Breastfeeding whilst pregnant - advice needed!!

[StrawberryMummy90]

I'm 15 weeks pregnant and have a 15 month old DD who up until now I have been breastfeeding.

All of a sudden she refuses breast milk or if she latches on just sucks occasionally but mainly plays with her hands etc and isn't drinking. It seems she is self weaning but does anybody know why this could be? I don't feed her a lot. In the morning, evening during bedtime routine and before her nap in the afternoon as it gets her very sleepy (she's quite hyperactive normally).

Any ideas how I can get her to start drinking regular milk from a bottle so her bedtime/nap routine isn't disturbed too much? At the moment she refuses a bottle. She used to love the few breast feeds that she did have and I'm sad she's no longer wanting it :(

[Acorncat]

Has your milk dried up? Mine is a bit older but I'm sure my milk had dried up by that stage so he just wasn't that interested anymore. I give milk out of a cup instead, but he's not that interested.

[StrawberryMummy90]

No it's definitely still there, I thought perhaps hormones have made the taste change. That's the only thing I can think of!

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

I breastfed DD whilst I was pregnant with DS and my midwife was quite surprised that DD wanted to because pregnancy can change the taste of the milk so much so it could be that. No advice really, sorry!

[BertieBotts]

At 15 weeks I think it's unlikely your milk will have changed, perhaps this is a nursing strike which is just happening to coincide with the pregnancy? Do you want to keep feeding her or would you want to take the opportunity to stop?

This may help. (It does also cover nursing strikes, not newborns.)
kellymom.com/ages/newborn/nb-challenges/back-to-breast/

[newmumwithquestions]

I kept feeding DD1 whilst pregnant - I weaned at 7/8 months as I didn't want to still be feeding 1 when 2 arrived! So it's sometimes possible so do keep offering it in case she does want it. I didn't realise your milk changed.

Have you tried a normal sippy cup? What does your DD normally drink water from?
We find warming the milk helps.

[StrawberryMummy90]

Thank you for your replies! I read up on the nursing strike although I don't think that's what this is. She'll have a tiny bit but then just pull away which is what made me think it's the taste.

She drinks water from a sippy cup. I might start warming milk and trying that with her as suggested. I don't mind weaning her off at all I wanted to stop a few months before baby 2 arrived anyway. But at the moment nursing makes my life easier, although it doesn't put her to sleep it really relaxes her and allows her to self settle. So that's what I'm worried about I guess!

[BertieBotts]

Oh I see, perhaps it does change that early then.

I think if you're sure about wanting to stop it's probably best to take the opportunity. Sometimes if you leave it later they are not so easy to persuade!

[StrawberryMummy90]

That's very true! My friend fought long and hard to wean her DD off it took months. I shouldn't be complaining really lol.