4mo bottle refuser getting teeth and keeps biting - help!

[rose.]

Alfie's bottom teeth are coming through and they are so sharp! He keeps chomping while feeding, mainly on my left nipple. He does it all the way through the feed and sometimes before he latches, sometimes I can tell when he's going to and get my finger there in time but most of the time he is too quick and bites down so hard. It is also a massive job to get him to let go.

My nipple is agony all the time and I dread every feed on that side. It's like having a newborn again yet it seems to be getting worse not better. To top it all off he hates bottles and won't drink from one so I don't really know what I'm going to do.

I love the convenience and the closeness of bf but I am beginning to hate it because of the pain. I am considering calling it a day and switching to formula. I don't take this decision lightly, we had a really rough start to bf and I am very proud of the fact that I still bf. but I can't take this pain for much longer and I'm worried I will end up resenting my baby because he just doesn't care when he hurts me, whether I cry out, burst in to tears etc - in fact he often smiles when he's done it.

I have had some success in getting Alfie to take a tommee
Tippee first cup (with a hard spout) but have only tried water in it. Should I try it with milk? I also have a mam trainer cup which he isn't hugely keen on but have only ever put expressed milk in it - is there a possibility he may take formula from it?

Thanks

 

[BigAl]

Have you tried putting him down, and not making eye contact for a minute after he bites? This stopped my lo biting, it's an awful thing isn't it.

You could def try using your sippy cup with some formula if that's what you wanted, or maybe a doidy cup?


I would persevere with showing him the nursing session ends (at least temporarily) when he bites, but also make sure you are getting a deep enough latch on the side that hurts.

 

[rose.]

No I haven't - I will try that though! Thanks.

Since I wrote this I am now wondering whether he is allergic to cows milk, as yesterday he had baby porridge for breakfast and was violently sick until it was all out of his stomach. He was like it at 4 weeks after an aptamil top up and hospitalised. They said it was a tummy bug but I am now thinking its something in the porridge and the formula. So no formula for us!! Will just have to hope he stops biting