Does teething affect feeding baby

What to Know and When to Stop

Written by Jeffrey Weishaupt

Does Teething Affect Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding a teething baby may feel different. The baby will become more irritable due to swollen and painful gums. Some babies want to nurse more to get comfort as nursing stimulates their gums.

Other babies become fussier when you breastfeed them. It is because their mouths become sorer as they start getting teeth. Since these babies are on breast milk, it is their only source of comfort.

If you refuse to breastfeed your child when they want to nurse, it can increase their focus on the activity. If the child wants to be fed, it's better to go ahead with it.

Moreover, suckling on your breast may provide comfort to your child. This is why many mothers give their children teething toys so they can suckle on them.

Instead, you should position yourself properly to allow the baby's mouth to take in more of the breast. When babies are latched properly, they use their tongues to suckle.

Since their tongue sticks out, it covers their lower teeth and gums. Hence, babies don't bite when they are feeding.

When Should You Stop Breastfeeding Your Teething Baby?

Breast milk provides ideal nutrition for your baby throughout infancy and toddlerhood. If your baby has started to grow teeth, then they will begin to eat solid food. As a result, they will nurse less.

However, there is no need to stop breastfeeding once your baby gets their teeth.

While it is a personal decision to stop breastfeeding, many babies start to self-wean when they gradually switch to a semi-solid diet.

If your baby breastfeeds without becoming irritable, there is no need to stop nursing. You can even breastfeed your child in conjunction with a semi-solid diet after your baby is six months old.

According to a study, 83% of women start to breastfeed their babies. But only 58% continue nursing when their baby is six months old, and only 36% breastfeed when their baby is one year old.

Many mothers consider giving their children formula milk from about the age of six months. At the same time, some mothers feed both breastmilk and formula milk to the child. This practice is called supplementing and it is perfectly fine for your baby's health.

If you wean a baby before they are a year old, you should give them formula to ensure proper nutrition.

How Can You Keep Your Baby from Biting?

When your baby is teething, make sure to have a teething ring available if you need one, and hold them properly so the baby doesn't bite.

Also, when the baby seems irritable during breastfeeding, try to latch them on properly so they do not sink their teeth in your breast.

You should also invest in some teething toys. Some of the toys are filled with liquid so you can refrigerate them. Giving your baby cold teething toys will help soothe their gums.

If you want to opt for a safer option, you can buy teething rings and keep them cool before giving them to your baby.

Make sure to keep the teething toys clean. If the baby drops the teething toys on other surfaces, be sure to wash them.

What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding Your Baby?

The World Health Organization recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding to promote healthy child development.

Breastfeeding provides vital nutrition to the baby. It also protects the baby from childhood infections and lowers the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The University of Helsinki also found that breastfeeding helps reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the baby's gut. It also helps strengthen the immune system in children.

In addition, research has shown that early skin-to-skin contact between the mother and baby positively affects the mother and baby.

Along with emotional benefits, breastfeeding also reduces the risk of certain health conditions, including some allergies, asthma, diabetes, and obesity. Breastfeeding also helps with cognitive development.

Breastfeeding and teething - La Leche League GB

You are here: Home / Common Concerns / Breastfeeding and teething

When it comes to teething, all babies are different: a very few are born with teeth already erupted through their gums, while others may reach their first birthday without any. In general, most babies will have that first little flash of white in their gums by six months old, and by two years old she may well have sixteen teeth. In the six months after that, the final four big back teeth often called “two year molars” will probably emerge.

Signs of teething

Dealing with teething pain

How teething may affect breastfeeding

Signs of teething

Many parents find that teething symptoms are worst in the period before a tooth actually emerges, while it is working its way up through the baby’s gum. Some of the signs that parents report include:

Changes in the way a baby latches on to the breast: feeding your baby may start to be uncomfortable, or she may change the position of her mouth or head, or her latch may just feel a bit different
Dribbling: your baby is suddenly drooling all the time, and you may find yourself needing to change her bib or top several times a day
Redness and rash: your baby’s cheeks may be flushed bright red, and she may have a red rash around her mouth and chin
Loose stools: your baby’s poo may seem runnier than usual, it may seem to irritate her skin more than usual if she isn’t changed immediately, and she may develop nappy rash
Biting and chewing: you might notice that your baby is chewing her fingers or fist; all young babies put objects into their mouths as a way of exploring them, but you may feel that your baby is chewing his toys with more determination than usual
Night waking: any pain or discomfort can disrupt your baby’s usual sleep pattern
Slightly raised temperature: some parents have said that their babies run a low-level fever at the point when a new tooth actually comes through the gum, warmer than usual but not hot enough to cause serious concern.

