Barb, anyone? HELP! I can't take much more of the biting :(

[Kmn]

The sliding off thing can be reduced by lots of propping and cushions - you may have a situation where he starts to slide and then tries to "hold on" with his teeth.
One suggestion for biting is instead of taking him away when he does it literally squash his face into your boob for a few seconds - it stops him tugging on your boob and is much faster to do than detaching. And it's also not real pleasant for bub, so will hopefully make him think twice.

[kelebek]

One suggestion for biting is instead of taking him away when he does it literally squash his face into your boob for a few seconds - it stops him tugging on your boob and is much faster to do than detaching. And it's also not real pleasant for bub, so will hopefully make him think twice.

Doing this also makes it harder for them to bite. We went through many biting phases and some periods seem to last longer then others technically if they are feeding they can't bite due to position, is it possible he really isn't hungry some of the time?

I got in the habit when we were in a biting phase that I would keep my pinky nail short and literally have it sitting at the corner of his mouth ready to break the suction as soon as possible. Often it would be at the end of a feed and he was sucking/biting for comfort (as you said unfortunately the culprit is the teeth)

I hope it passes soon for you

[trishalishous]

Have you tried nipple shields?
I had to use them when DD was newborn, as she had attachment problems, and Im so glad Ive saved them, as at 5 months shes biting too! (Although she only has two tiny teeth so far)

[MantaRay]

Hun, he sure is making it difficult for you, isn't he!! You have done a great job of trying things to get through this. One other idea that might help is to give him something cold to chew on before a feed. It is also important to make sure he is really close to you during feeds. At that age mums generally don't need to pay much attention to position and attachment as their little ones know what to do. Going back to basics and making sure his head is at the right height for you nipple, and that his body is tucked in nice and close to you, can make a difference. His chin needs to be close to your breast and sometimes pulling his legs around so he's tucked in close can help achieve that.

Another tip that has worked for some people I know is to gently push the baby's face into the breast when he bites. This means he has to release the bite immediately, and it's unpleasant so it acts as a deterrent.

Best of luck hun

[Sagres]

Biting is not nice, not fun at all.

Can I ask how long he has been biting. I had several episodes of biting (though not as bad as what you are going through) and all of them were temporary and only lasted a few days to a week. If he has been doing if for 24-48 hours I would say that another day or 2 MIGHT see the end of it, but if he has been doing it for 2 weeks I would be less inclined to think waiting it out might be the answer.

Good luck...x

[Now we're 3]

This might sound silly but if you think it is the teething that is causing the problem is there any point in getting one of the amber teething necklaces and seeing if that eases any discomfort he is having with teething which in turn might mean he doesn't bite. Sounds like you are at the stage when you will try anything.

[Spring Angel]

Sagres: the first bite was late September and it's progressively getting worse and worse. Since then he's cut two teeth and has another right at the surface.

Kelebek: the pinky tip is a good idea. I feel so anxious now when I go to feed him and I'm sure he senses that which makes it worse. I'm so glad to hear you managed to overcome your biting phases.

Trish: fantastic suggestion about the nipple shields. Definately worth a try.

Manta: thank you so much for your suggestions. I tried the gently pushing just then but he just clamps. I can't really explain it, he is just too quick. I'll give the cold teething ring a try.

Now we're3: I had amber necklace but it didn't seem to help. I guess I could put it back on him.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support guys.

I snuck in and fed him at 5.30am this morning but apart from that he's had water today. He had 4 feeds overnight. I figure plenty of bubs are sleeping through the night at this stage and not drinking milk during that time so DS can have water during the day and bf over night. It's just my sleep that will suffer. I'm going to keep trying to offer during the day but I'm not going to submit myself to chomping and constant pain. I'll offer, if he bites even once I'll stop. He can have his milk intake overnight.

Spring xx