How Do I Stop My Baby from Biting While Breastfeeding? (Mom-to-Mom #8)

After I wrote about how to heal a bite mark, one reader asked the very reasonable question of how to prevent a baby from biting in the first place. Steph wrote:

Q: My 12 month old son is used to being nursed to sleep, but with three teeth coming in at once, he is now also a dedicated biter.

He bites me so often and so hard that I have had to limit his nursing sessions for the first time. His first birthday ended in hysterical screaming all night… he couldn’t sleep without the breast, but can’t seem to feed without biting. It’s been like this for days.

I have been firmly telling him “no” and taking him off the breast when he does this, I have offered him cold things to chew on. Giving him infants’ paracetamol for his teeth seems to help a little, but it’s really not a permanent solution!!

Unfortunately, the only other advice I have received on this topic is to either bite him back or wean him… neither of which suits either my parenting plan or appeals to logic.

A: Steph, I’m sorry to hear that you’re getting bitten! That must be very distressing for you. Good for you for exploring gentle ways to get him to stop. I hope I can help by affirming what you’re already doing and offering some other things to try, and maybe some other moms will share some tips in the comments too!

Before we scare new mothers away from breastfeeding, first let’s reiterate that many if not most babies do not bite, and of those that do, for many it’s a one-time incident that does not cause injury and does not get repeated.

If a baby does bite, what should you do?

~ A bite might make you yelp involuntarily, but do not purposely yell at or frighten your child as this could cause a nursing strike (a refusal by the child to nurse at all). While it’s easier said than done, keep your reaction to a minimum so your baby doesn’t bite again just to see a repeat performance of your reaction.

~ If you can help it, don’t pull the baby off the breast without breaking the latch or you might risk damage to the nipple. As you state a firm “no” or “no biting,” break the latch by inserting a pinky finger in the corner of the baby’s mouth. Alternatively (and counter-intuitively), you can try pulling the baby into the breast or gently plugging the baby’s nose. Blocking the airway briefly will prompt the baby to open his mouth to breathe.

~ Analyze when in the nursing session the bite occurred. If the bite took place at the end of a nursing session, consider your child a great communicator — he’s certainly found a crystal clear way to tell you he’s done! He’s also given you a good clue about how to stop further biting. The key is to watch him at the breast during each feeding and anticipate when he is poised to bite again. In particular, watch for tension in the jaw that might signal a bite. As the baby stops sucking vigorously and begins to start pacifying, drifting off to sleep or showing other signs of boredom such as playing with his hands or turning his head to look around the room, gently break the latch. If he protests, you can consider switching sides and letting him continue to nurse as long as he’s actively suckling.

~ If you’re nursing your baby to sleep and he won’t settle without the breast, try the gentle-removal technique from The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night. Essentially that technique involves breaking the latch repeatedly until the child settles to sleep without being on the breast.

~ If the biting is happening as your child is drifting off to sleep, consider changing up the sleep routine or adding in new elements. For a while I used a “white noise” alarm clock that played sounds of the forest, brook or ocean. My daughter began to associate those noises with going to sleep and was more likely to settle once the latch was broken. Some babies, particularly older ones, might accept a change in the sleep routine altogether such as: nurse first then rock in the rocking chair, sing songs, rest in the bed together etc.

~ If the bite happened at the beginning of the nursing session, run through the possible causes for the biting such as teething or frustration with waiting for letdown.

~ If a baby is teething, have him chew on a cold well-rinsed wash cloth before a nursing session to numb his gums. It can help to keep a supply of wash cloths in the freezer for this purpose. Over the counter pain medications and homeopathic teething tablets are options too.

~ If you think your baby is biting over frustration waiting for the milk to letdown, try hand-expressing or pumping just enough to get the milk to letdown before starting the nursing session.

~ If a baby is biting at the beginning of the nursing session and still needs to nurse again, you may obviously have reservations about putting the baby back to the breast. Stay vigilant in watching for signs of biting and keep your pinky finger poised to break the latch. If your baby bites and you break the latch, consider waiting a few moments before allowing the baby to nurse again. The older the child, the longer the wait and the greater the separation, i.e. for a 4-month-old a brief “no biting” and breaking of the latch might be sufficient. For an 8-month-old, you might break the latch and set the child down next to you or sit him up in your lap, just momentarily. For a one-year-old, you could stand him up on the floor next to you with a quick, “No biting. Biting hurts mommy. You can nurse again when you are ready to be gentle.” I’m talking a matter of seconds. You don’t have to wait for the child to show any acknowledgement or remorse. The point is not to frustrate or punish the child but rather to associate biting with the natural consequence of being removed from the breast and from the comfort of mom’s arms for a moment.

~ Praise your baby’s good behavior at the breast. In addition to creating a negative association with biting, create a positive association with not biting! Recognize your child with praise and kisses when he pops off the breast properly.

Moms, leave a comment if you have a tip for Steph. What are some gentle ways to deal with biting?