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Is it teething, testing boundaries? My little biter has a gleam in her eye when she does it. How do you stop a baby biting?


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  • Cause they are getting teeth


  • Babies bite for multiple reasons.
    Biting often takes place at the end of a nursing session when baby is getting bored and is no longer hungry. If you start to have a biting problem, watch for signs of boredom, and take baby from the breast before the biting starts. Also, watch for tension in baby’s jaw before he starts to bite down. He may also pull his tongue back from it’s normal position over the lower gum/teeth.
    Biting can also be brought on by teething. If baby seems to be teething rather than wanting to nurse, offer her a teething toy or something cold to bite (instead of you). Offer baby a teething toy after a bite or “near miss.” When you do this, tell her, “This is for biting. Be gentle when you nurse.”
    Biting can also happen to test the limits. I have a 4,5 year old with Down syndrome. She bites on occasion. She only bites people she loves at home. To be honest I see her bites as an expression of love and call it a love-bite ! But she also does it to test the limits. I tell her no and that it hurt and encourage her to give a kiss or a hug to express love.


  • Yes, boundary testing for sure! It’s also a new ‘skill’ they’ve learnt and love to test it out. It’s a passing phase


  • I think it’s just something they can do. Babies can’t do much to entertain themselves and if they get attention from it, it must be a good thing yeh? Lol.


  • My youngest bites. For her, it is a reaction to something happening that she isn’t happy about and she can’t vocalise it. So if her older sister snatches a toy from her, her automatic reaction is to bite her as she can’t vocalise that she’s upset and wants the toy back. Each time she does it, I get down to her level and look her in the eye and say no biting, we don’t bite. It has gradually decreased since she is starting to talk more and I’m hoping once she has a full vocabulary it will stop altogether.


  • following, im getting bitten on my shoulder when I carry my 8 month old


  • I heard they mouth/bite as there are more nerve endings in the mouth than the hand so they use their mouth to explore their world. My experience they bite to test boundaries, try things out whereas if they gnaw at something ie rusk or teething toy they are teething and trying to make their gums feel better


  • I think sometimes it is teething- they need to chew or bite to help the discomfort in their gums. Other times it can be behavioural- they can be looking or attention…usually this is toddlers and bigger kids, not so much babies…


  • My son would bite me when he was breast feeding. I stopped feeding and put him on the floor. He cried and I said “No!” “No biting!” in a low voice but firm. He was 9 months old. I stopped feeding him every time he bit me and put him on the floor.. He got the message.


  • Teething little ones can feel good sinking in teeth. There’s often a great telling off and attention for biting, therefore they know they’ll get attention.
    Firm time out and explaining that biting hurts!
    If too little for time out like under one years then explaining it. Even a one and half year old can be in time out for two minutes without attention. I worked in daycare. They do learn with constant responses to this behavior. Encourage active activities if bait bored.


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