Biting while Breastfeeding: Oh the pain!

I've been breastfeeding India for over 8 months now, and throughout the course of these months, many people have asked me what I was going to do once she got teeth.

I just shrugged my shoulders because 1. most children get teeth around 4-6 months and 2. many moms breastfeed their children well into toddler-hood with full sets of little, sharp chompers.  So I never thought anything of it.  I normally responded with, "Keep feeding her??"  I have had zero problems with breastfeeding - no clogged ducts, no pain, no mastitis, no latch problems - and since I didn't have an issue with some of the most common problems, I never thought I'd have an issue with biting.

Then it started happening to me.  BITING.  With almost 4 teeth, all I can say is ouch, ouch and OUCH!

It's hard to believe this cute thing is capable of such torture! She's even drawn blood before.

Cute and cuddly, right? Wrong.

As I found out, biting is very common.  What I didn't know is that most kids stop after a few firm nos and stopping the nursing session.  Biting is caused by boredom, wanting attention, being finished nursing, or wanting to play.  Most moms report that after a few times of telling the child no, or removing them from the breast, they learned not to bite.

It seems that works for everyone right now, except my daughter.  We have spent hours in this progression: We start to nurse, she gets mad and bites, I tell her NO! and stop feeding her.  A few minutes later, we start nursing again, she bites, I say NO! and set her on the floor.  Then we start it all over again. 

Hours.

Everyone says it's so simple and their child only bit once or twice after they implemented their firm NO! and stopped the nursing session, and since 99% of the biting took place after they were done nursing, that was a simple and effective solution. 

This was defeating for me because my daughter isn't biting because of the usual reasons.  She bites at the beginning of a nursing session because my milk doesn't let down fast enough for her.  Urgh.

Some have recommended I use the pump to stimulate let down first, which is a great idea, but I don't want her to be dependent on the pump for let down. 

I guess I don't have any answers, which is hard for me, as I love to learn and read and learn the why and how behind everything.  I love to know how to fix things, and problem-solving, well, it is one of my favorite things to do.

I normally have an answer for everything except for this.  I can't find any solutions for this form of biting.  If you are reading this looking for an answer, I'm sorry!  You are NOT ALONE!  I'm just going to keep trying and persevering and I hope you will too!  I know one thing I won't do though, and that is use force back on her.  Flicking, biting in return, spanking, pinching, and other forms of the physical nature have caused many, many babies to wean.  I even heard of one mother who yelped out in pain and her sensitive daughter refused to nurse again because it scared her so badly.  Can you imagine that guilt? The last thing I want to have happen is to have my daughter connotate breastfeeding with pain and frustration.

In the end though, after a few shrieks from me and a couple of tantrums for India, I love this little girl and her desire to eat!  She (and the painful bites) are worth it!

Pookie and two of the perpetrators!

Did you have a biter?  What breastfeeding obstacles did you have to overcome?