Warning! Some of the symptoms listed above can also be signs of illness. If your baby has diarrhoea or a fever, or you are worried about his health, please seek medical advice.

Dealing with teething pain

Specially designed teething toys can give your baby some relief from the discomfort in his gums. Look out for toys with plenty of surface texture, or little bumps or projections to chew on. Some teething rings are filled with water and can be kept in the fridge or freezer until they are needed. You don’t have to use specially designed toys, though: many babies enjoy chewing a flannel that has been run under a cold tap and then wrung out, especially if it has been kept in the fridge to cool down. You can also try massaging the sore spot on your baby’s gums with your finger, if he seems to enjoy it. A baby who is cutting teeth further back in the mouth might like to have a toothbrush or similarly-shaped toy to chew on; you can buy a “first toothbrush” without bristles if you are concerned about your baby chewing them off.

If your baby is eating solids, you can give him hard foods to chew on, like fingers of apple or carrot. Be aware that once your baby has actually cut a tooth, even the tip of it can be sharp enough to break a chunk off something like a raw carrot, so supervise him carefully and use your judgement about appropriate foods to offer. You could try freezing foods, such as fingers of banana, or freeze plain unsweetened yogurt into lollies (either use small lolly moulds, or place small spoonfuls onto a tray in the freezer with a lolly stick or baby’s spoon in each one).

Don’t forget that breastfeeding can be really soothing for a baby who is unhappy or in pain. Occasionally a well-meaning person might advise a breastfeeding mother that a baby should be weaned from the breast when his first tooth comes through, but this simply isn’t necessary. The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding for at least the first two years of a baby’s life; mothers around the world have happily breastfed their babies through teething, and even up to the age when the permanent teeth emerge.

How teething may affect breastfeeding

Latch: Sore or swollen gums, or the presence of new teeth at the front of your baby’s mouth, may affect the way that she latches on to breastfeed. You may find it helpful to experiment with different feeding positions to find one that is comfortable for both of you. This is also a good time to keep an eye on your baby’s latch: make sure he is opening his mouth wide to latch on, ideally with his tongue visible above his lower teeth, and that he is latching deeply onto your breast . If sore gums are interfering with feeding, try some of the tips above for addressing the pain immediately before feeding. Be careful about using anything frozen, or any purchased teething remedy that numbs your baby’s mouth, immediately before feeding, as the numbness can affect his ability to latch correctly.

Biting: Sometimes a baby who has been dealing with teething pain by biting anything he can get hold of may experiment with doing the same thing to his mother’s breast. For some ideas on how to respond to biting, see this page. It is important to bear in mind that when a baby is correctly latched on to breastfeed, her tongue covers her lower teeth, so it should be impossible for her to bite you while actively feeding without biting her own tongue. A newly-emerged tooth is very sharp, in order to help it cut through the gum, so you may get a scratch from it during feeding. If your nipple is sore because of a bite or scratch, try using a different feeding position next time so that your baby’s teeth don’t touch the sore spot, and treat between feeds with pure lanolin or a hydrogel pad if necessary.

Frequency of feeding: You may already have discovered that breastfeeding can be a brilliant way of soothing your baby if she is unhappy, or in pain: after vaccinations or during illness, for example. If your baby is suffering with teething pain, she may ask to feed more often, possibly for quite short periods each time. If you are happy to feed her as often as she wants, then it can really help both of you to get through this tricky time. But if your baby’s teething is making it uncomfortable to feed her, you may not feel like offering the breast every time she asks for it. You can use the suggestions above to address problems with latching and biting, and you can experiment with other ways of distracting her from the pain. Mothers over the years have tried many things, and common tricks include carrying your baby, taking her for a walk outside, dancing with her, singing to her, giving her a warm bath, and anything else that you have found that works for her.

Dealing with dribble: It seems to be common for a teething baby’s dribble to irritate his skin. Make sure you keep him dry and clean, by gently washing or wiping his chin. You may want to do this immediately before offering him the breast, so that his dribble doesn’t irritate your skin too.

