What to do when baby bites

Biting is usually a short-lived phase that some babies go through, usually when teething. Not all babies will bite. Of my three babies, only one did. Of course, when they do bite, it’s painful, upsetting and anxiety inducing!

A very important tip

If you are struggling to unlatch your baby and they have bitten down, pull them firmly into the breast (nose as well). This will cause them to open their mouth immediately so they can breathe.

Here are more suggestions from the members of the admin team for the Facebook groups NWL Breastfeeding and NWL Breastfeeding - 6 months and beyond

Lucy Hussey:

It’s not uncommon for babies to bite when teething and there are things you can do to discourage it.

Firstly, your baby won’t be able to bite when they’re properly latched on - the way their tongue needs to lie when latched makes it impossible to bite down, so I would suggest you watch your baby like a hawk and if they look like they’re done and/or are not properly latched any more, you can unlatch them. You can always re-latch them. 

You can try a bit of gentle breast massage before the feed and then breast compressions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60R7pd-HCtE during the feed if they are slowing and you are worried about biting. That will keep the milk flowing and might speed the feed up a bit. If your baby bites at the beginning of a feed it might be worth doing breast compressions to get the milk flowing quicker.

If your baby does bite, unlatch them and offer something safe to bite on such as a chilled teething ring and explain that it hurts. Even young babies understand more than we give them credit for.

If it’s become a habit, it is important to break the pattern, so your baby doesn’t associate feeding with biting.

Some people suggest using nipple shields to protect against biting, but these are unlikely to be helpful. Firstly, a shield doesn’t offer much protection as they are made of thin silicone. Also, a baby who isn’t used to feeding with a shield is likely to refuse to feed with one. Even if they don’t refuse, a shield can slow the flow of milk which can be frustrating and might make a baby more likely to bite. Finally, the texture of the shield might be more satisfying to bite which again might encourage it. It makes more sense to try to teach a baby not to bite full stop.

Cogs Sutherland: 

What really worked for us was the Teeth Are Not For Biting book. https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/elizabeth-verdick/teeth-are-not-for-biting/9781575421285?gclid=CjwKCAjw2OiaBhBSEiwAh2ZSP5049C-NJ3_3nPDrmSS1CmQdWSYBxJmtpgxo4yAta62Zv_9h9dlA4BoCgkYQAvD_BwE#GOR003247191

The story is very simple and sweet, and it has become a mantra in our house: “teeth are not for biting because ouch... biting hurts”. It explains why the baby might want to bite “when you’re feeling mad, or sad, or cranky you may want to bite” and then gives some alternatives “instead, take a break, have a little drink, have a hug” which we acted out with lots of hugs involved. For us it was always about teething or not wanting to feed or getting angry – my son would get so angry he wanted to bite and grit his teeth on something. So I’d keep the book to hand and remove him and say “teeth are not for biting, let’s get the book”. Even from a very early age!!

Chloe Morris: 

My daughter has been a biter, and I think she found my ‘ow!’ reaction funny, so kept doing it to get a reaction.  I was quite firm with removing her from the breast and saying: ‘no biting,’ then putting her back on if she wanted it again, after a short pause, and consistent in this, and she did stop. It took quite a few times of the same thing for her to get the message though.

Mandira Bhimjiyani: 

I don’t say ‘NO’ or yelp in pain (most of the time!) because when I did, my baby found it entertaining and bit more! 

I found a very clear and consistent approach helped. If she bit, I’d say calmly ‘no biting, that hurts mummy and then no more milk’. If she tried again, I’d stop the feed for a bit and then start again soon if she was super distressed/hungry, or a little while later. I found she usually started biting a few minutes into the feed when milk slowed down and she got bored. She would look around, pull out a little then come in for the bite... so I kept an eye out and unlatched her when the warning sign hit! I also got a nursing necklace for daytime and as she got familiar with it, when done she would unlatch and bite that instead. 

She learned within 7-10 days that biting would mean milk stops and now it only occasionally happens when she’s overtired. 

She started at 6.5months and by 7 months we were clear of the habit, so they really do understand!!! It’s about building the connection that if they try to bite, they don’t get to nurse: straightforward enough given that if they’re biting, they’re not getting milk either!

Cordelia Uys: 

If the gentler suggestions above don’t work, I would recommend firmly saying ‘no biting’, unlatching your baby and leaving the room for 1 – 2 minutes. Of course, make sure you are leaving them somewhere safe. Well before the age of one, a child can understand when their mother says: ‘no biting’.

Some of the mothers I’ve supported have been surprised that I suggest this method, since I’m usually an advocate of gentle, respectful parenting. However, as the psychologist Sarah Ockwell-Smith often points out in her books and articles, there are times when being firmer than usual is not only justified, it’s essential. If a child or someone else’s safety is at risk, sometimes parents will need to act in a way that isn’t gentle. It’s typical for mothers to put their needs last but being bitten repeatedly on the nipple is a situation that justifies being firm. Especially if the alternative is that a mother decides she can’t go on breastfeeding. A friend of mine tried all the gentler methods with her son, none of which worked. She was absolutely at the end of her tether and thinking she would have to stop breastfeeding. As a last result, she tried my suggestion; it worked, and she only ever had to do it once.

Working on positioning

Going back to basics with positioning, and making sure your nurseling has their chin tucked into the breast can also help prevent a painful latch. See this excellent post by JNelmetherell:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3fQxKEtgDl/?igsh=MTVuejVtbGR4dnJ2Yw==  

Helpful links: 

https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/biting/

https://breastfeeding.support/baby-biting-while-breastfeeding/