[M&Ms]

DS has bitten me 3 times today. Each time not letting go till I put my finger between his gums. I told him no and put him down at which he was already crying. I distracted him and all was fine.

I know he is teething, I know it is common around his age (10 months), I know he must not have been hungry enough and I know he didnt mean to hurt me, but for some reason it has made me feel sad and upset.

Feel a little crazy for feeling like this, and not really sure why it has made me react in such a way. Can anyone else identify with this?

[3_for_me]

Yes Biting was the cause of me stopping feeding my DD, when it got to the point that she was leaving puncture marks in my nipples and I was bleeding after every feed I just couldn't go on.

[lucky 2]

http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/biting/
http://www.llli.org/faq/bite.html
These links do not specifically address how you are feeling but obviously you are hurt and feeling sensitive. I didn't have that happen but I relate to those feelings during breast rejection, its horrible and perhaps it feels a bit like rejection.
As the links say it is not a message from your baby that he does want to wean or doesn't want you, he sort of wants you more in a way (to help him deal with ? teething discomfort).
From what the links say it is more ideal to say ouch and stop the bfing session as gently as possible and offer something else to bite on, especially if the baby is under 1 yr ie around the age of your baby is when it is developmentally common to bite.
I hope you feel ok very soon, I'm sure you will be able to negotiate with your baby to help move on from this new behaviour.
All the best.

[fordmum]

My DS has bitten me from time-to-time but nothing drastic. Should he continue to do so, I would be doing the same as you... taking him off the breast and sitting him a little away so he knows it is not okay.

If DS was teething, I'd probably put some bonjela or other teething gel on before a feed in an attempt to help.

The best thing, you can do is persevere with what you are doing because your DS will learn that should he bite you, you will take him off the breast each time he bites you.

[bettymm]

I know how you feel..it makes sense dont worry. I think its because its a rude shock after having normally had the lovely comforting feelings of breast feeding then to suddenly get bit! man, it hurts!

It will pass though..well, at least in my experience it did. DD1 bit me a few times for literally, one day. Then never again. They pick up on how you really dont like it and they learn not to do it. Its very common at that age.

Hope its a short lived phase for you

[fordmum]

http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/biting/
http://www.llli.org/faq/bite.html
These links do not specifically address how you are feeling but obviously you are hurt and feeling sensitive. I didn't have that happen but I relate to those feelings during breast rejection, its horrible and perhaps it feels a bit like rejection.
As the links say it is not a message from your baby that he does want to wean or doesn't want you, he sort of wants you more in a way (to help him deal with ? teething discomfort).
From what the links say it is more ideal to say ouch and stop the bfing session as gently as possible and offer something else to bite on, especially if the baby is under 1 yr ie around the age of your baby is when it is developmentally common to bite.
I hope you feel ok very soon, I'm sure you will be able to negotiate with your baby to help move on from this new behaviour.
All the best.

I'm sorry, I should've checked the links first but there is some very good information in both the articles for these links.

Some things I will remember should my DS bite me again. But otherwise it is exactly what I already do. Discourage the biting and reinforcing that Mummy is not for biting with there being cold teething rings/ducks, rusks, etc for baby to bite.

[ABabyPlease]

Hi - I also feel very upset and emotional when my son bites. Even though I know it is not his fault, I feel very annoyed that he is hurting me when I have worked so hard to BF him all this time with many problems along the way. If possible, I pass him to my partner so I can have a little cry without DS seeing. Stroking his beautiful soft hair helps me feel better too.
It gets better when the biting stops. Good luck.

[Tesseract]

Yeah it feels awful because there you are, doing this great thing for him at often considerable effort on your part, and what thanks do you get? A bite!

It feels aggressive to me, that's why it hurts emotionally.

But then I remember that infants of that age don't even understand that they are different people to their mothers. They don't understand that you have feelings. They don't understand that you can be hurt by what they're doing. All they understand is that they have sore gums and in their mouth is a lovely, comforting, yummy nipple, their favourite thing in fact, surely chomping down on it would feel good!

My DD scratched up my chin until she drew blood with her sharp little fingernails the other day, I was very unimpressed!

Keep doing what you're doing, it'll pass. xx

[rosiebird]

All they understand is that they have sore gums and in their mouth is a lovely, comforting, yummy nipple, their favourite thing in fact, surely chomping down on it would feel good!

That is such a wonderful way of putting it! I will have to remember that quote. My little baby has started gumming me hard - I can't really call it biting yet because she's got no teeth.