When This Baby Starts Teething, I'm Done...

A recent client of mine was not having the easiest start with breastfeeding. Her nipples were sore, cracked, bleeding, blistering...you name it. We tweaked a little bit of the positioning, fixed the baby's latch, and talked about some sore nipple remedies. She was such a trooper and really plugged through, despite being uncomfortable from her nipples being in such bad shape. A few weeks went by and the report was excellent. Everything felt so much better--she was happy again, the baby was sleeping better, the nipples were healed. In the midst of her excitement at how well everything was going, she said, "I'm so thrilled, but I've got to tell you, when this baby starts teething, I'm done!" Thus came Part Two of my job...convincing her that a teething breastfeeding baby would not cause pain!

It is a common misconception that once a baby cuts teeth, the breastfeeding relationship must end. In fact, this could be one of the sweetest times between a breastfeeding baby and mom. The baby is very interactive at this stage and loves that special time with mommy. If your baby is teething and you're having issues with discomfort, let's chat about it in the breastfeeding forum!