nearly 14 month old MasterJC, 3 day nursing strike and BITING - OUCH - what to do?

[MrsJohnCusack]

that's it really
I'm ill (coldy fluey thing, been going on 3 weeks, am out every night playing in a show, knackered, run down and yuk)

DS also full of cold, normally fed 3 times a day, never had any problems before

every time I try now, he immediately bites me and giggles. Wouldn't feed even when he woke at 1am the other night. Doesn;t have any formula or anything, or any cows milk to drink (just in his cereal in the morning), no water at the mo (am in NZ too, it's pretty cold now)

so what? how long can a strike last? how long should I continue trying? No pain or even fullness at all which does rather imply there isn[t that much there. His nasty runny nose seems much better today, and he is eating like a HORSE

am considering just giving up - wasn't intending too but the biting is HIDEOUS and I suppose it's better if he decides. if so, what do I give him in the way of liquids then

[chonky]

Sorry to hear you're feeling rough MrsJC. Can't advise on MasterJC, but I'm sure someone more learned than me will be along soon

[harpsichordcarrier]

oh no poor you
give him a cup for the time being
here's some advice from kellymom re a nursing strike (keeping up supply etc)

here

[MrsJohnCusack]

I am wondering about self weaning
DD did this at 10 months. I kept trying to feed her for 2 weeks and just gave up in the end, she's such a awkward bugger determined character

i'd be quite happy to keep trying if it wasn't for the fecking biting - he has a LOT of teeth and he is really clamping down and not letting go

thanks everyone, shall consult the oracle that is Kellymom

[MrsJohnCusack]

STILL no feeding
now can't even get him anywhere near, he just refuses to even countenance it
4 days now
hormone overload and still feeling crappy and ill anyway. He seems quite a lot better. No idea if there are any more teeth on the way (he already has 12 including 4 molars)

waaaaaaaah

[harpsichordcarrier]

oh sweetie
have youy tried expressing?
do you think your supply is still ok?

[silverfrog]

Just wanted to say I sympathise. Dd2 is doing the same to me (she only has 2 teeth, but that doesn't stop her!)

Today is the third day she's been messing around.

It's the giggling bit that gets to me, have no idea why she is suddenly finding it hilarious to bite me.

[MrsJohnCusack]

i don't know
I suppose I will dig out the pump and express. I can't, honestly, really face it though. don't know about supply to be honest, there's still something there, I reckon if he'd just blimming well FEED then it would be back up no problems. As I have never had supply problems TBH, always seems to be just right with no real effort (lucky old me). thank you for sympathy harpsi

silverfrog, I think I'd take the biting now . At least then he wouldn't look at me in horror when I offer...

WHY do my babies suddenly turn their nose up at me like this . although I suppose it's easier than me trying to stop it at some point...(although was planning to carry on indefinitely)

[MrsJohnCusack]

oh meant to say sympathy, silverfrog, crap isn't it. how old is she?

[silverfrog]

she's just turned 14 months....

am panicking as she doesn't drink any other milk either (she is dairy intolerant, has rice milk in her porridge, but unsure that I want her drinkiing loads of it), so worried about general health etc.

I'm the same as you - had been planning on feeding indefinitely too (esp given dietary issues)but looks like she might have other ideas - the main one being she would prefer to have whatever her siste ris having, rather than feed.

Great, I get passed over for raisins. She actually fights to get away post biting. It occurs to me that maybe she has learnt that biting gets her put down, from where she can make a lightening raid on dd1's snacks.

Rejection has suddenly acquired a whole new scale in my life

[MrsJohnCusack]

hmm day 5 now
but I felt in his mouth last night and there is a sharp little eye tooth just poking through which could explain a lot

this morning though, he thought about it and then turned his nose up

he is sleeping for NZ as well - 13-14 hours a night, 2.5 hours in the day. He's up to SOMETHING

[silverfrog]

day 4 here, and it continues.. BUT dd2 has come down with chicken pox, so that's probably the cause here.

Wish she would fed, though, as she really needs it now she's unwell...

am off to try a dream feed in a minute

it does sound as though your ds is up to something, with all that sleeping - is he walking yet, or could he be about to embark?

[swampster]

Bit of a favourite for me - envelop him in your bosom. I've posted this before...

This worked for me:

By thejelly on Sat 21-Jul-07 22:27:37
Hah! (and OUCH!) I know what you're going through! The solution (for me) was pretty counter-intuitive. When he bites, instead of pulling away (obvious natural reaction, VERY painful!), draw him in to you so he can't breath through his nose and has to let go to breath through his mouth. My two soon learnt that biting wasn't a great idea.

[MrsJohnCusack]

yes - that's how I got him not to bite BUT now he won't go anywhere near! it's most insulting

silver, must be a worry for you- luckily DS doesn't appear to be allegic/intolerant to anything so he can have cow's milk but I'd prefer him to feed from me . I hope the pox isn't too awful for you all! He's not walking or even really cruising, I suspect he's about to have some sort of developmental thingy. the sleeping is great, but a tad excessive

[silverfrog]

sadly, swampster, the enveloping technique seems not to work for dd2 (despite ample bosom to clutch her to), and she manages to clamp down even harder (with only 2 teeth!!) most of the time - she has perfected biting with 2 central teeth, yet rleasing sides of mouth for breathing

the pox is not going too badly - dd1 succombed while on holiday but was mainly cheerful, and crusted over in time for us to fly home, and dd2 is yet to notice spots, she just seems to have stopped feeding (is still eating like a horse, and taking in enough fluids - water/juice etc).

it does sound as though there might be some developmental leap in the offing for your ds - hope it comes quickly and he settles back to feeding soon.

[MrsJohnCusack]

oh he has been sleeping beautifully for a couple of months now. hurrah!

[solo]

When my Dd started biting me, I flicked her lips. She only did it a couple of times, didn't like being flicked, cried real tears, but it did cure the biting.

[silverfrog]

oh, holiday was great! we managed a good few days out (roaring roads railway down at fenton - have you been? - was bloody fantastic. Also went down to Monterey (aquarium, natch), and a day out in San Francisco (sea lions/hung around the pier areas). Went to the Children's discovery museum - dd1 got very excited by the softplay blocks upstairs in the toddler bit, and was in heaven building towers taller than herself. also went down to Gilroy gardens, but dd1 must have ben coming down with the pox by then as she was a bit miserable. and obv a day trip down to Santa Cruz to drop off a letter for the arriving boats - we ended up missing my friend by 48 hours

dd1 came down with the pox on the Thursday of our second week, and was crusted over by the Saturday, so we got off pretty lightly with hotel incarceration!

[MrsJohnCusack]

a nice bump just to piss cod off with the MrsJC derivative name

Anyway, is now a week and NADA except 2 new teeth. Am a bit uncomfortable now, will keep trying but I think this might be it .

[silverfrog]

for you MrsJC.

dd2 crumbled last night on 3rd night waking due to pox irritation, and had a good long feed. Normal service has resumed today (with allowances for sore mouth due to pox)

[MrsJohnCusack]

oh good I'm glad ONE of them has given in

stubborn little thing. I thought DD had cornered all the stubborn genes, but looks like DS has collared a few too. I just can't see him changing his mind.

[silverfrog]

I am sorry, it was awful for me when I thought dd2 was ending it all (I have a feeling this renewed interest will only last while she needs comfort - poor thing has really fallen badly with the pox, even has them on her eyeballs (shudder))

[MrsJohnCusack]

her EYEBALLS
oh poor thing (and poor you having to see it)

I'm miserable . I thought we'd got past the danger stage and he wasn't going to pull the same trick as DD. I was wrong