Deep Thoughts on Breastfeeding
Boobs and teeth. They just don't mix. No sir-eee.This goes double when baby's teething. Which for my Little Guy, happens to be right now.
So, earlier this evening, after inspecting some fairly scary teeth indentations left after his bedtime feeding, I felt compelled to do the following Google searches:
"bite" and "nipple"I am happy to report that the Google searches did not produce anything that would indicate that a baby could actually bite his or her mother's nipple off.
"baby" and "bite" and "nipple"
"baby" and "bite nipple off"
"breastfeeding" and "bite off nipple"
So, all you mamas out there who are currently breastfeeding or who plan to breastfeed in the future, please join me in heaving a huge, collective Phewwwwwww.
posted by Cristina @12:00 AM
34 Comments:
I breastfed my daughter ( she is now 23) It was a beautiful experience , but I remember my nips getting sore at first. Wow did it hurt. I admire Moms who breastfeed.
You'll be laughing at this years down the road when your poor nipples have lost all sense of feeling! Sorry, truth hurts!!!
Julia bit me once and I yelped so loud and jerked away so suddenly that she never did it again. Thank god.
We never made it that far, and sometimes I am glad we didn't! Ouch!
Oh, ouch! I ended up weaning the Pie a few weeks ago because she started biting instead of nursing (not merely "in addition to"). I'll tell you what feels especially nice - being bitten when you're explosively engorged. I think I weaned just in time...she's got three new upper teeth breaking through this week.
Mark bit me a bit, but never enough that I was worried about loosing a nipple!
Pheeeew.
I hope you're right.
I breast fead my son for 12 months and remember doing these EXACT google searches terrified I'd have amputated nipples. Yikes.
One, I wanna know what "other" kind of sites came up on those google searches.
Two, I've never breastfed, but it's because I had a reduction and because of that reduction, I can assure you that the nipples can be reattached if you were to become the first one to have them bitten off.
Three, PHEW! for you, girl, that they can't be bitten off anyway. Since my doctor didn't exactly attach mine centered, I'm glad yours won't need to be reattached. Not fun. But I must say my smaller ta tas rule.
That was one of the reasons I did not breastfeed my kiddos. I thought the pain of childbirth was enough :)
I breastfed all four of my children. The only one of the four that bit me was my daughter Duck. She made me so sore that I dreaded feeding times. I was desperately afraid of her...
Carriebrett: ALL feeling? Really? The truth DOES hurt.
Bubandpie: yikes 3 new teeth? I agree you weaned just in time :)
Andrea: I don't think I should tell you here what came up on those Google searches since I try to keep this site at least PG-13..I'll have to email you separately if you really want to know. LOL
I don't believe it,. I think my nipple was pretty darn close to getting bitten off once.
And this is EXACTLY why my kids both got the ba-ba at 8 months. YOUSER!!
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. I found the best thing to do was to gently push the baby into your chest when she got the urge to nibble (after it happens a couple of times, you know when its coming). This makes the baby open her mouth a bit and reminds her what she's there to do. Its either that or the band-aids. Ouch!
I remember breastfeeding (Girlie is seven now). Really, does it make much difference if it FEELS like they are biting off your nipple vs. actually doing it? My little barricuda had strong chompers.
Um, yeah. Lately, I've been sustaining regular teeth indentations in my nipples. It's just really not something I'd ever see on a regular basis. Or feel, for that matter.
Thanks for doing the research for us, sister. You are a good friend, indeed.
('cause who knows *what* that sort of google search could turn up; it might have blinded you.)
there was s'posed to be a "thought" in that sentence. as in, something I *thought* I'd ever see.
hi, I'm the typo queen.
Eeek. I was so lucky. My child didn't get teeth until much later in that first year. heehee
hahaha Biting sucks. I screamed and scared the heebies out of my daughter, she never bit again,
Krista: ouch. that's all i can say.
Jodi: i gotta baba ready and waiting and i'm not afraid to use it if I must!
