Hi everyone, my 11 month old has been biting at every feed for the last week or so (not cutting a tooth, I checked), no matter what I do. I’ve tried giving him a cold teether first which didn’t seem to help. Ive tried hand expressing before latching, but he actually bites while milk is flowing, however it’s before a letdown, so it may be an impatience for speedier milk flow. I’m struggling to get a letdown because I’m so anxious about the biting. When he bites, I painfully take him off, tell him sternly no biting, and put him on the floor. He cries and wants back on, so I wait a minute or two and give him another chance. He latches, stares at me for 15 seconds, then unlatches and cries but won’t go back on.

I’ve been pumping and trying to give him the pumped milk after these failed feeds, but he’s always been EBF and with Covid, we’ve never really had an opportunity or reason for him to be bottle fed instead of nursed, so he’s not familiar with bottles and will drink about an ounce total but mostly just plays with it and spits milk all over himself. I’ve also tried sippy cups of milk and he does the same thing.

I’m definitely sad about missing nursing him, I nursed my first until I was pregnant with him and it was awesome. But I’m terrified of him biting, it’s excruciating and sometimes he breaks the skin, which is so hard to heal.

Anyone have a similar experience or have any advice on how to make sure he’s getting the milk he needs?