Mom Advice! Teething and biting during breastfeeding

     One question that comes up often at Moms.com is biting and breastfeeding. If you breastfeed long enough for a baby to grow teeth, most likely, you will experience this. However, babies can bite while nursing regardless of whether they have teeth. It hurts more with teeth then without. It's funny in the beginning without teeth. It's much less funny when the teeth start popping up.

Can it hurt you?
     Yes, but probably not to the extent that you need to stop nursing. Whether you want to stop nursing because of it is a different matter.

What if I'm bleeding?
     Nipple cream is your friend. Blood in your milk is okay and will not hurt the baby. If you can, nurse or pump through it. It will feel better with time.

Can I teach my baby not to bite me?
     You can try! I tried, but it never really worked. She would still bite at the end of nursing or when she thought I should be paying attention. At times, it even made me angry--it hurt! But I swallowed my frustration and kept nursing.

Does it ever stop?
     I think this is the most important point in my article--yes! And then you think you're out of the woods, and it can begin again! The important thing to remember is that biting is a symptom of teething, and that when the teeth and jaw feel better, the biting will stop. If you can wait it out, it could be worth it!

     My daughter had two spells of biting me while nursing. The first happened around eight months, and I swear, it seemed like it would never end. The second one happened around a year, and was just as long. In reality, they probably didn't last longer than a month apiece, and she stopped doing it after her teeth stopped bothering her. I tried to teach her not to bite me, but it never really worked. She would still bite at the end of nursing or when she thought I should be paying attention (at least it felt that way). At times, it even made me angry--it hurt! But I swallowed my frustration and kept nursing. I'm glad I did, though, because once her teeth stopped bothering her, she stopped bothering me, and we continue to nurse with ease.