My son bit me while he was nursing. He drew blood. Most of my friends told me to stop nursing. However, my son had a milk allergy, so weaning would be difficult and probably expensive. I was determined to stick it out, but I found little guidance.
If you are having the same problem, here are some hints:
How to treat the wound
If it is very shallow and not bleeding, you can treat it like cracked nipples, with lanolin and going without a bra (or shirt, if possible). If you have to wear a shirt, consider using a nipple shell. It will keep your clothes from moving the skin around. Clean it daily with an unperfumed non-antibacterial soap (like Ivory or Castile) and water. Put ice on the area immediately before nursing to numb it because latching will hurt. You should continue to nurse or pump. Emptying the breasts is important for keeping up your milk supply and for preventing mastitis.
If the wound is deeper, you may need more help. If you find that you are not getting better over the course of a week or there is any redness or oozing, you should see your doctor to make sure there is no infection. If the wound has no redness or oozing, a hydrogel dressing is a worthwhile investment. These are somewhat expensive and they have to be changed frequently. Thankfully, you only need enough to cover the wound and to have enough adhesive to stay stuck to your skin (usually an inch on both sides of the wound is enough). You do not need to use the entire dressing. Just use alcohol to sanitize some scissors and cut the dressing to size before you remove the backing to the adhesive. You will need to change the dressing at least every day, or every time you pump.
You should also try a program of nipple rest. (You should only do this if you have tried everything above. This could kill your milk supply, which is probably why none of the breastfeeding websites ever recommend it. Still, if you need to heal your wound, you need to do what you need to do to heal it.)
1) Do not allow the baby to nurse on the affected nipple until the wound is visibly healed for at least 24 hours.
2) Feed the baby only on the side that is not hurt. Pump the uninjured side after feeding. This will help your supply even if you get nothing out. Pump the injured side every other feeding. You should feed whatever milk you pump to your baby. Monitor your supply. Rest and get lots of fluids to promote milk production if you notice your supply dropping. Be prepared to supplement by offering formula after nursing if necessary. Don’t feel like a bad mother for supplementing temporarily after you have tried several measures to get the nipple to heal. If nipple rest doesn’t help after 1 week, see your doctor. You may need to stop breastfeeding, get stitches, or other specialized treatment to get better.
Once you feel the wound is healed, offer the uninjured side first, then the injured side for a few days. The reason for this is that the baby will latch less aggressively if he is less hungry. You may have to add an extra session of feeding or pumping to get your supply back up to speed.
How to teach your child not to bite while nursing
Most children will not bite unless they are not hungry anymore. When you feel like your baby is done, have your finger ready to break the latch before they start to play. Most children will learn pretty quickly when you do this. Another way to break the latch if baby is already biting is to pull her closer, into the breast. This blocks the baby’s nose so she has to open his mouth to breathe. Once the baby’s mouth is open you should pull him away from the breast. Some babies might think a negative reaction (ugly faces, screaming, or saying “ouch”) is funny, so its best to limit your reaction to removal from the breast and a firm and calm, “No biting.”
References:
Eisenberg, Arlene, Heidi Murkoff, and Sandee Hathaway. What to Expect the First Year. New York: Workman, 1994.
Bonyata, Kelly. “When Baby Bites.” KellyMom RSS. N.p., 27 July 2011. Web. 17 Dec. 2012. .
