My nursing baby bites and doesn't suck properly. How do I do suck-training? Does it work?

Most breastfeeding issues come down to an improper latch. And signs of this include: painful breasts; painful nipples; abnormally shaped nipples after the baby has pulled off (it looks like a tube of lipstick, it has an angle to it, or there's a crease down the middle of it); sometimes it causes decreased milk supply, because the baby is not efficiently emptying the breast, and so, ultimately, this leads to a fussy baby, and growth problems (because you're not making enough milk), and a lot of frustration and anxiety for the mother. So getting your baby to latch properly is so important to making breastfeeding successful for you and your baby. Another important part of the puzzle is nutritive sucking versus non-nutritive sucking. Nutritive sucking is what a baby does when they're actually extracting milk from the breast. And their jaw movements are different when they do this, like a deep jaw movement. But if a baby is doing non-nutritive sucking, it looks like they're just sucking on a pacifier. It looks like they're nibbling, instead of those deep jaw movements. Basically, they're using the mother as a pacifier. This is usually what babies do after let-downs or after feedings when they're just dozing off to sleep. So you want to make sure that your baby is latched properly and sucking properly at the breast. Because you're having breastfeeding issues, I recommend talking with a lactation specialist. And if you're not aware of one in your area, call your pediatrician and they can give you a referral. Lactation specialists are really fun, because you can make an appointment with them, sit down one-on-one, and they can actually watch your baby nurse and make adjustments as necessary so that breastfeeding will go well for you both. While they're watching you nurse, they'll consider things like the latch, the baby's position, any tongue-tie problems that might exist, the size of the baby's mouth, the size of your nipple, and also the tenderness of your breasts. And this makes a difference, because sometimes you get really full and the baby just isn't actually able to latch onto the tissue, so sometimes if you manually express a little bit of milk or pump a little bit off, then the baby can get a better latch. So they'll talk to you about all of these things. And then in extreme cases, mothers are referred to occupational therapists who can work with their babies and do suck training. And you mentioned this in your question. You want to know what it is and if it's effective. And basically, what it comes down to is getting your baby to suck well on your finger and then latching them on at the breast. And to do this, wash your hands thoroughly, use your pointer finger and gently insert it into your baby's mouth (palm up), and just gently rub the top of their mouth. Don't go back too far, because it will cause them to gag. But what it does is stimulate them to start sucking. And then you should see their tongue go around your finger and you should start to feel the sucking motion. Look at your baby's lips, and they should be fanned out like a fish or like duck lips instead of being sucked in on the sides when they're sucking on your finger. Sometimes, babies, when their lips aren't properly placed, then they do smack, and make funny noises, and they're just not sucking well. So if you get your baby to suck well on your finger, then just transition over to the breast and hopefully it will go better for you. I hope the best for you and your baby, and if you have more questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at   / intermountainmoms  , and recommend us to your friends and family too.