How to Keep Breastfeeding When Your Baby Is Teething
If you’ve made it to the teething stage, first of all, congrats. You’ve already navigated the early chaos of newborn feeding, and now your baby is growing up right before your eyes. But with that growth comes new curveballs, and teething is one that catches a lot of nursing moms off guard. You might be wondering if you even can keep breastfeeding, or whether all those new teeth mean your nursing days are numbered. Spoiler: they don’t. This post walks you through what’s actually happening in your baby’s mouth during teething, how it affects feeding, and what you can do to keep things going smoothly.
Teething tends to start somewhere between 4 and 7 months, though the range of normal is wide. As someone who works with families on feeding every day, I can tell you that the teething questions I get are almost always the same: “She’s been so fussy at the breast,” or “His latch feels different, is something wrong?” Usually, yes, something is happening, but it’s manageable once you know what to look for.
Breastfeeding Through Teething: What’s Actually Going On and What to Do About It
What Teething Does to Your Baby’s Mouth (and Your Nursing Sessions)
When teeth start pushing through the gums, the tissue gets inflamed and sore. That soreness changes how your baby approaches feeding. They may pull off more, clamp down, or seem distracted and fussy at the breast. Their latch might look shallower than usual, which can lead to nipple soreness on your end.
It’s also worth knowing that increased drooling is one of the earliest teething signs, and it can start weeks before a tooth actually breaks through. So if your baby has suddenly soaked through three bibs before noon, that’s your first clue. Other signs include swollen gum tissue, irritability, more frequent nighttime waking, and the constant need to chew on anything within reach.
The feeding changes during this time are usually temporary. Once that tooth is through and the gum pressure eases up, most babies settle back into their normal nursing rhythm.
How to Soothe Sore Gums Before Feedings
The most effective thing you can do is address the gum discomfort before you even sit down to nurse. When your baby is already in pain, asking them to latch and feed is a harder sell.
A few things that work well:
- Gently massaging the gums with a clean finger for 30 to 60 seconds before nursing can make a meaningful difference. The counter-pressure feels good to them, similar to what they’re trying to get by chewing.
- Cold is also really helpful. A chilled (not frozen) teething ring given before a feeding can reduce inflammation and numb the gums just enough to make latching more comfortable. Avoid freezing teething toys solid since extreme cold can actually hurt the tissue rather than soothe it.
If discomfort is significant and your pediatrician has signed off on it, infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen (for babies over six months) timed before a feeding session can also help.
Latch Adjustments That Actually Help
Here’s something that surprises a lot of parents: your baby physically cannot bite you while they are actively nursing. When they’re swallowing milk, their tongue is forward and covering the lower gum line. Biting tends to happen at the very beginning of a feed before they settle in, or at the end when they’re done and starting to pull off.
If your baby bites at the start, try offering your finger first so they can use you to relieve the gum pressure, then switch to the breast once that urge passes. If biting happens at the end, watch for the swallowing to slow and break the latch before they get a chance to clamp down.
Some positioning shifts can also help. The football hold and laid-back nursing both work well during teething because they change the angle of how the jaw meets the breast, which can reduce pressure on sore spots in the mouth. A different position is not a fix for every situation, but it’s worth experimenting when one position is consistently uncomfortable.
When to Check In With a Lactation Consultant
Most teething-related feeding issues resolve on their own within a week or two. But there are situations where it makes sense to get eyes on what’s happening rather than waiting it out.
If latch pain persists beyond the acute teething phase, if your nipples are cracking or bleeding, if your baby is consistently refusing the breast, or if feeds feel like a battle every single time, those are signs something else might be going on alongside the teething. Sometimes a structural issue in the mouth that was previously compensated for becomes more obvious when a baby is uncomfortable and feeding differently. As both an IBCLC and SLP, I look at the whole picture when something isn’t working, because the latch is only one piece of the puzzle.
FAQ
Will my baby bite me more once teeth come in?
It’s a really common fear, and most moms expect breastfeeding to become painful once teeth appear. The reality is that many babies go on to nurse for months or even years after teeth come in without significant biting. Like I mentioned above, active swallowing prevents biting. The biting that does happen is usually habit-based or happens when the baby is done feeding, and it can almost always be redirected with consistency.
Is it normal for my baby to nurse more during teething?
Yes, for a lot of babies. The breast is comforting, and the sucking motion can provide some relief from gum pressure. You might see more frequent nursing requests during heavy teething periods, and that’s typically fine as long as both of you are tolerating it okay.
What if my baby suddenly refuses the breast during teething?
A brief nursing strike during teething is possible. The gum pain can make latching feel unpleasant, and some babies respond by pulling away or crying at the breast. Keep offering, try different positions, and use gum massage before feedings. Most nursing strikes resolve within a few days. If yours goes longer than 3 to 5 days or your baby seems unwell, reach out to a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.
