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YouTuber Jasmine Chiswell, known to post videos dressed as Marlyn Monroe, took to TikTok to share how her 12-month-old son Midnight bit her nipple during breastfeeding: “Nipple falling off update…I’m In shock right now!!”
In her original TikTok on January 6, Jasmine recalled how she landed in the situation in the first place. “I have been breastfeeding my baby for almost a year,” she explained. “He currently has eight teeth. Here is where the story gets wild. Has he ever tried to bite me before? Yup—but not like this. I was breastfeeding him like normal late at night—I wanted to point this out—and he bit down on my nipple literally with all of his teeth and pulls.”
She went on to update in a TikTok video, as per eonline.com, “Basically, I got told it will stick itself back together so I kid you not they were not lying. Is it bruising? Yes. Is it crusty? Yes. But it stuck together!”
“I’ve been warned that this could happen, and that the nipple will fall off,” she concluded. “I know that sounds so crazy but after freaking out, I put a bandage on it and an ice pack and apparently it will stick itself back together.”
Listing some common reasons a child bites during breastfeeding, Kalai Selvi A, a certified lactation care counsellor, Tamil Nadu, said that tongue tie, improper latch, low milk supply/slow milk flow, teething process, too much hunger, and ear pain can lead to the same. She told indianxpress.com, “All of these need an in-depth analysis and proper care to have a pain-free breastfeeding session”.
“Many moms have received advice like breastfeeding is painful and it’s okay to continue breastfeeding with pain. It’s common for kids to bite when breastfeeding. But it’s the advice we should never listen to! Imagine doing work with so much pain,” said Kalai.
According to the expert, a deep latch is a key to proper breastfeeding. “It is impossible for baby to bite if the latch is deep. During the feeding sessions, they adjust or move to different positions. This causes a change in the latch. In this case, carefully remove the seal by slipping a clean little finger between her gums and taking her off the breast before the baby can clasp on your nipple,” elucidated Kalai.
Mentioning that during teething, the baby has sore gums and they frequently adjust the latch, she shared some tips that can help the baby avoid biting:
*Keep your finger clean. If the child bites, break the latch gently instead of pulling away directly.
*If the child is older, set a gentle and firm boundary by telling them ‘no biting’. Stop breastfeeding and offer them cold food to chew.
*Baby’s face massage can help during teething. Offer them cold/chewy/hard foods to chew before breastfeeding (if the baby is above six months)
*Change in breastfeeding position helps. You can try laid back breastfeeding position. This position allows more room for a deep latch.
*Shouting as a response to pain is common but avoid doing it deliberately. Sometimes it causes breastfeeding refusal or the baby may find it interesting and continue biting.
*Praise the child after a good breastfeeding session. Observe the baby closely and see the biting episode.
*Sometimes when the milk flow is slow/towards the end of feed the baby may bite. During those stages, gently break the suction and change your breastfeeding position.
If the baby has already bitten and you’re in pain:
*Apply breastmilk all over the injured region, it will heal soon, said Kalai.
*”Avoid tight clothing/bras when there’s a nipple injury,” she added.
Kalai stressed that a teething baby/biting baby is not an end to the breastfeeding episode if you know how to deal with it.
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