One of the struggles that mommy faces during breastfeeding is whenher baby reaches infancy and has discovered the comfort he could get when he bites mommy’s nipples. This could be really painful and would really cause mommy to hesitate continuing her breastfeeding journey. Trust me, i know a few moms who did stop, and it makes me sad because it could have been avoided and corrected if only they knew what they should do in times their baby would be triggered to bite. In this article, let me share to you few tips on how to make baby stop biting or what you should do when baby bites.
How to Make Baby Stop Biting Your Nipples When Breastfeeding
•Put your finger in between his upper and lower gums and try twisting your hand so it will create a bigger gap and he could then let go. Most babies start biting thei mommy’s nipple when they are teething. They find it soothing their discomfort when they bite on to something.
•Press your baby’s face a little gently into your breast. He will let go of your nipple as soon as you do that because he will then open his mouth or move his face away from your breast so he can breathe.
•Stop breastfeeding him for a moment because he will then observe and look for your reactions. For babies, when you react like laugh or flinch or make a face, he will assume that you like what he’s doing and he will repeat doing it as he gets wrong message.
•Put him down whenever he does that. You need to make him realize that what he did is not right and it comes along with a consequence (stop feeding). If you have done that for a few times already, it will occur to him that whenever he bites you, you will not continue breastfeeding him. Thus, he will try to avoid doing that.
•Use nipple shield if your baby is really stubborn and persistent in biting your nipples. Even though you failed in making him stop, at least it will not be as painful as it was when there is no nipple shield.
•Give him something to bite on before breastfeeding. Cold teether or even homemade fruit popsicles could help your baby soothe his gums. This lessens the possibility that he will bite your nipples again when you breastfeed him after he plays with his teether or ate his popsicle.
When babies reach indancy and toddler life, most breastfeeding mommies will introduce mix feeding with formula already to avoid instances when babies bite during teething periods. However, since breastfeeding is still the best kind of feeding for up to 2 years of age, i suggest that you try to work it out first. Look for other ways to make your baby stop biting. Never use it as a reason for you to stop breastfeeding him.
Why breastfeeding is best until 2 years?
Here is an article too that could give you motivation to continue breastfeeding beyond infancy.
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