nursing strike - do I give up?

[MG72]

hi

During Tuesday night my nearly-8-month old suddenly refused the bfeed for the first time ever - trying to bite me instead. He has been suffering with top 2 teeth coming through, and ever since has just not been interested in feeding, or if he does, only bites (still teething I think, even now).

I am not good at expressing, even after 48 hours when I hired a good pump in desperation (!), and tonight only got 1.5fl ozs off in total - is it drying up yet?

I guess I am looking for any ideas as to a last ditch attempt to get him re-started, or whether I should just take this as a sign from him that he has had enough and go onto formula (I presume I need to do something until 12 months old?).

Thanks,
MG72

[hunkermunker]

link{http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html\Loads of good info on this page here}

Can you try having a bath with him and seeing if he'll latch? Try feeding him when he's sleepy? DS2 did this when he was a similar age - refused point blank to feed. I just kept offering, not making a big deal of it when he didn't and expressed if I got uncomfy. Good luck with it. Keep posting to let us know how you're doing.

[hunkermunker]

sorry, link here

[MG72]

Thanks for that - lots of good articles. I will let you know if the bath works!

[Jenkeywoo]

Sorry, I'm a bit behind with this but I was wondering how you're getting on. DD2 had a nursing strike about the same age- luckily only lasted 24 hours but scared the hell out of me. I went up to bed really despondant and convinced it was the end of BF but when she woke in the night I just lay down next to her and she latched on! She seemed to have some issues with me (I think because I had yelped loudly when she bit me), but when she was all half-asleep she just focused on the boob and forgot who it was attached to! For some reason I also found she was less likely to bite when lying down too. Good luck with it all and I hope you are able to work through this.

[MG72]

Not going well - tried in the bath and dripping expressed milk onto him, but still not interested - or only wants to bite. Last ditch attempt tonight at dream feeding... :-(

[Jenkeywoo]

I'm so sorry, I can't imagine how his must feel. I hope you've had some luck with the dream feed.

[hunkermunker]

MG, if he's teething, can you try giving him some teething gel before he latches?

[adath]

I am going through this just now with ds nearly a year and it is heartbreaking, it is just his point blank refusal to take it.

I think for me this is the end of bf him it has been going on for a week now and I am exhausted with espressing trying to keep my milk up and then feed him it from a cup.

I know exactly how you feel and I really hope you get past it.

[MG72]

Hi all

Thanks for your support - it really helps.

Sadly it isn't going well - tried dreamfeeding last night - no response. Continued to offer today but will only bite - other than that he just isn't interested (hadn't tried teething gel first - will give that a go tomorrow just in case). Expressing isn't my forte either so I have had to abandon that and gone and bought some formula - he may still re-start I guess, but it is looking unlikely.

On a positive note, he has slept through 2 nights in a row - the first ever - so perhaps there is a silver lining to this cloud.

Will let you know if anything changes - but it isn't looking promising.

[pooka]

DS did this. Was taken aback because dd completely different - never refused a feed until she was 14 months when she just stopped.
When he started biting at about 8 months I used to give him teething gel beforehand and when the teething pain eased, he was fine. Started to do it again and more persistently at 13 months, when not teething at the time. Just wasn't interested at all. So that was that.

[tinkerbellhadpiles]

Hi MG72, I had a short term nursing strike and swaddled DD and held her really close on her side on a pillow so she basically couldn't move and she stopped biting me.

Also I froze a wet flannel and let her bite on that first, she dribbled for England but did stop biting me when I fed her afterwards.

Good luck.

[MG72]

ooh, I like the flannel idea - will give that a go next opportunity. Thanks!

[katwith3kittens]

My DS did the same thing himself at 8 months. Just turned his nose up at me. I found it a bit hard initially, but now looking back I can see it was just the first step to him gaining his independance and growing up.

Good luck with it all.

[MG72]

Just to update you all - tried the cold flannel thing - he chewed that, then chewed me. I have started using some formula now, and thought my milk was slowing down until I managed to get several ozs out tonight (a record for me!).

I am kind of resigned to it being finished now, but will continue to offer for the next week or so just in case he changes his mind.

Thanks for all your support - will post again if I have better news!

[tinkerbellhadpiles]

MG72 - thanks for posting the update I was wondering how it'd gone. Sorry the flannel didn't work.

Perhaps in a few days he'll go back on. Hope so. But if not, you did brilliantly anyway to go as far as you did and you've given him the very best start in life so be bloody proud of yourself!