Home » Partners & Parents » Breastfeeding » When Baby Bites

When Baby Bites

© Jessica Williams

Babies get teeth. It is a fact of life, and something you will have to contend with while nursing. Although first teeth commonly erupt around six months, they can also come in very early (sometimes at three months) or very late (Justin broke his first tooth at 11 months). Many women get very nervous when their baby starts drooling excessively and clamping down on toys and other objects anywhere within their reach. These are common signs of teething.

For a mother who plans to nurse her child past six months, the idea of new teeth in her little angel's mouth might be intimidating. The first concern may be about those teeth "scraping" against the nipple during a feeding. But with proper latch-on, this is not a problem. The baby's tongue comes out and over the bottom teeth while sucking, and the nipple is far enough in the baby's mouth to be away from the teeth. If a rubbing sensation is felt, you should reposition baby and try for a better latch.

Most babies do go through a biting or clamping down phase when getting new teeth. Most of the time, this is because the gums are sore and biting provides counter pressure for the gums, helping to relieve the pain. Sometimes babies bite just to "try out" their new teeth. This is a problem during nursing because, depending on the baby's age, they may find the nipple to be the best place to experiment. After all, it is probably the main object they have in their mouth during the day.

Babies usually bite at the end of a nursing session after they have filled their bellies. Unless baby is having a lot of pain in the gums, food is more important than playing with new teeth. Evaluating why your baby is biting can help determine which steps should be taken to stop it. If your baby's erupting teeth are obviously causing discomfort, providing pain relief before a nursing session (by letting baby "chew" on a cold wet washcloth or teething ring, or by rubbing the gums) may allow baby to nurse more peacefully.

Biting for "fun" needs to be discouraged as soon as it starts. It may be obvious that biting hurts the mother, but there are times when it can be more startling than painful. If you react with a little jump and a shocked expression, rather than a firm "No!" your baby may see biting as a game and continue to do it to get a reaction from you. So it is important to let baby know that biting is not acceptable.

The copyright of the article When Baby Bites in Breastfeeding is owned by . Permission to republish When Baby Bites in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.