# AAAAH!! Gumming my nipples! the pain!



## gabysmom617 (Nov 26, 2005)

My six month old has been gumming my nipples down hard all day! Ouch!

He will clamp his gums down on my nipple, and I have to pry him off! Both of my nipples are so soar, I would be mumbling at him in pain. (I try not to yell, for yelling might cause a strike..) He looks at me warily, and stares, and slowly puts his mouth back on my nipple, staring at me out the corner of his eye.

By this time, I"m all tense, cause I think, he is about to gum me again, and I have a finger near his face on standby, ready to pry him off the minute he clamps down.

I know he's just teething, he is probably working on his 2 bottom teeth.

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS ONCE HE GETS TEETH, YOU GUYS! Clamping down like this with a set of chicklets







is sure to send me to the insane asylum! I hope I don't end up inadvertently weaning from this!


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## Apryl Srissa (Oct 1, 2005)

Don't worry, that won't last too long. Mine is right behind yours , by a couple weeks. He does it, chomps, then quick lets go and grins. Like he's saying 'see I'm cute, you can't be mad at me'. I remember my toddler did it a couple times, I usually try to replace breast with something chewable when he does it. I did the same when there were teeth. I figured if he wanted to bite, that we'd find biting things and try nursing when he was in the mood, so he quickly figured out that if he wanted milk, to nurse, otherwise he'd be offered a teething ring or something.

hang in there


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## Hey Mama! (Dec 27, 2003)

My 5 month old is doing this as well, and my poor nips are in pain! I usually take her off and offer my finger for her to chew on. I've also been using teething tablets and tylenol when she is just inconsolable and frustrated.


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## jrose_lee (Oct 2, 2005)

I don't have much experience (expecting any day now...) but I read that if your baby is clamping down that if you pull them tightly to you they will be uncomfortable with how their nose gets squished in and realize that biting/gumming equals difficulty breathing. They pull themselves back and then you can latch them back on if you need to. I think it's a technique so that you can avoid that "yelping and scaring them" thing. Supposedly, they won't really do it again once they realize this? Again....haven't tried it, but I hope everything goes ok for you.


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## gabysmom617 (Nov 26, 2005)

he's still at it, u guys. he hasn't nursed since around 7 this morning. he usually nurses every 2 hours. i'm engorged now. i tried to get him to nurse, and he wouldn't. so i rubbed orajel on his gums, and tried again. he won't even open his mouth wide enough to latch on. he does this little half open and then suck just long enough for the milk to let down, and then pulls away, leaving me engorged with let down milk filling my breasts. I don't have a decent pump to get the milk out and keep my milk going. Don't have enough $$, and I don't work or go to school, so I can't get one from WIC.









he used to do this for a while when he was around 4 months, and I got him to eat by getting him to sleep, but he doesn't sleep as much as he used to back then.

i tried the squish face thing, but that doesn't work, he still stays clamped on. I have to reach into his mouth and pry him off.

THIS SUCKS!


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## naturegirl7 (Jan 27, 2005)

HUGS

My son is about a week older than yours and he has been doing that too!

Right now he already has two teeth and is working on two more - and now instead of grinding, he is BITING. :****(

When the first two were about to break the surface (back around thanksgiving)- man oh man did my little guy get miserable! He started with the grinding, usually in his sleep though. Like you I just unlatched and let it go.
For the week before the teeth popped - he went on a strike - refused to nurse unless he was asleep. at first he took a bottle from daddy cuz he liked to gnaw on the bottle nipple but then he refused even the bottles. I am convinced it was teh pressure on his gums that caused him so much pain and upset him so much - cuase he stopped chewing on us, his teethers, etc at that point. rubbing teething oil on his gums used to provide comfort and relief - but then he started wailing as soon as my finger touched his lips.

After three days of refusing to nurse or take a bottle - we were all about to lose our minds.
DS wouldn't sleep cuz he was hungry, but he wouldn't eat cuz his teeth hurt so bad - we were using teething tablets, the clove teething oil (which is awesome) and tylenol at that point. Since he was in pain, hungry, and tired - he was a monster. None of us got any sleep for those three days. DS was in soooo much pain and just inconsolable.
Then I just said enough is enough! This boy needs to eat some thing some how - three days on nursing two or three times a day for five minutes at a time just isn't enough - so I did exactly what I swore I would not do - started solids before he was 6 months old. I felt like a failure as i feed him that first teaspoon of cereal. But he attacked it with a vengence - reaching for the spoon, eating all of it, HUGE grin, "chewing" it - like he had been eating for months. The tiny bit of cereal was enough to get us thru that week - it was enough that he wasn't hungry and could sleep - once he was sleeping then we could nurse - and while at first I felt like a failure as a mommy, I am thankful that we started cereal at that point - DS was obviously ready for it, and it made him MUCH more comfortable.

Once the teeth popped thru - wow whata difference. He was able to nurse normally again and for the last month and a half - no problems at all - now two moe are coming in and he is biting when nursing - and thinking it is sucha fun "game" he likes to grin, bite, and then pull off laughing and giggling at us. If we say ouch that hurts or no, biting hurts mommy - he giggles even harder. I have my own post going on that - cuz I am at a loss of what to do!

Just know it does get better! Atleast until the biting starts! LOL GL!


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## naturegirl7 (Jan 27, 2005)

just wanted to add - call yor wic -
they may let yo uhave a pump for a while if you explain the situation to them. mine has a lactation counselor too - check to see if yours does - she may be able to help[ you out too!


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## gabysmom617 (Nov 26, 2005)

It got a little better, for I was able to pump when my milk had let down with crappy manual pump that WIC, and I was able to get a lot more milk out that usual because I was still letting down, babe had just pulled off.

He got sleepy about 30 mins later, and came for a good hearty nurse, and is now sleeping.

Maybe things will be ok.

Thanks for the support!


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