Mrs. chicky: I heard about the "pushing towards the chest" technique and I tried it a couple times but he didn't let go. Maybe I need to push longer, but I'm scared. It hurts!
Wendy: good point. And it DOES feel like he's biting it off. I keep having to check. Yup. It's still there. Phew.
lildb: never thought i'd ever see it either. chalk another one up to the joys of motherhood!
Lisa: oh, i am jealous. I was so praying the teeth would come in late. Pray-ing. Hard.
Chelle: cool. another technique I can try. OK, let me write that down...."scare the heebies out of him..." got it. I will try it!!
Hey! I just found your blog through Lindsey's blog. Breast feeding was HELL for me. my kid, get this, was BORN WITH TEETH!!!!
Say it with me.... OUCH!!!!!
I like your blog. I'll be back!
:)
Oh how I hate teeth. The teething part sucks and I couldn't imagine the biting during breastfeeding!
A girlfriend once shared her wisdom with me saying a light, quick flick on the cheek that doesn't hurt the baby but startles them works like a charm. I never got the chance to try the technique as breastfeeding didn't turn out to be a viable long term option. Good luck to your nipples.
After three kiddos, maybe there is 1% feeling left. And I breastfed two of them for a year, and one for 8 months so it's not as if I was a "marathoner" or anything.
I dunno. Maybe I'm a mutant or something, but it's been a year and a half since I weaned my last and I can honestly say, there isn't much left of those nipples (gross) feeling-wise!
My poor nipples are so sore lately that it feels like the early days of breastfeeding all over again. I have broken out the Lansinoh to help me get through it.
We never made it that far with the breastfeeding, but the mastitis and cracked nipples were painful enough -- the biting part sounds horribly uncomfortable. Good to know you're not in danger of an unintentional nipple-ectomy, though.
I think it must be a boy thing to bite. My son definitely bit me plenty of times. My daughter, not yet, and hopefully never. Of course I have to agree with carriebrett, I've probably lost all sense of feeling, although that's a good thing while breastfeeding. It'll come back though.
Mamacita: the feeling comes back? Oh thank goodness. I was getting really worrried about that! I can sleep easy now :)
Breastded my kid until she was 2 years, 6 months... But who is counting... She was gentle... But oucheemamma! if she heard a loud noise or something distracted her she would take the boob... ooooooo... that was sooooooo long ago (she is 8 now) but it can still make cringe....
well mine teethed at 4.5 months and i had to wean him by 10 months because i just couldnt handle the biting anymore!!! nothing on earth could distract him and after the mastitis and cracked nipples i had just abt had enough. this whole earth mother thing is not my deal. he took to the bottle for the simple reason that if he didnt, i would starve him but not put him back to the breast!
I nursed my son for exactly two years. I planned to nurse only until age one, but it turned out he had Sensory Integration Disorder which has made him extremely averse to certain food textures, and pathologically afraid of trying new types of solid food, and so I felt like extended nursing was the best (and cheapest) way to supplement his very poor solid diet.
I was bitten many, many times, and even once or twice swore off nursing after a bad bite-- for about eight or twelve hours, until my kid started begging to nurse again. Heh.
But my nipples are still intact.
My mom told me that her sister-in-law's sister had her nipple bitten off, and it just grew back like a lizards tail would. I don't know how factual this is because I heard it from a friend of a friend of a friend. But that sounds extremely painful.
Nobody told me that the nipple soreness you feel during the first week or so of breastfeeding comes from the engorgement. After that went away, it doesn't feel like much of anything while she feeds. I am just mad that it took almost 3 weeks to get past that.
Whewww! My on just got his first tooth recently and has bit me a couple of times and all I could keep thinking was "oh my goodness he's going to bite it off one day!" Good to know I'm not the only one worrying and more importantly that it's not something that we could find with other women either.
Ha! Those Google search terms is exactly how I found your post! I've been bitten plenty of times since my 17-month-old got teeth, but today was the most afraid I've ever been. Didn't think he was ever going to let go! "Nursing" my wound with Breyer's Natural Vanilla. Feel much better.
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