Don't bite the boob that feeds you...

When you were picturing what breastfeeding your baby would be like, I'm guessing you were thinking about how amazing it would be - that special bond everyone talks about, gazing down at their little face while they feed, holding their tiny little hand while they fall asleep at the breast. And maybe you knew it might be difficult in the early days; getting them to latch, or knowing if they were getting enough milk, or getting mastitis if you were really unlucky, but those were probably the worst things you imagined about breastfeeding, right?

After all, once they've established their feeding pattern; got the latch down pat, your milk supply has come in and they are thriving, I'm guessing you're feeling a bit relieved all the angst of those early days are behind you. Now you can just enjoy those big eyes peering up at you during a feed.

I'll never bet for a minute that you thought that innocent little angel could bite you so hard you would cry. Or draw blood. Yes, that little child will indeed bite the boob that feeds it. And, oh my god, it hurts like hell.

I know from my first round of feeding that babies are likely to start biting when they are teething. My eldest, Charlotte, bit me a few times. Once she broke the skin and my nipple ended up infected. Fun times. A set of nipple shields – which she hated – stopped the biting and she continued to feed happily without biting (mostly) until 20 months.

My youngest, Annabelle, however, is a completely different story. She refuses a bottle, and the nipple shields, completely. So much so she will act like she is choking if I try giving her a bottle. Plus, she has always been a biter. She has clamped down with her gums once she has finished a feed since she was only a few weeks old. When she was a couple of months old she started doing the ‘bite and roll’. The ‘bite and roll’ is where she bites down on the nipple and rolls her head downwards...taking the nipple with her. Ouch! It was unpleasant enough when she just had a smooth gum line, but now she has two razor sharp little teeth... it's just brutal.

What to do? Well, honestly – I have no idea. I'm worried I'm going to lose a nipple completely when her top teeth come through. She bites; I scream and pull her off, sit her up to say no, and she laughs. She actually laughs at me! I've started to call her Gigglefangs and wonder if she might be half vampire?

I've tried to give her a bottle instead – she screams like I've put poison in it instead of breastmilk! She chokes and grabs at the nipple shields if I put them on, she doesn't want anything getting between her and her precious booby. Sippy cup, actual cup, all tried and failed. Out of desperation I’ve used a medicine syringe when I’ve needed a break, but feeding a hungry baby 5 or 10 mls at a time while she is screaming and spitting it out isn’t an experience I’m keen to repeat often!

The best I can do is to try to get her off before she finishes and gives me a bite…oh and try and avoid feeding her around noise – any loud noise makes her jaw snap shut as she whips her head around to see what's happening. Of course, that'll be easy with a noisy 3 year old running around the house…

I've just noticing her third bottom tooth has started to cut through...wish me luck! If you too have a biter, you have my commiserations. If you have had some luck with stopping a tiny vampire baby from biting please feel free to share it with me!