When nursing baby bites?

Occasionally, a baby has one or more teeth at birth but usually teeth start to erupt between six and nine months of age (Lyttle et al, 2015). So your baby will probably get their first tooth sometime during their first year (NHS, 2019).

Yet there’s no need to stop breastfeeding once your baby starts teething. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to six months and continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods up to two years or older (WHO, 2021).

When babies are comfortably and effectively attached to the breast, their tongue covers the bottom gum, which means they cannot bite while they’re actively nursing (Mohrbacher, 2020). Sometimes, women breastfeeding an older baby or a toddler do say they experience biting.

A newborn baby might clamp down or, if they have teeth, bite in response to a change in position or to slow or stop the milk flow (Lyttle et al, 2015).

Babies and toddlers who are teething might bite down in the same way as they do on mouth toys and other objects. Our articles Feeding and teething: how to help them with the pain and Teething tips: five things to try discuss teething in more detail.

Some babies bite when they are frustrated by too little milk (Mohrbacher, 2020). Offering more frequent feeds will help maintain milk supply and might mean your baby is less hungry when coming to the breast.

For other babies, the way they attach to the breast could mean their tooth or teeth press into the flesh causing the mum pain, even though they’re not actually biting down. This might get worse when the teeth first cut through — babies may change their latch a bit when they get new teeth because things feel different (Bonyata, 2018a). This problem often resolves itself when the baby learns how to hold their tongue in a way that accommodates their new teeth (Taylor, 2017).

If biting tends to happen at the beginning of a feed, positioning your baby so their weight is well supported and their head is tilted back might help (Bonyata, 2018a).

As mentioned earlier, some babies who bite at the beginning of a feed do this to stop or slow the milk flow. So ensuring that their latch is as effective as possible will help them cope better (Boynata, 2018b; Morhbacher, 2020). For more information on latching, see How to help your baby attach and breastfeed.

A lot of mums find it particularly helpful to watch their baby at the start of the feed. If the milk flow looks like it’s about to overwhelm your baby, taking them off can be a good solution to preventing biting (Boynata, 2018b; Morhbacher, 2020).

Some babies who bite do so at the end of a feed when they’ve started to lose interest. Giving feeds your full attention while you’re teaching your baby not to bite will allow you to watch for this happening and break off the feed when you see the early signs (Morhbacher, 2020). This could also be useful if your baby is biting to attract your attention (Bonyata, 2018a).

This is sometimes called a 'nursing strike' and is described in Breastfeeding: my baby’s feeding patterns have changed. It can be reassuring to know that it is almost always temporary.

Some mums  find it easier to feed at night or when their baby is sleepy. Skin to skin, having a bath with the baby, patience and calm will often do the trick. You can also access Breastfeeding support from NCT to help you get back on track.

As time goes by, your baby is likely to forget the association between breastfeeding and the scare. Expressing breastmilk can be useful to protect the milk supply if the nursing strike goes on.

Experimenting with different ways of positioning a growing baby might help. We talk about this in Breastfeeding: which positions are best for you.

If you can’t improve things by changing position, resting the damaged nipple by feeding on one side only might be an option. Your other breast will increase production to match your baby’s needs (Bonyata, 2018b).

You will probably find you need to express your milk on the unused side for your comfort. This will also help to maintain supply while you wait for that nipple to heal (Bonyata, 2018b).

You can speak to one of our NCT Breastfeeding Counsellors about any aspect of feeding your baby by calling the NCT Infant Feeding Line on 0300 330 0700. We are open from 8am to midnight every day.

Make friends with other parents-to-be and new parents in your local area for support and friendship by seeing what NCT activities are happening nearby.

This page was last reviewed in January 2022.

We support all parents, however they feed their baby. If you have questions, concerns or need support, you can speak to a breastfeeding counsellor by calling our support line on 0300 330 0700, whether you are exclusively breastfeeding or using formula milk. Breastfeeding counsellors have had extensive training, will listen without judging or criticising and will offer relevant information and suggestions.

You might find attending one of NCT's Early Days groups helpful as they give you the opportunity to explore different approaches to important parenting issues with a qualified group leader and other new parents in your area.

Make friends with other parents-to-be and new parents in your local area for support and friendship by seeing what NCT activities are happening nearby.

Why do some babies bite when breastfeeding? A newborn baby might clamp down or, if they have teeth, bite in response to a change in position or to slow or stop the milk flow (Lyttle et al, 2015). Babies and toddlers who are teething might bite down in the same way as they do on mouth toys and other objects.

Teething can begin at any time, and can cause a baby’s gums to be sore and swollen. If you notice your baby biting during this time, they are probably more interested in relieving pain than breastfeeding. Giving your baby a teething toy or breast milk popsicle can help soothe their gums with something other than your breast.

Many times, a baby will bite when nursing because he is distracted by what’s going on around him. This often happens near the end of a nursing session, when he is getting bored and isn’t as hungry anymore. When possible, try to nurse in a quiet room, rocking or lying down together to avoid too much stimulation and distraction.

Older babies tend to demand significant attention and may bite if they don’t feel they’re getting enough. Try to keep eye contact and engage with your baby while breastfeeding. In order to actively nurse, the baby’s tongue must be placed over the lower teeth and gums to draw milk out of the breast. Playful babies often draw their tongue backward at the end of a nursing session, signaling that they are finished suckling. Keeping a vigilant eye on the baby while nursing, and removing him as soon as he finishes actively nursing can prevent a potential bite.