Written by Emma Taylor for LLLGB, 2017

Filed Under: Breastfeeding information, Common Concerns Tagged With: biting, teething

The baby will have teeth or what future mothers need to know

Today there is not a single pregnant woman who would not know that the health of her unborn baby directly depends on her own well-being. But not everyone knows that the "health" of a child's teeth is also laid down during pregnancy. Therefore, if you are expecting a baby, urgently review your tastes, habits and menu. Moreover, from now on, you will have to eat healthy products not from time to time, but from day to day. What should a future mother take into account in order to keep her baby's teeth healthy? First of all, it is a balanced diet:

1. Calcium. You will have to love milk, and at the same time yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, fish and seafood. It is from them that the baby should receive calcium, and not from your bones and teeth. It is enough to eat 150-200 g of cottage cheese per day with a few tablespoons of sour cream, a few slices of cheese. Include in your diet phosphates, which are rich in fish and seafood.

2. Ultraviolet. Do not forget that dosed exposure to the sun is necessary for the absorption of calcium.

3. Vitamin C, which is required for the enhanced growth of the child's skeleton and teeth. This vitamin is rich in citrus fruits, tomato juice, cabbage, berries.

4. Don't forget about trace elements. Fluorine, which has an anti-caries effect, is especially important for teeth. For cooking, it is recommended that a future mother use fluorinated-iodized salt. Seafood, fish,

tea, parsley are rich in fluorides.

Caries during pregnancy is unacceptable! This is due to the fact that it is a constant source of infection that spreads through the blood throughout the body, including the fetus.

It is important to remember that infectious diseases of a pregnant woman, taking certain medications, radiation, trauma, heredity, smoking and alcohol also play an important role in disrupting the process of formation and development of the baby's teeth.

And now your long-awaited baby is born! How much happiness immediately breaks into your house. But it's no less of a hassle, believe me. Because the question immediately arises, how to grow it healthy and happy? What should parents do to keep their kids' teeth healthy as long as possible? After the birth of the baby, the process of mineralization of itching (saturation with calcium and phosphorus), even if they are not yet visible in the oral cavity, continues. Therefore, a balanced diet of a nursing mother during this period is no less important for the formation of strong teeth for a child.

Teething is a process most often remembered by parents for a long time. The first teeth in the crumbs appear at 6-8 months. It is during this period that it is necessary to begin caring for the oral cavity of the baby. This is due to the fact that caries develops under the influence of streptococci, which, in the course of their life, process the carbohydrates of our food with the formation of acid that destroys the tooth. Infection of the child's oral cavity with streptococci, most often occurs through "salivary contacts". Therefore, it is simply necessary to monitor the condition of the teeth of those who communicate with the baby especially closely. After all, mothers, fathers, grandparents with untreated teeth easily pass their “carious monsters” to the baby when kissing, licking a fallen pacifier, etc. The desire of parents to pamper the child with all of the available sweets often leads to excessive consumption of carbohydrates by the baby. Sweets such as sweets and cookies are also dangerous because they “stick” well to the teeth, forming so-called plaques, in which cariogenic microorganisms actively multiply. Those. the presence of carbohydrates and microbes in the plaque and there are two main factors in the development of caries. Therefore, to reduce the risk of developing caries in a baby, teeth should be cleaned immediately after their eruption. The front teeth can simply be wiped with a damp gauze swab, but after the lateral teeth have erupted, you simply cannot do without a toothbrush. After 1.5-2 years, cleansing gels can be used, which are formulated so that a small amount can be swallowed. And remember that the baby, unlike us, does not have enough manual skills to clean his teeth well, therefore, despite resistance and protests, parents should “clean” their teeth until the age of 5-6 for their child.

Regular visits to the dentist, good nutrition, proper oral care of the crumbs will help keep your child's teeth healthy and strong, and his smile beautiful!

Selvanovich VI, dentist-therapist, ME "8th City Polyclinic".

Breastfeeding support week. How does breastfeeding affect maternal and child dental health?

