My daughter is six months old (almost seven months). Currently, I breastfeed her, but lately, all she wants to do is bite me when I try to feed her (she has teeth), and it hurts so much I don’t think I can continue to breastfeed. Does anyone have any advice on how to wean a baby? I’m a first-time mom.
Cut back on feedings, substitute with formula.
The biting is a phase. But if you are really set on weaning start cutting a feeding every couple days
Go slow! Drop one feed at a time every couple of days so she can adjust and so your supply can adjust and you don’t get engorged. If you do wish to continue bfing just know that biting can be a phase and she may grow out of it or be taught to stop. You can pump and bottle feed in the meantime. But if you do want to wean - good luck and congrats on 6 months!!! It’s a huge accomplishment!
You could express the milk with a hand pump into bottles that’s what I did that saved my breasts a lot of agony xx
I had issue this issue with mine and you have to let them know that hurts and say ouch loud enough to get her attention but not enough to scare them its a process as soon as they bite pull them away and react and then try to latch her again she will learn too
I pumped and gave my son his in a bottle and so he still got breast milk but wasn’t biting me.
You could always pump and give it that way if you’d like to continue with breast milk. You could try alternating between the breast and formula, but don’t cut back too much at first. Give her some time to adjust. Unfortunately the biting is a part of nursing.
You’ll have to switch to formula at such a young age or pump. One thing you could try is if she bites taking her off, looking her in the eye and saying “OW! NO biting!” That worked with my son. He only bit a few times
The biting usually happens when they are teething and if you wean correctly it should take a month or 6 weeks. That’s so you don’t develop mastitis or get clogged ducts. When mine started biting I would give them something chilly to chew on for awhile before I breast feed. I am also going through a biting streak with my son.
Biting is just a phase and they mostly do it when they fall asleep so just unlatch her before she falls asleep. I did and had no problems after and were still nursing at 19 months with no biting and she has has 16 teeth
When my daughter started biting I said ouch no bite loud enough to get her attention but not enough to scare her and then laid her down. So she associated biting with no more nursing after maybe 3 times she never bit again.
Teach her not to bite, it’s easy. Babies cannot bite while actively nursing. When she does bite, unlatch her and tell her that biting hurts mommy and don’t latch again for about 10 minutes. I nursed my son for almost 17 months - molars and all.
Maybe try an electric pump, it’s usually a faze but yes it hurts when they do that.
Give her something to bite on prior to feeding. She won’t bite you. But you could always pump and go for breast shaped nipples
Pump , it may be a phase but it’s not ok to let ur child bite ur nipples off !
It’s not possible for your baby to bite you and eat well. If she’s biting you it’s most likely because she’s teething and wants to bite something. Babies also bite because of boredom or for attention. Offer her a teething toy to chew for a while then try to feed her. If you’re just done with breastfeeding try to replacing one feeding with formula instead of quitting cold turkey. Then after you notice her getting used to it (a few days to a week) try 2 bottles of formula and so on. It’s best to do it gradually but it’s up to you.
Start pumping and giving a bottle, then if you want to quit all together slowly start mixing breast milk and formula
Babies cannot bite if actively nursing without biting their own tongue. You have to teach her. She could also be teething and is looking for comfort. Immediately unlatch, look her straight in the eyes and say “Ouch, no biting.” You can resume nursing after a few minutes. Keep in mind she’s only a baby and she’s still learning. It helps to offer a teething toy during the break as well. Do not hit, flick, or cover her nose because it can cause her to associate nursing with pain.
I would pump. They still need that milk. My breastfed baby wouldn’t even take formula, so I continued to pump until my pump broke.
Put some stop bit nails on them the bad tast will do it for you.
When she bites take her off immediately and firmly say NO. Do it every single time and she’ll realize biting means no milkies. Or just pump and put it in a bottle.
I breast fed until 18 months. Everytime he bit I yelled no and took him off. After a few times he stopped biting.
But if you think weaning is best I would avoid bottles and go right to slow flow sippy cups for 6 month old. Your insurance should cover an electric pump
Pump and put it in bottle
Pump and start mixing breast milk and formula it may take about a month but she will be in formula and try a little cereal.
When mine did that I would immediately take them off the breast and not let them feed for a few minutes. My babies didn’t like they and they stopped biting me.
You’re suppose to drop one feeding a week. Night feedings being the last to drop.
Either pump and give a bottle or sippy cup
Definitely go slow! I did it a bit too quick with my youngest and my boobs were sooooo painful drop a feed, express and get baby used to bottle x good luck
Why not pump for the days Shes teething and wants to bite?..
Pump and give your baby a bottle.
I would gently pull them off and put my finger on their mouth & say no no. After a short while they understood & all was good. But to wean from you get her exclusively on the bottle. Your breasts will hurt like crazy but that’s what you have to do.
Try and make sure plenty of your breast is in babies mouth. Thats what helped me. Hold your breast like a sandwhich and put it in when baby opens mouth to nurse. I swear I can barely feel my lo sucking at all when I do that.
