Baby Biting While Breastfeeding: Why It Happens and How to Stop It

The first bite usually comes as a shock. One moment your baby is feeding peacefully, the next you feel a sharp pinch and maybe let out a yell. Many parents wonder whether new teeth mean it’s time to stop.

It doesn’t have to. HealthyChildren.org, from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), notes that many babies with teeth never bite at all, and for those who do, there are simple ways to help. Here’s why biting happens and what actually helps.

Why a nursing baby can’t bite (most of the time)

When your baby is latched deeply and actively feeding, their tongue sits over the lower gums and teeth. La Leche League Canada explains that the top teeth rest on the breast without moving. Biting down would mean biting their own tongue.

So bites usually happen when your baby isn’t actively feeding, such as:

• At the end of a feed, once the fast flow slows and your baby is less focused
• When distracted by a noise, a sibling or something interesting nearby
• During teething, when sore gums want pressure
• With a cold or stuffy nose, when breathing and swallowing are hard and the tongue shifts
• When drifting off to sleep, as the jaw relaxes and then clamps
• With a shallow latch, where the nipple sits near the front of the mouth

Sometimes, La Leche League Canada notes, there’s no reason you can figure out.

Warning signs a bite is coming

Learning the cues lets you unlatch before the teeth come down. La Leche League International (LLLI) and La Leche League GB describe:

• Your baby pauses and stops the rhythmic suck-swallow pattern
• The jaw tenses
• The tongue slides back or out of the way
• Your baby shifts their head or starts to pull back or play

When you notice these, slip a clean finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth to break the suction and gently take them off. The HealthyChildren.org guidance is to end the feed once rhythmic sucking stops, before your baby drifts off or gets playful.

What to do in the moment

LLLI suggests a calm, quick approach:

1. Unlatch with your finger. Pulling your baby straight off while their teeth are clamped can damage your nipple.
2. Or pull your baby in close for a second. La Leche League Canada notes that briefly pressing your baby into the breast makes them open wide to breathe. It works best in babies under 6 months.
3. Say a quiet, firm “no biting.” Keep your reaction low-key. HealthyChildren.org warns that a big reaction, angry or amused, can encourage your baby to do it again.
4. Take a short break. Set your baby down gently, wait a minute or two, and offer again if they still want to feed. Over time, your baby learns that biting ends the feed.

Try not to shout. La Leche League GB cautions that a loud or sudden yell can scare some babies enough to put them off breastfeeding entirely. That’s a common trigger for a nursing strike. If you do yell, it’s understandable; just offer lots of cuddles afterward.

How to prevent biting

Start with a deep latch

LLLI recommends aiming your nipple toward the roof of your baby’s mouth, waiting for a wide-open mouth and bringing your baby in close. A good latch means the tongue covers the lower teeth. Our guide on how to breastfeed covers positioning in detail.

Keep the milk flowing

A baby who is sucking and swallowing can’t bite. LLLI suggests breast compressions when your baby slows down, or switching sides. If your baby seems frustrated by a slow flow, the let-down reflex guide explains what helps milk move.

Cut down on distractions

Feed in a quiet spot when you can, make eye contact and talk to your baby. Many babies bite less when they’re calm or sleepy.

Help with stuffy noses

When your baby has a cold, LLLI suggests holding them more upright so they can breathe more easily. A humidifier or a steamy bathroom may help. If your baby tugs at an ear, see your pediatrician.

Give teething babies something else to chew

Offer a firm teething ring between feeds and before nursing. The FDA advises using a firm teether that isn’t liquid-filled or frozen, and supervising your baby while they use it. Gentle gum massage with a clean finger also helps.

Avoid these teething products, per the FDA:

Avoid	Why
Benzocaine gels and liquids (such as Orajel or Anbesol)	Can cause methemoglobinemia, a serious and sometimes fatal blood disorder; not for children under 2
Prescription viscous lidocaine	Serious risks if too much is used or swallowed
Homeopathic teething tablets, other teething creams	Little or no benefit, with possible risks
Amber or other teething necklaces and bracelets	Risk of strangulation and choking

La Leche League GB adds that numbing products used right before a feed can make latching harder.

Watch bottles and pacifiers

If your baby has started biting since going to a caregiver, ask that the bottle flow be slow, so your baby doesn’t learn to clamp down to slow the milk. LLLI suggests not letting your baby chew on bottle nipples. Using paced bottle feeding can help.

Caring for a bitten nipple

Most bites don’t break the skin. If one does:

• Wash the area gently with soap and water, as La Leche League Canada suggests, and pat it dry
• La Leche League GB suggests a little lanolin or expressed breast milk on the sore spot
• Keep breastfeeding if you can, starting on the less sore side

For healing tips, see our guide to sore and cracked nipples.

When to get help

Talk to your doctor, an IBCLC or a La Leche League leader if:

• Biting keeps happening despite these steps
• A bite wound isn’t healing, or the area becomes red, swollen, hot or oozing
• You have a painful lump, redness in the breast or a fever
• Your baby seems unwell, has a fever or pulls at their ears
• Your baby has stopped breastfeeding after a bite

For more help with breastfeeding problems, visit our Common challenges hub.