I know that sometimes a quick and dramatic reaction to being bitten while
breastfeeding can discourage the child from biting again - but I do urge
caution. My third baby was ten months old when he bit me for the first time.
I wasn't paying attention (having a 2-year-old and 4-year-old running around
may be a factor there) and yelled in pain. He let go and burst into tears -
and then went on a nursing strike. He was miserable, but it took more than
two days of patient work before I could get him back to the breast again.
This taught me that gentleness in dealing with biting may be in order.

My approach is to pull the baby in close, so that my breast covers their
nostrils and they have to open their mouths to breathe, stopping the bite.
I've learned also to be more alert when nursing babies this age, because if
you are paying attention you can feel the shift in tongue position as they
prepare to bite. That's the time to pull baby in and end the feeding.

Teresa Pitman
LLL Leader Guelph Ontario

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