Having your baby bite you while nursing is not only painful but also frustrating. You may also spot your child biting their fingers or those of somebody else. You are likely to realize such developing habits when your baby is teething since it helps relieve the pain, or when they are trying to express themselves. Sometimes, your baby may bite you when they are breastfeeding as an indication that they are full. Either way, harsh and shaming punishment will not stop such habits. Read on to know more about baby biting and how to deal with it.
Reasons For Babies To Bite
As stated above, there are several other reasons as to why your baby may bite. Understanding each of these reasons will help you come up with strategies for solving the issue. Some of these reasons are such as:
- Being overwhelmed- this could be either by the light, sounds or activities of their surrounding.
- Lack of language skills- babies will bite when they want to express strong feelings or express strong needs.
- Need oral stimulation
- During the teething period
- Need more active playtime
- Are experimenting to see what will happen
How To Deal With And Avoid Baby Biting
Depending on the needs they express, you can learn this form of communication and help your child to get through this stage. This involves the following:
- Biting when the teething – Teething time is one of the times when your baby is most likely to bite. This is because biting at this time helps ease and relieves their pain. To prevent them from biting you when nursing, offer them something cold or a teething toy and they will bite this instead of you.
- Biting at the beginning or end of the nursing session – More often than not, when your baby is at the teething stage, they are likely to bite you at either at the beginning or end of the nursing session. When it happens at the end of the nursing session, it could show that they are bored or satisfied. Therefore, look for signs of boredom or satisfaction when feeding the baby and take away the breast before they start biting. On the other hand, babies bite at the beginning of the nursing session to help in teething. Giving them a teething toy before they start breastfeeding will help prevent this.
- Tantrums– tantrums is a condition where your child has an uncontrolled anger or temper due to frustration. Tantrums may make the child respond by biting, screaming, hitting, or crying uncontrollably. You could avoid this by noting some of the tantrum triggers for your baby and help them avoid them. This way, you will help them stop biting.
- Biting for attention – If your baby is biting to attract attention, ensure that you pay attention to them when feeding them to and you will know when they stop feeding and are about to bite.
Disclaimer:
#Please note that development differs from one child to another
# Content intended for educational purposes only, and should not be substituted for medical advice from your doctor.
Last reviewed January 2019
Sources: kellymom, webmd, pregnancybirthbaby, raisingchildren, parents
