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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for your experience of nursing strikes/ natural term weaning?

20 replies

ethelfleda · 21/08/2019 17:26

DS is 22 months. Up until a few days ago, he would still feed at least 3 times in a 24 hour period and more if we are together all day.
A few days ago he just stopped but seemed very upset about it. He keeps going to feed but then gets really upset and doesn’t latch on. I’ve read on the LLL website that it is more than likely a nursing strike, rather than a natural end to breastfeeding. However, we are 72 hours later and he is still doing the same thing. Has this happened to you? Did it mean the end of breastfeeding for you or did they come back eventually? I don’t mind if this is the end, I guess I’m probably ready for that to be it. But I don’t know whether to try and pump or not instead!

OP posts:
Original poster
ethelfleda · 21/08/2019 17:26

Forgot to mention - his ‘eye’ teeth are coming through.

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pandarific · 21/08/2019 17:43

Whenever this happened me it turned out ds was unwell. Could well be the teething or alternatively could be oral thrush, hand foot and mouth etc - can you see anything in his mouth?

pandarific · 21/08/2019 17:44

Does it improve if you load him up with calpol / ibuprofen?

Original poster
ethelfleda · 21/08/2019 17:48

What would I be looking for in his mouth?
He still won’t feed after calpol or ibuprofen (given him both due to the teething!)

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moreismore · 21/08/2019 18:22

I had a 5 day nursing strike with hand foot and mouth-I had to use a Calpol syringe and expressed milk to get fluids down it was awful. Usually would have lots of mouth ulcers.
Is there any chance at all you’re pregnant? I think that can change how milk tastes and lead to aversion for a while

Original poster
ethelfleda · 21/08/2019 18:37

Thank for replying - no not pregnant. Looked in his mouth and no sign of hand, foot and mouth or thrush! Just the teething Sad

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Original poster
ethelfleda · 21/08/2019 22:33

Bumping in case the evening lot have anything to say Smile

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TheBananaStand2 · 22/08/2019 00:36

Sending sympathy and solidarity - that sounds really tricky. My baby’s a bit younger, but had a 3 day feeding strike around 9mo. My friend recommended making breast milk ice lollies which actually worked a treat! Or rather, he ate the lollies, and gradually returned to feeding a day or two later. I don’t have v much experience but if he’s getting upset that suggests to me he’s uncomfortable- probably those teeth. The canines have longer roots and nerves, so are more sensitive, I’ve heard. Good luck, and hopefully someone will post more comprehensive advice soon.

Original poster
ethelfleda · 23/08/2019 07:07

thebanana thank you. Still no sign of him returning to breastfeeding. I wasn’t expecting such an abrupt end!

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TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 23/08/2019 07:11

Yeah my 10.5 month old just stopped latching completely. Turned out to be oral thrush, I tried expressing but wasn't getting much out and even though we tried to go back to BF it didn't happen. Still a little sensitive about the whole thing tbh!

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 23/08/2019 07:13

Watch out for the hormone swings stopping so abruptly, I really suffered and ended up at the docs to be diagnosed with PND, but I'd been struggling for a while, I think the abrupt stop and the distress DS was in just tipped the balance a little!

userabcname · 23/08/2019 07:38

Yeah DS went on a nursing strike at 18mo and that was it - no more bf-ing! I did consider trying to get him back on the breast but actually he slept through once he weaned and on the whole I thought that we'd probably reached a good stage to stop. Be careful though - I fell pregnant the very next month!

Jesse70 · 23/08/2019 11:30

Mine is 26 months and still breast feeds I'm really ready to give up but they are not even slightly ready! I long for the day lol
I was wondering how u are getting them to sleep with them not nursing?

Mamapop1 · 23/08/2019 11:48

My DD naturally weaned at 15 months, she just became uninterested. If I offered she would come and have a token gesture but would be keen to finish (like the older kids eating bare minimum because they want to go play instead). If I didn't offer she didn't come for it (which she used to do like clockwork).
Your experience seems very different to this, as my DD had no upset during this process, so I would guess it is a strike due to discomfort rather than natural weaning.

Good luck for whatever it ends up being and well done on doing an amazing job to get this far.

Also I second the watching your hormones with the quick stop (if that's the end for this part of your journey), I weaned my other 2 for me to return to work and the quicker ending led to a low mood and some hair loss.

xxx

Original poster
ethelfleda · 23/08/2019 16:19

Thank you mamapop
I’m a bit gutted to be honest. I was thinking I would try weaning once he was 2. Didn’t think he would get there first.

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DadCanIHaveAZedgie · 23/08/2019 16:52

I had a similar experience to mamapop DS seemed to just get bored and uninterested about 14 months. He would latch at first but for moments before being unarsed and getting off to do more interesting things. I just kept offering and eventually have up. I pumped for a while in case he decided to go back but he never bothered again.

pandarific · 24/08/2019 08:02

@ethelfleda a trick that was recommended on the back to breast Facebook group (well worth joining tbh) is to get in the bath and then have your partner hand ds to you. Submerge his whole body apart from his head and then give him a cuddle and let him explore your boob and encourage him to latch. The water reawakens their early instincts; it's worth a shot!

Original poster
ethelfleda · 24/08/2019 10:19

panda
Thanks for the tip. I may try that - but I’m not sure how much I’m willing to ‘push’ him if that makes sense? Maybe he is just done with it Sad

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pandarific · 29/08/2019 22:30

Totally get you - sometimes I found though that he had a bad memory (pain from oral thrush, teething, one time I accidentally squished his ear Blush) connected with the boob and that caused it, so replacing the bad memory with a nice thing, ie a bath, cuddles mixed with raspberries to make him laugh etc and then straight on the boob, sort of 'reset' it.

I stopped at 8 months unfortunately as I had chronic low milk supply and he was just done with the hard work for little reward, and every time I needed to feed him I had to really convince him - it was awful fighting with him all the time and in the end I stopped the day feeds and then the milk more or less went as there wasn't that much of it to begin with. he really didn't seem to mind. Though he's still fed to sleep on my boob, just with a bottle now.

I suppose what I mean to say is it's worth a shot to see if he'll take it again and get back to enjoying it, but don't beat yourself up if not. That Facebook page I mentioned has lots of ideas too, including various nipple shields if he's a bottle lover, that can be a nice stepping stone back to the boob? I'd recommend the MAM ones personally but everyone's different.

pandarific · 29/08/2019 22:31

Oh god sorry I didn't realise you last posted Saturday! Sure it's settled one way or the other now.

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