So Your Baby Has Teeth?

So Your Baby Has Teeth?

There are many different forms of advice people will give you about when it is time to wean your baby from the breast. One of those, I will call, “myths” are related to baby getting teeth. “Oh baby has teeth, time to wean” your family member who loves to give you parenting advice may say… However, it is just another part of the adventure that you will go through when nursing your baby! We always love to reinforce that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends to breastfeed your baby for 2 years and beyond, as long as it is working for mom and baby (That is a good comeback for that nosey family member you need to keep in check). 

The truth is, its probably a tiny fear in your mind when you think about nursing your baby… what am I going to do when they get teeth? I get it, cause I felt the same way recently when my little guy popped his first two teeth (and he is my third). I am here to tell you, that it is something that when you catch the behavior early, it can be a pretty simple fix. Teeth shouldn’t get in the way because when a baby is nursing, they cup their tongue around the breast and the tongue should come over the lower gumline. 

A little background to prepare you for how to tell baby is about to start the teething process… because, it is a process. Teeth don’t just magically pop out one day: they get inflamed and then it goes up/down and it takes a while to cut through the gums. Baby’s salivary glands start developing around 3 months, and for most parents, they believe that this is teething. It isn’t. The teeth start to erupt around 4-6 months for most babies (not all babies), but some tell-tell signs that you may see along with drooling include: grumpiness, hands in their mouth all the time/chewing (hands in their mouths alone is NOT a sign of teething- it’s a sign of a normal developing baby and you WANT them to do this!), slightly elevated temperature, runny nose and cough. Your little one may also rub their ears, as well as having changes in eating and sleep. This all sounds like symptoms of being sick, but if you examine the area of the lower central incisors (center bottom two teeth) and you see swelling of the gums, you can guess that baby is teething! When babies teeth, the blood pools to their gums while nursing and it can be a little uncomfortable for them, so it can cause fussy nursing behaviors. We don’t recommend trying to force feed your baby, they will be fine. Some will not want to eat, some will always want to be attached to your breast. It is a normal process, and all you need to do is comfort baby and give them stuff to chew on (some babies like it when it’s a cold hard chew toy- cool decreases inflammation). If you feel they need more pain control, ask your pediatrician about what they recommend. 

So now to the good part… what do I do when my baby bites? Well, first off: DON’T FREAK OUT! I repeat: don’t yell, or make any loud noises. Try to stay calm. During the age when teeth erupt (or come in), babies are learning cause and reaction. They may initially freak out and cry if you yell when this happens (lets be honest- you may not be able to control that first unexpected reaction); however if you continue to make any loud noises they may feel this is a good way to provoke you and they will do it just to see you yell/squirm and get a reaction. It is best to pay VERY close attention while nursing during this time. Babies are usually predictable. Some babies will bite when it’s the beginning of the feeding, some at the end. You may see them give a cue like rubbing their eyes or going to turn away and then they chomp. The idea is to stop them before this cue and take them off immediately and give them something to chew on (nursing necklaces, chew toys- it is best to keep them close by). If they do “get” you then (using your stern serious voice) say no bite- and put the baby down and stop the nursing session for a few minutes. They may get upset, but you have to let them know biting equals no more milk. The next session, start off and give reassurance of being gentle with momma. Gentle reinforcement when they aren’t hurting you will help promote that type of behavior. If you come across a time when baby does bite and won’t let go, you want to pull them close to you. DO NOT PULL AWAY. That will cause more damage. Baby can’t breathe for that second you hold them and should let go, especially if you use your fingers in the back of the molar area to release the jaw simultaneously.   

Nursing provides another way to learn your baby and I personally love that its set out times of the day where you just get to connect with them and cuddle. By watching your baby’s behaviors and understanding their “cues” of biting or teething, it can help you feel more confident as a parent, as well as continuing your journey as long as you feel its best. Nurse on <3