breastfeeding strike or...?

[lisly]

hello! my DD has been fussy and screaming at the breast for a good 4 weeks now! he is gaining weight but not loads. he's normally happy, active and contented but for the past 2 days he's been really difficult, re. grunts and cries most of the time mainly because he is hungry but he refuses to eat. he does eat better if I offer him EBM. Also he eats fine in the evening and at night when he is drowsy, which is also unusual for him as he has been sleeping through the night since he was 10 weeks old. it seems like he swapped day-feeds for night-feeds, which I do not want to encourage.

I tried to remain calm but now after 4 weeks I am really anxious and I know he is picking up on this. what should I do!? I am off to the GP today to see if he has anything physical as he has been coughing more. He was also prescribed gaviscon junior but it did not help (actually made him spitting up loads) so I stopped.

Anyone out there with a similar experience or any clue/suggestions about what is happening?
I so enjoy BF and really do not want to give up. ta!

[Shooflypie]

Hi there I will be watching this as I am experiencing similar with 20 week DS.Refuses to eat and starts crying if I start to put him to the breast (cradle hold).
He will feed better lying down though - not very helpful if we are out and about! I am thinking of taking him to a cranial osteopath to see if something is hurting him.

Let's hope someone will be along with some ideas!

[lisly]

glad to hear i am not the only one, it's hard at times when u see all other babies eating away happily and mine just isn't having any of it! he also tends to eat better when lying down but does this only for the morning feed. went to gp who suggested giving him EBM when out and about and fill him up with EBM at bedtime feed to avoid him swapping day for night feeding. also GP suggested to very slowly introducing baby rice during the day. will try this a see how it goes. i feel a bit better as GP reassured me that some babies at his age (he's 18 weeks) just go off the breast as they too interested in outside world or need more 'variety' in their diet.

[BouncingTurtle]

How old is your ds, lisly?
It sounds like he is reverse cycling. If he is a similar age to Shooflypie's ds then I would suggest it is a combination of 4mth growth spurt and developmental changes - getting more interested in the world around him.
This will help too wakeful 4 month olds

HTH

[lisly]

thanks for websites, there are some good suggestions. ds is 18 months and uber active. mw mentioned that he might be stuck into the 4 month grow spurt when he used to wake up at night plus as he is increasingly more interested in the outside world (as he should be) he is feeding less during the day.
just managed to feed him quite well as he was about to drop off to sleep but the consequence is that he fell asleep at the breast... so many variables to consider

[BouncingTurtle]

Glad to help

[MrsJamin]

lisly, please don't wean, GP is talking out of his rear end - probably knows next to nothing about babies diets (even less than HVs!). Weaning should be deferred to 6 months.

My DS had teeth at 4 months - the previous 6 weeks were crying on the breast in the evening especially- he'd take from a bottle of EBM easily. It could be a definite possibility that yours is teething too.

[lisly]

yes i thought about teeth too as he chews everything he gets hold of. my MW on a separate occasion also suggested some baby rice in one or two feeds a day. Weaning is a slow process that takes several months and i don't want to start weaning him properly at least until he is 6 months. i'll see how it goes in the next few weeks.

[MrsJamin]

If he's chewing a lot then I would have thought that this could be a reason behind it - try calgel on his gums before a feed and see if it makes any difference.

Seriously, I'd hold off on the baby rice - it's tasteless and has less calories than milk alone. Your midwife knows nothing either, if she's gone against the official NHS advice. Weaning is a slow process, yes, but it generally lasts from 6-12 months, not before 6 months.

[lisly]

thanks for all the advice. i have tried calgel before but it does not seem to make a massive difference. i will have to express during the day and bottle feed him when i am out. I hope that this phase will go once the teeth are out and he becomes able to both eat and look around.

[BouncingTurtle]

Hey Lisly, I second MrsJamin - babyrice is utterly pointless. If you are planning to wait until 6months anyway, they can eat much more exciting things
Instead of calgel - try anbesol - it is a liquid and I find that it stays on the gums better than gels which seem to slide right off! Also, Ashton & Parson's powders and Nelson's teetha are gentle herbal remedies which contain natural calmatives (I think Chamomile) which helps with teething.
My local BFC has a lo who has several teeth yet is only 4 months old . Just before a feed, she puts some anbesol on, then gives her dd a teething ring to chew on before putting her on the breast, maybe you could try that?