You are a pro at breastfeeding, you got everything figured out, and you might be at the point where you feel this is a normal daily task for you, like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. But it’s time for another adventure in your breastfeeding journey. Your baby has begun teething.
Maybe it is just a little bite here and there, or maybe it is something that hasn’t been super noticeable, or maybe it has caused a little more irritation to your breast. This can make feeding your baby much more challenging if you feel pain or discomfort.
When your baby is teething, they might want to nurse more and more! This is because breastfeeding will soothe some of the pain that they are feeling, which is great but can be harder for mom! Here are a few tips about what you can do to make breastfeeding and teething easier for you!
If you feel your baby’s teeth while nursing, there are two things that you can do to help! The first is to change the position your baby is laying or sitting in. Learn more about this through Texas Health. The second thing you could do is break the seal and help your baby to latch back on. This way they release the hold or bite that they have on you. This is done by sticking your finger in the corner of their mouth.
Another thing to look out for now that your baby is teething while breastfeeding is to help your baby not bite their own tongue. Now that their bite is a lot stronger, they can hurt themselves if they bite down too hard. And their tongue is moving around a lot more now that there is a lot more to explore in their mouths! If you feel or see their tongues moving around, you can stick your finger in the corner of their mouth to help move it out of the way!
There are many things that you could do before nursing to ease your baby’s pain, including massaging your baby’s gums. Or giving them a cold teething toy to soothe their gums. This could help with biting during breastfeeding because it gives your baby a chance to soothe their pain before breastfeeding.
If you are experiencing pain or discomfort, there are a few things that you can do to ease your pain! Here are some tips below:
Tips:
- Nipple Cream
- This is great for reducing tenderness or dryness in your nipples and will help you to prevent any cracking or bleeding.
- Nipple shields
- Nipple shields are thin barriers often made of silicone.
- They help to ease the breastfeeding process
- Nursing pads and nursing soothies
- Nursing pads are similar to nipple cream
- Nursing pads (also sometimes called soothies) can be used to provide cooling relief for sore or raw nipples.
- And any cold compress can help to provide some relief to soreness!
Good Luck with your nursing journey!