Sometimes when milk supply dips the baby may bite and pull back, trying to get another milk ejection from the breast. Some factors that may negatively affect milk supply are: resuming menses, pregnancy while breastfeeding, hormonal birth control methods, some medications and supplements, and even stress. Remember, if your baby is gaining weight appropriately, they are getting enough milk. If you have questions about your milk supply, check with a Lactation Consultant for personalized, expert advice.

How to Stop the Biting (Whatever the Reason)

It’s recommended by many nursing mothers as well as breastfeeding experts that if baby bites, take them off the breast, end the nursing session, and say something calmly such as “No biting mommy.” Nursing can resume in a few minutes if the baby seems interested, and you can praise your little one for a good latch-on and gentle release. By ending the feeding each time biting occurs, your baby will soon get the message that biting interferes with their desire to nurse. If your baby has clamped down and doesn’t release right away, don’t pull back (as you might want to); this could cause nipple injury. Place your finger between baby’s teeth or gums to break the suction and make it easier to remove the baby from your breast. You can also pull the baby a little closer to your breast so he opens his mouth to breathe and releases the breast.

Many people think that when baby gets teeth and has the ability to bite, then the nursing relationship has ended and it’s time to wean. Not true! If your baby is nursing properly, then you should not feel teeth, even if baby has a mouthful of them. And keep in mind that it’s physically impossible for baby to nurse and bite at the same time, because the tongue covers the bottom teeth/gum when baby is nursing.

Some babies never bite, but biting is a behavior that most babies do try, usually when they are teething. Rest assured that biting can be stopped with a little persistence on the mother’s part. Biting is, for the vast majority of moms, a temporary issue that only lasts a few days to a couple of weeks.

All babies are different, so you may need to try several different things before you find something that works for you. What works for you will depend on your baby’s age, temperament and personality.

Many mothers have gotten through this stage and gone on to give their babies the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding for weeks, months, and even years afterward.

Stopping the nursing session is generally the most effective way to teach baby that nursing and biting do not go together. Once baby lets go, remove her from the breast for a bit – it may be a few seconds or a few minutes (this is something where you’ll need to gauge your own baby’s reaction). If baby is teething (which is often the cause of biting), this is a good time to hand baby something cold to chew on, a teething toy, etc. You might tell baby something along the lines of, “if you want to bite, we’re not nursing.” If baby really wants to keep nursing, she may get upset when you end the nursing session, at which point you can wait a few moments then give baby another chance to nurse. If baby is not interested in nursing, she might fuss a few seconds but then go on to something else.

If baby bites, it’s not a good idea to scream or yell on purpose as a method to stop biting — there are better ways to teach baby not to bite. Sometimes, of course, it’s impossible not to yell in pain if baby catches you by surprise and/or bites hard. Sometimes yelling does stop baby from biting again; however, some babies think it’s so funny that they continue to bite for the reaction, and other babies are so scared that they go on a nursing strike. The chance that this method will stop baby biting is simply not worth the problems it can cause.

If your baby bites down and doesn’t let go (most let go immediately without mom doing anything), there are a couple of things you can do: First, quickly place your finger between baby’s gums so you can pull away without (more) injury. If that doesn’t work, pull baby TOWARD you, very close to your breast. This will make it a little hard to breathe, so baby will automatically let go to open her mouth more and uncover her nose to breathe. A variation of this that some moms use is to gently pinch baby’s nose closed for just a second to get her to open her mouth and release the nipple.

“A baby cannot suck for milk and bite simultaneously. When I start to nurse my son, I watch him intently. As soon as he stops sucking, I take him off the breast and talk to him gently for a minute before I let him resume.”

“My baby had two reasons for biting: either he was not hungry or not interested in nursing – he was distracted or bored. I switch sides during a feeding or move to a different chair or position.”

“What worked best for me was to be very vigilant during nursing sessions – no more reading magazines or watching TV. By watching carefully, I could tell when my son was beginning to lose interest, and I could remove him from the breast.”

“My baby begin biting when I became pregnant with my second child (even before I realized I was pregnant). I’m not sure why – perhaps my milk supply had already decreased due to the pregnancy.”

“The time when I yelled out in pain, it scared my daughter pretty badly (though not into a nursing strike). The few times that she bit after that, I just gritted my teeth and calmly said “no bite – that hurts Mama!” When my son tried biting, I found it was just as effective to say nothing (or perhaps make a calm comment like “oh? don’t want to nurse right now?”), then calmly remove him from the breast for a bit.”

“Be sure you don’t use any teething gels or lotions just prior to breastfeeding, since it can numb the baby’s tongue, and even your nipple & areola, making it difficult for baby to breastfeed.”

“If you think your baby may have pain from the teething ask your doctor about using a baby pain reliever (like Tylenol) 1/2 hour before nursing.”

Teeth scraping, uncomfortable latch, or indentations on your nipple tissue from the teeth is not all that uncommon. It seems to be worse for most moms right when the teeth first cut through, and before they have a chance to wear down some and become less sharp. Babies may also change their latch a bit when they get new teeth, as nursing can feel different to them with the new teeth. With time, baby will learn to nurse better with the new teeth and you won’t be so aware of them. Here are some suggestions that have helped other moms:

See also: