I'd planned on nursing till Will is one year (He's 9 months today). However, he has 4 teeth now and his been bitting really bad for almost 2 weeks now. It's strange, though, because when he bites it is almost always when he is on the right breast...almost never on the left one. I've tried most of the standard recommendations I've found online and other places, such as taking him off and saying, "No" and making sure I remove him when he is done feeding. So far none or this has helped.

I called and talked to a LC at DCH. She said that my milk production has probably declined more on the right side than the left side. She suggested that I only feed him on the left side, unless the right one starts to become engorged. She said that if I were still having a good letdown spray he would not be able to bite because he would get choked. Her suggestion makes sense... I know that my left side has always produced more milk and Will has always seemed to prefer it. However, I'm not sure if I should completely stop feeding him on the right side. I'm sure it wouldn't be long before my milk would dry up completely on that side. But I also can't take this bitting much longer. I've tried holding him in different positions when he's feeding on the right one, so that his teeth don't always hit in the exact same place. That helped lessen the pain for a little while, but now I have bite marks all the way around my nipple!

Honestly, part of me doesn't even want to try anymore. It seems like it's been one issue after another from the beginning with BF. It's gotten to where I dread nursing and I think Will can pick up on this. I keep thinking about switching to formula for the last few months, but than I feel guilty because I know that BF is better for him. I'm just not sure what I should do or even what I want to do... Does anyone have any advice?

I'm sorry, I'm sure y'all are getting tired of reading my long BF posts and many questions about baby feeding!

First off, don't be sorry! That's what we're here for. You can always vent here and express concerns and ask questions.

Second, hats off to you for bf'ing for 9 long months. That's no small accomplishment. Look at all the nourishment you've given him in 9 months. What did that study say? Most women don't make it past 6 months? Or was it 3 months?

We always feel guilty, don't we? I know I would feel the same way. We managed to make it 13 months but had I encountered persistent issues along the way I'd be asking all these same questions and feeling the same and thinking about stopping too. I just know it. And maybe I would have stopped.

BTW, Jack used to bite me. And it hurt. But he just did it once in a while so it never really became a problem. It sounds like you are in pain over there. FYI, my favorite product to ease breast pain was Breast Therapy by Gerber. They have this stick that looks like a glue stick and it was so soothing and not greasy.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is please don't get down on yourself if you decide to switch to formula for the next 3 months. If you've tried to fix the problem (and it sounds like you have) and it's still a daily stress in your household then perhaps it would make for a happier mom and baby if you did. Or maybe you'll decide to grin and bear it for another 3 months. Either way, just know you've already done an amazing job.

Good luck with this!

Good for you for making it this long!

Have you considered maybe pumping and putting the milk into a sippy cup or bottle for the next three months? He would still be getting all the nutrients and you wouldn't be left with the bite marks. Just a thought.

GoodGolly- Yes, I would like to do that...but can't. Recently when I try to pump I get less than 2 ounces of milk, and Will takes a lot more than that, so he would be getting mostly formula. For some reason I've just never been really good at pumping. Before I became a SAHM, I'd pump at work. I'd get more milk than I am able to get now, but never enough. So, his bottles during the day were usually 1/2 formula and 1/2 BM. After a while I was getting less and less, because my milk supply was declining and Will was getting more and more formula. I tried the medications that are supposed to help increase milk supply, but it only helped a little. After I quit my job to stay home, my supply came back pretty quickly. Anyway, I think that if I were to go back to pumping now it would be no time at all before my milk completely dries up...especially since I can already barely get 2 ounces.

Kristi- I hadn't tried that. Does it reduce the pain when he actually bites or just afterwards? My husband joked that I should put orajel on my nipple, so I won't feel the bites...lol.

Sarahmay - Here's another thing to try . When he bites you, the instinct is obviously to yank him off. If you can, try to resist that and instead push him INTO your breast when he bites.

What i have read is that the baby is forced to either let go or choke, and they let go. If you do this a few times, he might start associating and stop biting. Worth a shot.

Anabelle and Amelia both went through biting phases, but it was sporadic. With them, I just stopped the feeding and gave a VERY stern no. I mean yell directly in their face. With each girl it made them very scared and they cried and I felt terrible. But it worked. So don't be afraid to let him know you are MAD. I also wouldn't let her keep eating for a few minutes so she saw that biting = no more food.

Good luck! Like Kristi said, we feel guilt no matter what don't we? If you decide to stop just know you did a GREAT job!

Sarah May, both of mine went through very short biting phases too, usually right around the time when they were teething, and I think experiencing gum discomfort they were trying to ease. I did essentially the same thing Moozle describes, except I pulled them off the breast and gave a very stern "NO biting!" and stopped the feeding sessions right then. I know some of the experts say not to yell because it scares them or whatever, and like Moozle, I felt bad for making them cry, but it seemed to work and neither was a persistent biter.
As far as feeding on one breast, I have a good friend who BF'd all three of hers for over a year each, and with all of them, after the first several months they would feed on the right breast only and the milk in the left one basically dried up. She decided that it must have just been her production, like what you said the LC said might be happening to you. It did make for uneven breast size, sepcially when they were younger babies and bf-ing more than after they were a year old. I don't think that is a big deal, and if it solves your problem, then great.
Good luck! Hopefully this is a short phase that will end very soon. Biting hurts!

Thanks, everyone, for the advise and encouragement. I'm going to try my best to keep at it at least a little while longer. If this is just a phase, how long do you think it will last? It's already been about 2 weeks.

Thanks for the tip on how to get him to release. But, he doesn't clamp on and refuse to let go... it's more like repetitive bite and release over and over again (sort of like chewing). KWIM? I remove him and tell him no, and he cries, but as put him back on the bitting starts up again.

So, far just feeding him on the left side isn't working either. One time he was full after the one side, but all the other times he cries for more if I don't give him the right one too. I wonder if there could be any other reasons why he is only bitting on the right side, other than diminished supply in that one.

I forgot to mention in the original post that Will has high pallet. Do any of you have experience with that? I wounder if maybe he is more prone to bitting because of that? I know it can cause difficulties and pain in the beginning, but I can't find any info about high pallet in older babies with teeth. Actually, I think his pallet may have corrected itself at, least partially, but its really hard to tell, since it's not like I have a before and after picture to look at side by side...

How's it going with the biting? Any better?

Thanks for asking. No, It didn't get better. I decided to go ahead and wean and use formula for the next 3 months.

I'm sorry!

Look at what you did though! 9 months is amazing and you should be commended for that.