My little one would bite me so much they were bleeding! I would wait until she was actually hungry, not just the time, and if she bit I would pull her off, sternly say no biting, and put her in time out for maybe a minute. She learned! Every once and awhile I’ll get a nip but I’ll tell her no and she stops! Good luck it’s painful! Nipple cream!
My son is 5days away from his 1st bday and we are still nursing. He bites me too, not hard, mostly during teething times. I just keep telling him “no, don’t bite mommy”, take the breast away for a bit and then try again. It took me 6-7 times of saying no be4 he got the hang of it. If u feel u need to stop, I would suggest pumping and putting into a bottle. I’m not one to tell a mom to stop or to keep going. Do what u feel is best for ur little one
Start her on baby food and a super cup. Just do it might take her a few days, she will get used to it
Thank you everyone for the suggestions! She’s been doing this for a few weeks now and has been biting me hard enough to make me bleed. I’ve been saying “ouch! No bite” and then taking her off my breast to try and teach her not to bite but every time I do that she smiles at me and laughs and the behavior continues, which is why I want to wean rather then continue to try and teach her not to bite and risk losing a nipple. Just thought the added context might be helpful.
Pump & put it in a sippy cup or bottle…then if you are going to switch to formula, mix 1/2 breast milk & 1/2 formula till you feel like doing all formula. Skip one feeding…if your breasts are too full/sore, u can pump a little…just to make them not so sore -until u plan on feeding/pumping…go longer between feedings/pumping so you aren’t producing as much milk.
Also, she could be biting because she is done eating…& u can stop the feeding. She will usually eat faster now that she is older…Good luck! You will figure it out…moms always do💗
I realize my daughter was bitting when she was asking for reconforting breastfeed. I reduce the time I give it to her. That way she was more hungry and stop bitting.
You take her off the breast and make eye contact and say ouch that really hurts Mommy!
She needs to see cause and effect!
She’s young and will learn!
Breastfed all 4 of my kids! Longest was 2 1/2
You can try a nipple shield too, they are cheap but do help a bit against the onslaught of teeth
All i can tellu is dont anybody shame u or pressure into continuing to breastfeed if u dont want to. You know whats best. Not them. As long as you’re feeding the baby is alllll good❤
It’s hard as a first time mom, you feel bad. My daughter bit me and drew blood around 7 months. She would bite, I would remove her and say NO. Then I moved to a bottle and sippy cup rather quickly.
I have 4 and only 1 bit. When you take the baby off, make sure you completely put her down, so she understands right away that bite = no milk, no mommy. Like someone else said try teething rings before/after. When she is hungry she will eat and can’t actually nurse and bite at the same time, and if you want you can pump and give her bottles that way. When I weaned I found it easier to mix breast milk with formula little bits at a time or she wouldn’t take it, that stuff is nasty.
If you truly want to wean, you will need to replace 1 feed with formula every few days until fully on formula.
Is this the only reason you want to quit? Do you know breastfeeding is the first lesson in body boundaries for our littles? Your baby can be taught not to bite, kick, or do anything you dont like during nursing. It’s not that difficult.
Have you tries a La Leche League meeting? They can help give you support in these aspects of breastfeeding.
Get her a teething ring
You can pump,and the bottle feed,switch to formula,or any number of things
How do u wean a 1 year old my son just turned 1and I’m having trouble getting him off the boob that’s all he ever wants
Honestly you can pump and put it in a sippy cup or bottle instead, and then slowly pump less and less… she’s still young and biting does happen, but if you feel the breastfeeding journey is no longer an option, put it in a bottle or cup girly…
My 8 month old only bites my left side. So I pump the left side and feed from the right but if he starts biting again I’ll just pump strictly
Yes Express the milk into a bottle feed her that way that’s if she takes to the bottle even.
Pump and give it to her
A tip… Babies bite when theyre done or rather play take ur boob out before they get a chance to bite. And yes explain that it hurts and to not bite.
Try having some one else feeding her a bottle.
Pump and a lactation consultant said that when they bite to do a small flick on the cheek. Just enough to get babies attention. Though i at one point had to just stop breastfeeding my biter and strictly bottle feed
You can pump, also whenever she bites make her unlatch and tell her “no, be gentle.” My daughter does this with her 4 month old and he is not clamping down like he did before. They are constantly learning even at this age.
Bottles work great to
You take them off and say no. And be persistent about it. I’m still breastfeeding my 13 month old and he has 10 teeth.
Pump and Introduce the sippy cup, and maybe some teething toys
If the teeth have came out squis or grind up her food and feed her from the table even a animal puts a stop to that
My son is a young man now but I breastfed him nearly 2 years. He bit me just once I gently flicked his cheek, unlatched him told him no no bite . It worked the first time, I must admit I may have gotten lucky that it only took once. Be consistent if it takes more than once. Offer teething rings.
If you still want to breast feed pump and put in a bottle theres bottles that have a similar feel to the breast and nipple.