**Sore**boobie, please advise!

[ravingcutie]

The girls have 2 teeth apiece - see where this is going yet - and have for about 6 weeks. I think we are starting to teeth again - not looking good, is it - and last night Gracie bit me while nursing. She drew blood from the bite & proceeded to throw her head back while still biting. I now have the cut from the bite & teeth skid marks (abrasion) from aerola to the end of my nipple. To top it off, they seem to be having a growth spurt and that side is borderline engorged all the time.

What can I do?

Is there something to help sooth my abused breast/nipple that won't hurt the girls? And get rid of my rock hard boobs with/out pumping?

I am very proud of myself because I didn't curse once during the biting. I was however curled in a fetal position on the bed for most of half an hour...... owie!!!!

[pmcgary]

Lansinoh can be used on the breast and not washed off...It will aid in healing the sore spot....

Other than letting them nurse (which I imagine sends shivers down your spine anticipated how they will nurse) or hand expressing there isn't a lot you can do...Warm compresses help with engorgement. (Warm shower and hand expression together might work...I am not a good hand expresser - only time I get any is in the tub/shower)

Another thing that might help as you move through the teething phase...If you sense one of them starting to "dig in" --- the natural reaction is to pull away....It is more effective to pull baby in toward you. (breast against their nose will make them latch off fast....)

Best of luck...and I hope you heal quickly. (I have heard of a mom in my local LLL group who got bit badly enough to warrant a stitch and she continued to nurse!! Owie is all I can say to that.)

[pmcgary]

Lansinoh can be used on the breast and not washed off...It will aid in healing the sore spot....

Other than letting them nurse (which I imagine sends shivers down your spine anticipated how they will nurse) or hand expressing there isn't a lot you can do...Warm compresses help with engorgement. (Warm shower and hand expression together might work...I am not a good hand expresser - only time I get any is in the tub/shower)

Another thing that might help as you move through the teething phase...If you sense one of them starting to "dig in" --- the natural reaction is to pull away....It is more effective to pull baby in toward you. (breast against their nose will make them latch off fast....)

Best of luck...and I hope you heal quickly. (I have heard of a mom in my local LLL group who got bit badly enough to warrant a stitch and she continued to nurse!! Owie is all I can say to that.)

[mamaofthreeboys]

Oh No! Ouchie!

:getu No bitting Mama's boobies babies :lol:

I am totally kidding of course (but not about bitting mommy! ;) ).

What I used to do was put neosporin or lanolin on mine when that happened. And I told the kiddos NO when that happened too. I would unlatch them and tell them when they were ready to not bite mommies boo boo's they could have more milk!

As for the engorgement ouchie too! I had clogged milk ducts two seperate times the past two weeks. Anyways I usually take hot showers and gentle open handed soft compression working from chest to areola.

Hang in there this too shall pass :)

[ravingcutie]

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I tried the squishing face to boob when she bit, but unlike Emma, she didn't unlatch, she threw her head back. :cry

They're just 7 months and don't really understand "no" yet. She knew I was unhappy, but hasn't mastered cause and effect yet!

Off to try the lansinoh.....

[botannie]

You can also use a cabbage leaf for the engorgement.

[blueskymama]

Ouch! With Naomi (8months) she usually bites while latching on. I put index finger under my nipple while latching on (to make sure its not teeth that are waiting for me but her tongue), and withdraw my finger if its safe. If I sense she's going to bite while nursing, I have my finger close to her mouth so I can detach if she bites. It also hurts a lot less for her to bite on my fingers vs my nipple. This has worked well for us so far. Her top 2 teeth just came in, so we're dealing with those too now.

[ravingcutie]

Thanks, ladies ! I'm new to nursing anf value your tips & tricks!

[pageta]

They can't nurse (get milk) and bite at the same time. So I quickly learned to feel when he was actually eating and when he was just hanging out (and prone to bite). Also, I have to be careful of the angle he's at or I get teeth marks on my areola. Still, the not being able to nurse and bite at the same time is the advice that helped me the most.

[Susan_WW]

I agree with Tana. I don't have too much advice, but the couple of times Nicole bit me it was when she was just hanging out and not sucking. So I used to take her off when she was just dawdling and not actively nursing. That prevented alot of problems. The first time she bit I firmly but calmly told her no, and the next time she did it I did the same thing and she cried. Even though you think they don't understand, they do. She never bit me after that.

[pmcgary]

Not to discourage you, but it may be that the "need" to teeth is stronger than your "no". Some kids are very determined. Hopefully, yours is one who will take the hint.

Another thought is to give plenty of opportunity to chew on something appropriate....whatever you are comfortable with using as a teether. A lot of people swear by a frozen wet washcloth.

You might also try Hylands teething tablets or gel (the gel worked better for my kids) It is homeopathic - the gel is not a numbing thing...But if the biting is due to pain/discomfort maybe if you relieve it first there won't be biting.