"biting" problem with 16m old
 

my daughter is 16 months old now, and her latch has gone really, really
bad. no matter how i work to get her to open her mouth up wide to latch
on, she closes her teeth onto my nipple and seems to rest her top teeth
in my skin. i was toughing it out but i realized recently that my left
breast actually hurts a little all the time - not just while she's
nursing me but hours and hours later, too. like right now. she last
nursed on the left side at about 5am and it is now 6:30 in the evening.
i can't see any damage on the outside so i fear deep tissue damage.

i asked a couple of lll leaders at this month's meeting and they didn't
have any advice for me. on the other hand, back when i asked them
nursing only hurt some of the time. now it seems to be uncomfortable
(at least) almost every time i nurse. perhaps this is because the
breast damage is cumulative?

i am wondering if i should stop nursing off the left side completely
until it feels healed. only, i figure then i'll be stuck playing a back
and forth game till she weans! (right side for a month, left side for a
month, then right side for a month again.) this is the only solution i
can think of. (weaning her is not an option i want to consider.) can
anyone else think of another idea i should try?

--
-- Vicki
Married DH May 21, 1995
Ima shel DS, born 11/16/99; and DD, born 5/19/02.
"Stay-at-home" Ima since October 2002.
An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. -Spanish proverb
I may not currently be pregnant, but I look pregnant, does that count?

"biting" problem with 16m old
 

Since nobody seems t have responded to your email I'll jump in!

I had a similar problem when DD's teeth first came in and I tried
(unsuccessfully) to use a nipple shield. It might work for you? Are you
using Lansinoh? Do you have any lumps or anything like that - perhaps it's
mastitis and not connected to the latch? Another thing you might try (and I
know it sounds wierd) is latching her on so her teeth are on the other side
of your nipple. I do this sometimes by laying down head to toe with DD.
She thinks it's pretty funny and I just do it when my back is hurting or I
am generally uncomfortable side lying in the "normal" position.

The only other thing I can suggest is to contact an IBCLC as they have
specific training in bf'ing whereas LLL leaders are generally more on the
layman side. This is a tough one for most people as are most nursing
questions after the baby is past one year, because that's (sadly) not the
norm in the US and many other places.

Good luck and I hope your nipples feel better soon g

CY
Still nursing mama to the 16 toothed 19.5 month old!
"Vicki S" wrote in message
...
my daughter is 16 months old now, and her latch has gone really, really
bad. no matter how i work to get her to open her mouth up wide to latch
on, she closes her teeth onto my nipple and seems to rest her top teeth
in my skin. i was toughing it out but i realized recently that my left
breast actually hurts a little all the time - not just while she's
nursing me but hours and hours later, too. like right now. she last
nursed on the left side at about 5am and it is now 6:30 in the evening.
i can't see any damage on the outside so i fear deep tissue damage.

i asked a couple of lll leaders at this month's meeting and they didn't
have any advice for me. on the other hand, back when i asked them
nursing only hurt some of the time. now it seems to be uncomfortable
(at least) almost every time i nurse. perhaps this is because the
breast damage is cumulative?

i am wondering if i should stop nursing off the left side completely
until it feels healed. only, i figure then i'll be stuck playing a back
and forth game till she weans! (right side for a month, left side for a
month, then right side for a month again.) this is the only solution i
can think of. (weaning her is not an option i want to consider.) can
anyone else think of another idea i should try?

--
-- Vicki
Married DH May 21, 1995
Ima shel DS, born 11/16/99; and DD, born 5/19/02.
"Stay-at-home" Ima since October 2002.
An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. -Spanish proverb
I may not currently be pregnant, but I look pregnant, does that count?

"biting" problem with 16m old
 

"CY" wrote:
Since nobody seems t have responded to your email I'll jump in!

Thank you so much for responding! I was starting to wonder if news had
eaten this post and no one had seen it. I thought I should maybe try
reposting. The problem hasn't gotten better in the meantime,
unfortunately.

I had a similar problem when DD's teeth first came in and I tried
(unsuccessfully) to use a nipple shield. It might work for you? Are you
using Lansinoh? Do you have any lumps or anything like that - perhaps it's
mastitis and not connected to the latch?

I have read about nipple shields so many times here, and I thought about
using them, but truthfully I haven't the slightest idea where to find
them! I have my doubts about my little girl being willing to nurse with
them on, but if they are cheaper than an LC, it'd probably be worth a
try. As for Lansinoh, I hadn't thought of that, but it isn't my skin
that hurts, its the tissue underneath. Isn't Lansinoh really just a
high quality moisturizer? It really doesn't seem like it would help.
As for mastitis, this doesn't feel anything like the flu - which is how
I always hear mastitis described. I'm fine, except that my nipples hurt
- mostly while my daughter is nursing. And her latch definitely stinks.
I can see the teeth marks when she's done!

Another thing you might try (and I know it sounds wierd) is latching
her on so her teeth are on the other side of your nipple.

Oh no! I don't think it sounds weird at all! I've already put her in
the football hold once since thsi started, so she'd stress a different
side of the nipple. It worked ok, but I almost always nurse her to get
her to fall asleep (we co-sleep), so it isn't *at*all* convenient to do
this most of the time.

The only other thing I can suggest is to contact an IBCLC ...

Yeah, maybe I should do that. I mean, she's really harming me, but
nonetheless I really don't want to wean her. I remember that the local
hospital had a really nice nurse who helped me a lot with nursing stuff
after DD's older brother was born there. (DD was born at home). I
think the nurse was an IBCLC. I know she was in charge of their
lactation office. If shields don't work, maybe she can help.

Thanks again!

--
-- Vicki
Married DH May 21, 1995
Ima shel DS, born 11/16/99; and DD, born 5/19/02.
"Stay-at-home" Ima since October 2002.
An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. -Spanish proverb
I may not currently be pregnant, but I look pregnant, does that count?