The annual Summer Breastfeeding Awareness Week is taking place around the world starting August 1st. The date of the “Breastfeeding Support Week” was not chosen by chance, on this day in 1990 the Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding was adopted. This Declaration was signed by 32 countries and 10 UNICEF agencies.
The worldwide campaign "Breastfeeding Support Weeks" was conceived as one of the strategic methods to promote and support natural feeding of children, to revive and renew, in our modern times, the lost tradition of breastfeeding.
It is often said that breastfeeding (especially night feeds) can lead to tooth decay. Is it so? Is breastfeeding related to tooth decay? Here is how mamaexpert. ru experts answer this question
Breast milk has a special effect on the formation of strong and healthy teeth. It is known that the teeth of a child are laid even during pregnancy: in the early stages, crowns of milk teeth are formed, and in the seventh or eighth month - the first molars. Immediately after birth, the baby, along with mother's milk, receives all the necessary minerals and trace elements that continue to actively participate in the formation of teeth. It is difficult to predict what the child's teeth will look like in the future, but it is in the power of the mother to give the developing organism everything necessary.
A person is born with retrogeny - the lower jaw is slightly shifted back. This is no coincidence. If the children's jaws were immediately in the correct position, the child would not be able to pass through the mother's birth canal. In the presence of natural feeding during the period of eruption of the first teeth, the jaws gradually assume a normal position.
Breastfeeding is a kind of training of the muscles of the lower jaw, tongue, cheeks and facial muscles. It is often necessary to breastfeed a child at least during the first year of life, not only so that the baby receives the necessary nutrients, but also for the correct formation of the entire facial skeleton.
The size and shape of the teeth are genetically determined, but the place where they will be located and the size of the jaw depend on the child's muscle activity during the growth period. That is, the jaws develop every day, and breastfeeding is a huge help. It well develops the muscles of the jaw of the child. If the jaws are not developed, there will be little room for teeth. In the future, this guarantees their crowding. As a result of crowding - poor hygiene, inflammation of the gums, a violation of aesthetics and the need for orthodontic treatment.
Breastfeeding when teeth appear
The first teeth from the moment they appear, begin to actively participate in the process of nutrition. But they are threatened by pathogenic bacteria. Careful dental hygiene is a must! Breast milk contains the protein lactoferrin and the enzymes lactoperoxidase and glucose oxidase, which have a powerful antibacterial effect and break down plaque on the teeth. The movements that the baby's tongue and lower jaw perform during breastfeeding are unique. In the absence of breastfeeding, the sucking muscles are likely to remain underdeveloped. Weak muscles of the tongue and lower jaw provoke the occurrence of the phenomenon of an unusual palate. As a result, problems with chewing food, diction and the need for orthodontic treatment in the future.
Is it possible to have dental treatment while breastfeeding?
The period of breastfeeding can be quite long, and it is necessary to maintain healthy teeth during this time. If a nursing mother has a toothache, it is necessary to contact the dentist. Many mothers fear that medications used in dental treatment can harm the baby. However, in modern dentistry, there are drugs that are excreted from the body of a woman without having time to penetrate into breast milk. Other drugs can be completely eliminated from the body in a few hours - at this time, the mother can feed the baby with pre-expressed milk.
If a young mother's teeth are severely weakened by pregnancy and breastfeeding, she may be offered a remineralization procedure. This procedure consists in applying a special enamel containing calcium to the teeth. Enamel protects teeth from damage and prevents decay.
No matter how many children a woman has, all her teeth will remain in place if you follow simple hygiene rules and visit the dentist in a timely manner. We want your smile to remain dazzling!
What can I do to keep my teeth healthy while breastfeeding?
Dental care while breastfeeding is not much different from the general rules for maintaining healthy teeth.
You should visit the dentist periodically, and not only when a toothache occurs, but also prophylactically - at least once every six months. The appearance of tartar in the oral cavity is a reason for an extraordinary visit to the dental office.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day (after breakfast and before bed). If possible, it is better to brush your teeth after every meal.
Good nutrition is one of the main factors in maintaining dental health.
Foods to help keep your teeth healthy
Dairy products are one of the main sources of calcium and lactic acid, which are essential for healthy teeth. Hard cheeses have the highest calcium content.
Hard vegetables: Carrots, cauliflower, green beans contain coarse vegetable fibers that help to naturally clean teeth.
Leafy greens: dill, parsley, celery, onion, lettuce contain a range of vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy teeth and gums.
Fish and other seafood contain fluoride necessary for teeth, but when breastfeeding, you should use these products with caution, as possible allergens.
Foods that are harmful to dental health
Sweets: lollipops, sugary drinks, sweet pastries contain carbohydrates that can erode tooth enamel.