Teething Baby Thena

Baby Thena is teething, definitely.

She's been teething to Manda's nipples lately. And it hurts so bad.
When she was a newborn, I could trick her with nipple shield, but now that she know the difference between the real nipple and the fake ones, hehehe -- sorry darling...
Thena start having her first tooth like 2 weeks before she reach 6 months. She had another tooth within the next month. And now, she's going to be eight month yet, completing the upper two incisors or front teeth exist already. And it's dreadful to be bitten to bleeding.. afraid if I had none nipple, It'll even worst...
I know Thena never meant to hurt Mamanda, and perhaps she's just having itch on her teeth. Or perhaps, she was so upset of her horrible teething experience. perhaps it was as hurt as what Manda felt. And Thena just couldn't tell but to show it. Being bitten doesn't stop me from breastfeeding though... I'm still doing it every night, cause I know that thing give comfort to Thena in every situation. It gives her the ultimate love.

Eyang said that whenever Thena bite, pinch her nose so that she lose the bite (she needs to breathe hence she open her mouth). But the thing was, we did a lot of nose-pinching as games, and she love it so bad! she even gave her nose to be pinched voluntarily.
So when this biting thing happens, Manda pinch her nose, and she laugh.
She thought it was a joke.
Manda told her that Thena hurt Mamanda.... and Thena just smiled... asking for more breastmilk.

It happens again and again. and even it makes her laugh. Yes, not only showing off some incisors, but also have sound. A laughing & giggling sound.

And Panda said, try on the nipple shield. At first Manda refuse, cause it would not give Thena the real feeling of breastfeeding -- afraid that she mixed the nipple shield with bottle milk.
But due to such pain, I tried it on.
At first Thena's feeling a bit awkward. She examined it as if t were something bugging her head. Then she tried to suck it, but it was horrible. It doesn't taste like Manda's skin. And since I have such a short nipple, she need more effort to suck the breastmilk out.
(It reminds me of her newborn time, I couldn't possibly figure how she can manage breastfeeding at that time, as it takes more effort. She's amazing.)
And that's it.
Thena seemed frightened.
Seemed that the nipple shield was something awful that holding Manda's breastmilk away from her. And she start to cry. cry and cry eversince..
And I decided to put that thing away.
Manda felt that Thena was afraid if she never be able to feel being breastfed by Manda, she was so afraid that everytime her lips open and loose Manda's breastmilk, she cried.
She was frightened. And since that moment till now, Thena always longing to Mamanda's holding her and breastfeeding her, and she never want to let go.

And I've been whispering to her ears, that I would never let her go. Manda will always stay for Athena. Manda will give Athena the breastmilk as long as she like.

On the other hand...
I have a big question mark in my head: "Is there any way that I could stop my baby from biting during breastfeeding?"

And here's what I found in google..

Step One

Treat the teething pain. Whether you use homeopathic teething tablets, natural teething gels, or pharmaceutical teething pain relievers, find something that will help ease your baby's discomfort. For severe teething pain, children's acetaminophen may help.

Step Two

Take away things that shouldn't be ingested. Some toys have paint that may come off in your baby's mouth if she chews hard on them; other objects may break into pieces and become choking hazards. Put these objects away until your baby's teething episode has subsided.

Step Three

Be consistent and firm without frightening your baby. If she bites you or someone else, say "Don't bite!" or "No biting!" firmly, and put her down gently for a minute if you are holding her. She should realize fairly quickly that biting is not OK.

Step Four

Provide alternatives. Teething rings, teething toys or bagels you can freeze or refrigerate, and dampened, frozen washcloths are all appropriate objects for your baby to bite or chew on.

Step Five

Keep these alternatives close at hand so that you can do a quick switch. When you put your baby down, hand her a teething toy immediately ' this will send the message that some things are OK to chew on, while others most definitely aren't.


And it comes with warnings....

Tips & Warnings

• Cool drinks can help ease teething pain ' a little bit of ice water in a sippy cup may be a good quick fix.
• If you are nursing, your baby may want to breast-feed more often for comfort while she is teething. Try to ease her discomfort before you nurse; this will lessen the possibility that you will get bitten.
• Try to restrain the natural impulse to yelp or shout when your baby bites you. She is not doing it because she wants to hurt you, but because it seems to lessen her own discomfort. She will catch on fast once you let her know what to do.
• Avoid giving your baby ice cubes to suck or chew on ' they can pose a choking hazard.
• Try to be consistent about the biting issue, even before your baby begins teething ' it can seem cute when small babies gnaw on your fingers, but it will hurt when the teeth start to come in.