I've read women referring to their son or daughter as "chomping" on their breast and I'm wondering if my son is doing the same thing. He's 3 months and today he's been stopping at the nipple and pulling back slowly. I've let out an "OUCH" because it was really painful. He did it several more times while I was nursing him in the laying down position. Is this chomping that I've read about? I hope it doesn't become a habit!
When moms talk about chomping, they're usually talking about one of three things:
1. Biting, which is unmistakable and usually occurs at the end of a feeding with an older baby who has teeth, or
2. The feeling of nipple compression that a mom gets from a young baby who is having difficulty latching on deeply enough, or
3. The feeling of nipple compression that a mom gets when her baby tries to control a fast flow of milk by clamping his gums down on the nipple.
Pulling back slowly sounds more like what happens when a baby gets distracted, and wants to look away but also doesn't want to let go of the breast, and so he pulls his head away and takes the nipple with him when he goes. You get a nasty sliding and pulling sensation when that happens.