 'I have teeth lets see what they can do' biting awhile back, probably abt your dc's age but hasn't really bitten since. It's just recently that she started again and it's more painful than ever! :roll

[motherhubbard]

kecmom,

I know how bad that hurts, but please don't give up yet. Sometimes they will go through this biting and it certanly gets a reaction from you. Sometimes they like being able to get such a reaction. Often they will bite if they feel they are not getting enough attention from you. Are the other kids distracting or demanding your attention? Nursing time often seams like a great time to catch up on phone calls, TV, or a good book, ect are their other distractions disturbing time she feels is her time with mommy? Once you've looked at the nursing environment and she is still biting, stop nursing ans set her down, in the floor maybe and just tell her no! that really hurts mommy. She'll get the message after just a couple of times. After all she wants to nurst and doesn't want anything to prevent that.

Good luck!

[Ooey]

I agree, when she bites you say Ouch! and stop/take a break from the nursing sesion. Whilder has also just discovered the joys of biting mommy

[asandwick]

Originally Posted by motherhubbard kecmom, I know how bad that hurts, but please don't give up yet. Sometimes they will go through this biting and it certanly gets a reaction from you. Sometimes they like being able to get such a reaction. Often they will bite if they feel they are not getting enough attention from you. Are the other kids distracting or demanding your attention? Nursing time often seams like a great time to catch up on phone calls, TV, or a good book, ect are their other distractions disturbing time she feels is her time with mommy? Once you've looked at the nursing environment and she is still biting, stop nursing ans set her down, in the floor maybe and just tell her no! that really hurts mommy. She'll get the message after just a couple of times. After all she wants to nurst and doesn't want anything to prevent that. Good luck!

And Hugs to you mama!
You have to be firm w/ her after all it's make it or break it time!

[kecmom]

Thanks for the encouragement mommas!
We are mainly nursing at night and in the early AM hours and it's always quiet and mostly dark. (She's too distracted otherwise-) I have trying desperately not to react (although it's almost impossible at times) and firmly tell her 'OUCH! NO BITING!' when she clamps down and doesn't let go. I am sad to say that it's not helped a bit. She cries when I finally pry her her off and don't offer it and yet goes right back to it the next time I do offer her milk. It's gotten to the point where I cringe when I think she wants to nurse b/c I know that I am going to get bit. In the beginning, she was doing it at the end, when she was finished; but now, she's doing it immediately. This AM she bit me straight away, pushed herself off the bed and went and took her sis' sippy cup.
Is it possible that she's just telling me she's through nursing already??

[motherhubbard]

I doubt that is her message. I had one daughter that always bit me, even when she wasn't biting down she was hurting me with her teeth. I would put her in the floor and she would cry... This was a real issue for me for months. THen we found that she had really bad teeth. She had to have capps on six of her teeth and once that was done she didn't bite anymore.

IF you are nursing in the dark she may want to know that you are awake and there for her. Maybe singing a little song about not biting mommy while you nurse might help. And you could say don't bite me before you start. Is she stuffy? Maybe she can't get a good breath. Just try to keep talking it out and maybe you'll find the answer. Their teeth are like little razor blades aren't they!

[MilkOnDemand]

A lot of children bite or chew on their binkies & bottles when they are cutting new teeth - she might be teething. When Liam has bitten in the past I pull him in very tightly so that his nose is covered. It is unpleasant to not be able to breathe so he lets go and cries, then nurses normally. He hasn't bitten in a long time, but the last time he did it over a 2 week period, and then he had 3 new molars.

[luckyduckies]

[QUOTE=MilkOnDemand;403964]A lot of children bite or chew on their binkies & bottles when they are cutting new teeth - she might be teething. QUOTE]

that is what i was thinking too