9th
So i thought the biting was over. Boy was I wrong! It’s only just beginning.
Last night she was in her cheeky moods. She was blabbering giberrish and laughing at the silliest little things. When it was time to put her to sleep she was still in her laughing mood.
I was trying to feed her when suddenly she bit me. Hard. So I yelled in pain! She thought I was being funny! So she giggled hard seeing her mommy yell like that. And suddenly, it became like a game for her! Aiyoooo…
Everytime I tried to feed her she would bite me first, then look at me with those big eyes of hers to see my reaction, and I’d scream in pain and she’d giggle with laughter! Seeing her laugh makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time! It hurts and yet hearing her laugh makes me want to burst into a giggly fit as well. Phobia gak lah last night nak feed her.
I had to stop and wait for her to get REALLY REALLY sleepy before trying to feed her again. It worked. Kind of. I switched of all the lights in the bedroom, offered her the Bs, she opened her eyes, bit me and looked at me to see what I’d do, I tried my very2 best not to react, and it worked! She stopped biting and went to sleep.
Now I’m suffering from sore nips again. Boy does it hurt!!!
————-»» Ooohhh…Patutlah sakit sangat… I just noticed that she actually cut through the skin!!!
How to Handle the Bite. Most of the advice I googled is more or less similar. Got this here. I hope I’ll get thru this hurdle!
- Try not to scream. While it will get baby’s attention, it may also be a “reward” for that high need baby who likes lots of action. Of course, sometimes, screaming can’t be controlled!
- Pull baby in close to your breasts. Very close. When baby’s nose is all the way covered, baby will need to breathe, and will open up her mouth. This sounds like a punitive measure, but it is not designed to be. When you try to unlatch baby with your fingers, mothers often find that baby wants to continue to bite, and further nipple damage occurs as mom “fights” baby’s jaws for possession of her nipple. Cutting off the airway works quickly and easily. Baby’s are usually so surprised they don’t cry. Hey moms, you have a right NOT to have your nipple bitten, so it’s okay in this instance to take control of the situation! Since your baby wants to enjoy her right to nurse, it’s in her best interests that you take charge and help her eliminate her bad habit.
- Tell baby “no biting”, and give baby a teether or other toy or food (depending on baby’s age) to occupy it.
- After the biting incident, do not offer to nurse baby again until she is hungry. If baby was still hungry, your baby would not have bitten. While occasionally a baby is still hungry, most of the time, a bite has signalled that baby is bored with nursing or in discomfort.
- The next time baby nurses, be sure to praise her at the end of the session for not biting. You can’t lay it on too thick at this point! Let baby know how special and smart she is for not biting, and how proud you are of that behavior.
- Preventive measure: If your baby is already in the habit of biting at the end of the feeding, go ahead and unlatch your baby when the nursing slows down. Praise her for not biting and being a well behaved nurser. Let her know you love nursing her.
- Consult a lactation consultant or your friendly LLL leader if these measures do not help. Group support can help you get through a difficult nursing period.