Getting a Baby to Stop Biting

There are several techniques that I think are effective for getting a baby to stop biting.

All of these techniques are a work in progress, since of course, nothing happens overnight, and everything related to a baby often takes a diligent amount of training and continual reinforcement. If you are dealing with a baby biting issue, be encouraged. There is hope, and there are a few things you can do to get your baby to stop biting.

1. Getting a baby to stop biting while nursing.

Pull the baby towards you. Teaching a baby to stop biting while nursing is certainly my first priority because it definitely hurts the most. That’s for sure! One technique I learned is to bring the baby towards you, rather than pulling away. When you pull the baby toward you and bring him very close to the breast, it will make it slightly difficult to breathe, and the baby will open his mouth and pull away. This technique really minimizes the injury to the mother, and it’s very effective.

Use a verbal command. A simple ‘No biting’ while you pull the baby towards you is helpful to teach the baby to associate the verbal command and physical action together. I think ‘That hurts. No biting’ is also effective as a verbal command. The young baby likely doesn’t understand the exact works yet; however, after regular reinforcement, simply saying ‘No biting’ may be enough to prevent biting when you think the baby is about to bite.

Stop the nursing session. After taking the baby off the breast, stopping the nursing session is a very effective way to teach the baby that biting and nursing do not go together. Simply put the baby down and do not engage the baby immediately after biting occurs. This essentially prevents a power struggle, and it also prevents biting from turning into a game or fun activity for the baby.

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