Motherhood is the most beautiful thing in the life of any woman, however, and it is not without various problems. Sleepless nights, bloating, feeding and more. But it also happens that the baby bites while feeding. What to do in this case? This question excites many young mothers and not without reason. After all, when the first teeth begin to erupt in a baby, then breastfeeding can turn into a real torture. What could be the reason for this and are there any ways to wean a baby from a negative habit? Let's look into this in more detail.
Main reasons
Why does the baby bite mom while feeding? Let's dwell on this in more detail. This is a very common problem known to many women. At the same time, they encounter it not only during teething. Breasts can squeeze the nipple too gums, which will also cause pain.
According to experts, this can be caused by the following:
- Teething. It is accompanied by severe itching, and in some cases even pain. In addition, the baby may feel bad. In order to alleviate their condition, infants can use any possible means: nibble surrounding objects, bite their mother’s fingers and chest.
- Curiosity. As they grow older, the baby more actively begins to learn about the world around him. Babies just don't know what will happen if they bite their mother’s breasts harder. This interest is caused by the psychoemotional development of the baby.
- Incorrect attachment. If the mother correctly holds the baby in her arms during feeding, the baby is physically unable to bite, because his gums and teeth simply do not reach the nipple. But many young mothers do not know how to apply correctly. This is the most common reason why a baby bites during feeding for 1–2 months.
- Game with mom. Children from the age of 3 months can bite the nipple even if they do not experience a strong feeling of hunger. This can be regarded as a kind of game, during which the baby interacts with his mother by biting his chest and moving it in different directions. Such actions contribute to the development of new skills. For example, the movements of the lips and tongue are mastered.
- A small amount of milk. Some women may have poor lactation, as a result of which the baby will be nervous from a strong feeling of hunger. Dissatisfaction can manifest itself in the form of moodiness, tearfulness and nibbling.
- Nasal congestion. When breathing is difficult, infants cannot properly capture the breast. Due to discomfort, he hurts his mother.
If the baby bites during feeding (what will be done a bit later), it is important to understand why this happens. After all, having no idea about the problem, it is impossible to solve it. All doctors give various recommendations, but in this article the most effective tips will be given.
What to do to solve the problem?
If the baby bites strongly during feeding (what to do depends on the specific reason), then the mother should try to show him her displeasure. How, you ask? It’s very easy to take away the breast. At the same time, you need to say with a calm expression and intonation: "You can’t! Mom hurts." The baby will not like this, and he will munch, but feeding should continue after about 10 minutes. And so it should be done every time the crumb hurts. Over time, the baby will understand everything and stop biting. There are situations when the nipple is bitten. In this case, you can’t feed until the blood stops completely.
Teething
This natural physiological phenomenon causes severe pain to infants. In addition, he may feel unwell and feel bad. To get rid of discomfort, children begin to nibble everything that only comes to hand. Mom’s breasts also periodically suffer. Despite the young age, the children have very sharp teeth and strong jaws, so the woman is hurt with every bite. Many young parents are interested in the issue of how to wean a child to bite mom when feeding, if teeth began to be cut. At first glance, it might seem that there is no solution to the problem, but it is not. The following tips will help you:
- To make the baby fall asleep faster, let him suckle his chest for about 15 minutes, and then carefully put him in the crib.
- Be prepared for a bite with every feeding. If the baby begins to squeeze the nipple too much, then carefully insert a finger into his mouth and remove it.
- To facilitate the well-being of the child and reduce pain, you can give a little teething, which is pre-cooled in the refrigerator, before feeding.
- Special gels can be used to relieve itching and pain, however, they can be applied to the gums no more than twice a day.
- If the baby bites her breast while feeding, gum massage will help reduce the likelihood of this. By doing it several times a day, you can reduce the likelihood of injury.
If the reason for biting really is erupting teeth, then over time the problem will disappear on its own. You only need to wait a little and wait until all the molars finally come out.
Stuffy nose
This is another very common problem in which the baby bites the nipple during feeding. This is due to the fact that the baby experiences severe discomfort during meals. It is difficult for him to breathe and he begins to show dissatisfaction with the fact that he bites his chest. Faced with this, you need to be very careful, because a stuffy nose can indicate the presence of any diseases that require treatment. It will not be superfluous to show the baby to the doctor to examine him, and if necessary, prescribe an appropriate therapy program.
In order to help the baby at least a little, it is necessary to clean the nasal passages, removing from them the discharge that impedes the normal air passage. During feeding, you need to keep the baby strictly upright so that the channels are not clogged with mucus.
Incorrect attachment
So, the baby bites while feeding. What to do depends on each specific case. Oddly enough, but this may be the mother herself. Many modern people can not imagine their life without a TV and mobile gadgets, so they are often distracted from the baby by extraneous matters. If she incorrectly puts her child to her chest, then it will begin to slide to the bottom. As a result of this, the nipple will be very deep in the mouth, which will certainly end with a bite. And there is nothing to blame the baby for. It becomes uncomfortable for him to eat, and he tries to inform his mom about this.
