Help, nursing strike!

[PenguindreamsofDraco]

Hi there, can anyone help...?

My son is 10.5 months actual, 7 months corrected (born at 26w). He has done phenomenally well and was EBF when he came home from hospital, and has continued breastfeeding when I'm there and drinking EBM when I'm at work.

Last week we discovered that he has broken his tibia and fibula, possibly during birth but re-fractured last week now that he's weight bearing. Then on Sun he got his first cold. So it's been a tough few days for the poor scrap. He normally feeds at least 4-5 times between 6.30pm and 6.30am (he is a snacker ). Last night and this morning he was very unsettled and refused to nurse apart from once whilst he was asleep. His nappy this morning was a lot lighter than it normally is. He got wildly upset whenever I tried to feed him, thrashing and screaming and biting if the nipple got anywhere near him (and screaming louder if anyone else went near him).

His nose doesn't look bunged up, but he has a cough and is obviously under the weather. I had to leave him this morning and she was going to try a sippy cup with him in case the sucking was too much. The GP saw him yesterday and said he was coping well with his first cold, but I am having a panic (a) that he's not eating/drinking enough; and (b) that he might not to go back to BF.

I have looked at the Kellymom/LLL sites, but they seem to be more geared at young babies.

Does anyone have any advice, or sympathy ?

[MadameJ]

Bless him and you - what a lot to go through. My DD always refuses to breast feed when she has a cold. Did the GP check his ears as it will probably hurt to suck if he has an ear infection or similar. I don't really understand nursing strikes but I am sure someone with more experieince will be along soon but I just try to relax (easier said than done) and do things like take a bath with DD (usually she will latch on at this point). In the meantime I would just offer plenty of foods with a high water content and maybe use EBM in porridge etc. I hope your LO feels better soon x x x

[PenguindreamsofDraco]

Thank you. I would love to give him a bath for relaxation and steam but he can't have water near his plaster cast!

The GP didn't check his ears, but they're not red at all and he hasn't been rubbing them. How would I tell if they're sore?

[MadameJ]

I would take him to be sure because I had no clue with my little lady (no rubbing or redness) and I felt awful when the GP said she had probably had it for a few days. Sorry forgot about the cast .
Anyway, I hope he is feeling brighter tonight and feeds well x

[AngelDog]

Agree with getting his ears checked by the GP. My DS went on strike at 13 months (it lasted 12 days ) and it turned out he had an ear infection despite no signs I could spot, and seeming happy as ever. Antibiotics sorted it out and cleared the strike. (A few days after the strike started he also came down with a V&D bug and got conjunctivitis. Oh, and he was teething too.)

I'd offer expressed milk and use it in cooking to keep up fluid levels. I'd make sure you offer EBM/water with food too.

Babies will often feed to sleep even if not when wide awake, or when just waking up or sometimes when being walked / rocked in the sling. Offering bf in an almost jokey manner - making it available but not trying to pressurise them to take it - can help.

If you search the archives here for 'nursing strike' you'll find lots of threads.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.