Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Son of Satan

You know how people say that kids with Ds are really angels in disguise, sent directly from Heaven? I disagree. Finn, I am convinced, is the son of Satan. Maybe even Satan himself. I'm making this judgment based on the kid's teeth and his propensity to bite the hell out of me.

I kid, I kid. He's not Satan, or Satan's son. I never even slept with Satan ;)

Anyway, just trying to find the humor in all this. These are trying times, I tell you. We had such a beautiful nursing relationship until recently, and now it's just . . . not beautiful at all. He has gotten over his fear of the boobs and my yelling out in pain. But it's a real struggle to get him to latch on and nurse and not clamp down with those razor-sharp little teeth. And he doesn't just nip me - he bites down and holds on, and I often have to literally pry him off of me. Sometimes I can get him to actually nurse, but I would guess that he's only actually nursing about half as much as he was up until a few days ago - which tells me also that he's only taking in about half as much fluid. I'm concerned, to say the least. And I am so tense now when I sit down with him that my toes curl in anticipation of those sharp little daggers in his mouth. It's frustrating too, because honestly, I think this is my first experience of him just not getting it. No matter how many times I yell in pain, no matter how many times I pinch his nose to get him to let go and firmly say, "No biting!" he keeps right on biting. Maybe he's just stubborn, I don't know.

I appreciate all the suggestions. Finn doesn't take a pacifier. He won't lie in bed with me anymore, he's too restless and just wants to climb around on the bed. Even in a sleepy state, he bites. Last night he woke up crying, as usual, and I went in to nurse him, and even in his half-asleep state, he bit me over and over until I was in tears.

Ack. I am going to try the nipple shields. I don't want this to be the end of nursing him.

5 comments:

Heather said...

I pumped for the first 6 months till Zoey had heart surgery.She actually STARTED nursing at about six month like a champ.Last August at about 17 months the biting just was out of control.Broke skin and subsequent infection had be bidding nursing goodbye.I was so sad but NOTHING I did kept her form doing it.She even smile when I "yelled"out.Hope you two can work your way through this.I feel your pain ... literally.

Leigh Anne said...

nipple shields really worked for us, Lisa. My advice on that front...when/if you want to get him to stop using the shield, cut the tip off a little at a time until it's gone...that was the advice given to me by my LC...that way it kind of "weans" them off the plastic and gets them used to your own nipple again.

I'm sorry for the biting. Though it's not my nipples she bites, Sydney bites me hard on the arm, leg, shoulder, foot...anything. She has 4 teeth on top and 3.75 ;) on the bottom...no matter how many times I sternly say "no biting" or "that hurts mama"...she keeps on keeping on...I'm just going to keep saying no and redirecting and hope that helps...ugh!

Oh, have you tried one of those mesh feeders? I am thinking our biting is b/c of teething (as she's getting 6 in at once)...so I have been putting frozen grapes in the feeder for her to bite, instead of me...haha

heidi marie said...

lol...sorry this was so funny because i often look behind henry's ear for three 6's! i think our little ones are just all boy!!!

Brandie said...

Some babies just don't get it! I know a mom who almost weaned her 10 month old for the same reason. She had some success with nipple shields. She felt her daughter's biting was caused by her severe reflux. Hope things are getting better.

Sasha@ Blyssfulhealth said...

My daughter never bit me and my son is ng fed and I have been pumping for the last 8 months.ugh..

However my niece used to bite my sister and she used a firm tap on the gums/teeth and that made her daughter upset but also stop and not bite again.

Hope it doesn't happen to often. Ouch