To avoid the problem you do not need to take any action. From you it will be enough just to monitor the position of the baby during feeding. According to doctors, the mouth should cover the areola around the nipple. The tongue is desirable to be located on the lower jaw and slightly protruded forward. In this case, the probability of a bite is completely excluded.
Baby doesn’t want to eat
If the baby bites during feeding, this may indicate that he has already eaten and decided to just play a little with his mother’s chest. This is claimed not only by experts, but also by many parents. In addition, the baby can begin to fall asleep and unknowingly squeeze the nipple too hard with the mouth. There are no universal tips that will solve the problem. Each case is individual, so you should constantly monitor your baby. As soon as you learn about the features of his habits, you will understand when he was eating, in which cases he wanted to play a little or attract attention.
How to respond to bites?
The right reaction is one of the most important aspects. Some mothers begin to raise their voices or even shake if the baby bites their breasts severely while breastfeeding. It is not right. In the vast majority of cases, bites occur at a subconscious level, so babies do not even suspect that they caused pain. Do not pull too sharply and strongly the nipple out of the baby’s mouth. It is also necessary to refrain from swearing, no matter how difficult it may be. A loud scream can scare the baby and lead to the development of psychological trauma, which will remain with him for life and can turn into a complex and other problems in adolescence or more advanced age.
How to empty a breast?
Let's dwell on this aspect in more detail. If the baby bites during feeding, then the mother should know how to properly release the nipple from his mouth. It is not worth pulling it out sharply, as this can injure the skin much more. A particularly similar risk arises when the baby has already erupted several teeth. Experts advise not to make sudden movements, but, on the contrary, to press the baby to him so that he buries his nose in his chest. So he will not be able to inhale and he will have to open his jaw.
An alternative is to always keep your finger ready. As soon as the child bites the nipple, carefully insert it into the mouth, and press the chin with your thumb and slowly unclench the jaws and release the chest.
How to wean from a bad habit?
So, the baby bites while feeding, what should I do? Let's take a closer look at this issue. First of all, you need to show him that you can’t do this. There is a close psychological relationship between babies and mothers, so the absence of a breast is a very big fear. This can be used to wean a baby from a bad habit. If he bites you, then stop feeding for a while. At the same time, one should not swear, but calmly talk with the child trying to explain that biting is bad. Undoubtedly, the first time he won’t understand anything, but if you repeat this constantly, then over time the baby will learn a lesson.
If no reaction to the conversation follows and the child continues to play with his chest, causing you pain, then you need to stop feeding and put him in the crib, leaving him alone for a short time. After a few minutes, you can again try to give the baby a chest. Similar actions must be repeated with each bite. At the same time, mom should remain absolutely calm, not showing strong emotions and anger. But be prepared for the fact that the first time a child does not learn the seriousness of your intentions. Therefore, you will need to remind him of this. With children from the age of one year, praise-based tactics work. If during the feeding there was not a single bite, then you need to caress the baby and praise him. So he will learn much faster what is good and what is bad.
Recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky
A well-known Russian pediatrician is considered one of the best specialists in the field of care and upbringing of children. If the baby bites during feeding, Komarovsky is convinced that this is most often associated with improper attachment to the chest. Following a special technique, the baby will never hurt mom, even if all of his teeth have erupted. According to the doctor, the reason for everything is that young children have developed oral perception. He learns the world through his mouth, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that children periodically bite moms.
It is worthwhile to refrain from trying to forcefully take the breast, because the harm from this will be much more than good. If the baby has bitten the nipple, then it is better to pick it up with the help of the little finger. He is carefully pushed into the corner of his mouth and gently open his jaw. There is a simpler option. If the baby painfully bit you on the nipple, then press it to your chest. You will be pleasantly surprised, but it will not only ease the pressure of the jaws. But he will open his mouth. This is one of the simplest but most effective ways to solve the problem of bites.
If the baby bites his chest during feeding, then this is not a reason to transfer him to artificial feeding. Baby formula is significantly inferior to breast milk in nutrition. But you should not leave this unattended either. You must adhere to a consistent line of action, not succumbing to the tantrums and provocations of the child. At the same time, you should not scold and pity the baby too much. If you constantly go for indulgences and close your eyes to all misconduct, then this will not end in anything good.
Conclusion
Every mother encountered bites during feeding at least once in her life. This is one of the most common problems associated with caring for babies. However, it can be easily solved using one of the methods described in this article. And if they do not solve anything, then during feeding you can put on special breast pads. They do not allow the baby to take his chest too deep into his mouth, as a result of which he simply will not be able to bite. But it’s better to tolerate a little and make some efforts, and wean the child from a bad habit. Indeed, the upbringing of children should begin from a very early age. Only then will he grow up to be a good person.