I’m not sure I can do this anymore. My baby is biting while breastfeeding and it HURTS! My boobs no longer like me. I will be lucky if I have any left after I am done nursing jaws Noah. Much like pregnancies and birth experiences no two baby’s “nursing stories” are the same. Xander had minor latch issues as a newborn. I had a brief visit with a lactation consultant at the naval hospital during my post natal check up. She offered me incorrect information about Xander’s high palate, which he doesn’t have. His latch improved within 2 weeks and my nipples returned to normal. Noah immediately latched and nursed shortly after he was born. I had an enormous milk supply with Xander. Like so big we bought a chest freezer, so I had a place to store it all. I was pumping up to 24 ounces or more a day while working. Needless to say I was able to completely stop pumping when Xander was 10 months old. During the week I used my stash frozen milk for the next 2 1/2 months. See? A LOT of milk! After going back to work with Noah, I had a hard time keeping up with his demands. I tried nasty fenugreek and mother’s milk tea. I didn’t necessarily have a low supply, because he was feeding fine during the weekends. My body just didn’t adapt well to the pump this time. I was lucky if have 50-80 oz of frozen milk on hand at any one time.
My original plan was to provide exclusive breast milk up to his first birthday. I was going to start cutting down pumping sessions as I slowly prepared my body to be done with pumping in April. Little man is eating solid foods three times a day, so his milk demands have decreased. I wish his urge to bite me has decreased. He got his first tooth at 6 months, went from 3 to 7 teeth at 9 months and now has 9 razor sharp teeth. I know there are plenty of moms that do extended breast-feeding past the first year but my little man brings me to tears when he is teething. I’m not sure what else to do when he is biting while breastfeeding. I have tried everything to guide him away from using me as his teething toy but nothing seems to work. He chomps down, squeezes my boob with his grip of steel and then pulls away with my tender bits still in his mouth!! This week the pain has been unbearable and has brought me to tears several times. Due to these recent turn of biting events I have changed my plan. Tuesday night I couldn’t take the pain anymore and used my precious pumped milk from the day to feed him before bed. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the feeding. It’s an awful feeling to be nursing and tense waiting for little jaws to strike. As much as I was happy to have a break from being bitten I also felt an overwhelming amount of sadness. I am not ready to be done with nursing. I am not ready for my baby to be one. I just need more time to enjoy the babyhood. I need a life pause button.
My new plan is to continue pumping three times a day at work, give him a bottle at bedtime and pump again before I go to bed. So much for cutting back. Hopefully once these new teeth erupt the biting will end and I can go back to enjoying the fleeting moments of nursing my little one to sleep in his fleece footie Pjs. I am just not ready for it to end.
Did you ever experience biting while breastfeeding? What did you find helped your nursling stop?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Awww, I know how you feel! I had to stop nursing Aubrey when she was 10 months because she was biting and pulling off. It was horrible. My boobs were ulcerated and miserable! I tried to continue to pump, but the pain was too much. They just grow up so fast. Hope your next nursing story is painfree
Logan was so easy to nurse that I nursed him until 18 months. Enjoy every minute of your happy healthy baby!
Jen I had no idea you stopped with Aubrey at 10 months. The pain is crazy unreal huh? Thanks for reminding me that he is happy and this is all that matters in the long run. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that when I’m so stuck on nursing for the first year.
Twitter: sugarnspicelife
March 9, 2012 at 8:13 AM
No matter WHAT you decide to do, you have made it this far, he is a lucky little boy to have gotten such healthy food from his Mommy!! When I look at him with his teeth, I feel your pain because I know what he’s doing! I know if he knew it hurt you, he wouldn’t do it…O-Baby!
1 More month & he will be drinking regular milk!!!
Thanks mama! I’m starting to transition him to whole milk starting this weekend. Now is as good of time as any. That way I don’t have to stress about not having enough breastmilk for daycare if I do end up giving him bottles when I just can’t take the pain.
Having nursed 3 children for over a year and 2 children not successfully, I can tell you in retrospect that it still amazes me how crazy powerful mothers guilt is regarding breastfeeding. It astounds me, really. I felt such guilt over not being able to breast feed my twins and then when my milk start drying up when I pumped I felt so guilty. Now that my twins are 6 and shake my head and wonder what I was thinking pumping as long as I did but boy oh boy I was not going to stop until I had to. :) GOOD luck. No two kids are alike, are they?
I have NO idea how any mom nurses twins. That is a lot of work. Hats off to you for pumping for as long as you did…I can’t imagine pumping exclusively either. Pumping while working is enough. It’s exhausting!
Goodness, I totally just about cried reading this. Expecting my 2nd in 4 weeks I’m so curious/exicted/scared to nurse. Bennett breastfed for almost 11 months, but we definitely had some rough patches. And my intention is to nurse this new little guy at LEAST 8-10 months. But you’re so right, every situation is different and all we can do is our best and go with the flow. You’re doing great, mama. Hang in there. And whatever you decide to do, it will turn out okay!
Thanks! It’s been a rough week…lots of tears and emotions. I don’t remember being this emotional when Xander was close to turning one. I’m so excited to see what you name your little one and when he decides to enter the world. Your due date is Noah’s birthday…April 10th.