# PLEASE HELP! Teeth scraping nipple = PAIN



## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem, because I'm sure it didn't happen with my first child. My ds's top teeth just came in, and for some reason they are scraping my nipples when he nurses and making them incredibly sore. They're raw and red and it hurts so bad I can hardly bear to feed him. He's not biting, they're just scraping!

Should I file his teeth down? "Float" them, as we say with horses? Any other suggestions? I'm seriously considering weaning...TIA


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## Trishy (Oct 15, 2002)

I had the same problem with ds2 when his top teeth came in. The suggestions here were very helpful:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-bab....html#scraping


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## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

Thanks for the link. I've actually tried LOTS of repositioning, without much success. I'll lather on the Lansinoh, that might help.

Can I ask, how long did it take for it to stop hurting?


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## Trishy (Oct 15, 2002)

I think about a week or two, sorry. I know that can be an eternity when you are in pain. The biggest thing that helped me was to position him lower when side lying so that he tilted his head back some. I hope it stops hurting soon.


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## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

I'm bumping this because I'm afraid this is getting worse. I now have huge holes on each nipple, and they aren't getting any better. They just start to heal and then he has to nurse again, and it is incredibly painful.

I also just read this on the LLL website:

"But as long as a baby is breastfeeding correctly, breastfeeding won't hurt, even after two, or four, or a whole mouthful of teeth have poked through baby's gums. Like many other challenges in parenting, the anticipation of teething is often worse than the actual experience."

Yeah, right.







: Anyone have any other suggestions? Is there any way I could give him a bottle for a couple of days until my nipples healed? That would no doubt be incredibly painful, too!


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## firstwomantomars (Mar 2, 2005)

Hello!

Are you sure it's the biting that is hurting? I'm asking because I had what felt like teeth biting into me with my son and now have it with my daughter but much worse and it's actually thrush! It hurt so bad I always thought my baby was biting me!

To make things worse, she did start to bite with her top teeth during that time and I did have small marks. But that doesn't explain other symptoms like redness, burning sensation, flaking or peeling of the skin around the nipple, which I also have. If you have any of these, don't wait to call La Leche League or another breastfeeding resource.

If it's just biting, then stopping baby from nursing EVERY time you're bit/scraped for a few hours/days works great (then resume nursing right away if you can). Use your finger to gently interrupt the latch. Babies get the idea quickly!

Don't hesitate to talk and explain what's going on to your baby.

With my 13 month old baby I distracted her a lot during the day to space out nursing sessions so I could heal. But now that I'm better, we'll probably be nursing more for a while.

Let us know how things go and I'll be looking out for more suggestions from you or others!

Good luck!!!


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## firstwomantomars (Mar 2, 2005)

Oh and I forgot to say, I have holes too! Mine are not from the biting but from the thrush. They are very painful and hard to heal.

Not to say that your holes aren't due to biting - just an idea...


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## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

Thanks for the thought, firstwomantomars!

I'm 99.9% sure it isn't thrush, though I haven't had it since my dd was 4 weeks old or so. It only hurts where the sore/holes are. It's not the whole nipple burning I remember from thrush.

The thing about pulling him off is he's not biting. His latch has just changed, and I can't position him so that his teeth won't scrape! It's very strange, and very painful!

Have you ever tried nipple shields?


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## firstwomantomars (Mar 2, 2005)

Hello again!

Just suggesting the thrush theory - I'm glad that's not it for you!

I'm sorry you did have to deal with thrush before though









My midwife described having something just like what you explained. Her (then 14 month-old) baby would scrape the nipple so hard she had holes and she said it ripped off her Montgomery whatchamakalits (don't know what to call the little bumps on the nipple in English







).

I can't remember what she finally did to solve the problem but I'll try and remember to ask her.

So it's happened to others - there must be tried and true solution!

Is it any better or worse if you nurse lying down with baby sidewise?

I know you said you tried different positions but one thing I noticed helped relieve the teeth pressing into my nipples was, after having Leigh open wide, to press her face and mouth very tightly and quickly up against my breast and to keep pressing (gently!) while she nurses. It seems like in this position she can't nurse AND press her teeth.


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## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *firstwomantomars*
I'm sorry you did have to deal with thrush before though









I'm sorry YOU have to deal with it, too. It's no fun.

So last night, for some reason, it finally started hurting less! The holes are still there but they're a little less sore and he didn't chafe them so much. Maybe he's more used to his teeth now, I don't know, but I'm sure glad!!! I skipped our morning session and just rocked him to sleep to give them a little xtra heal time, and now they're hardly sore at all.

That's how it goes with kids, doesn't it? Just when you think you'll never find a solution, most of these problems resolve themselves.


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