is this a nursing strike?

[Giddyup]

This may be a bit long and garbled but I don't want to miss anything out that might be important! My DD was 10 weeks yesterday, and is mostly breastfed (top up of 3-4 oz formula some days, but not usually that keen unless it's EBM .

She sometimes has days when she is terribly windy and can't nap but never at night. Her day time sleep is always pretty bad but her night time sleep is usually good (7ish pm- 5ish am then feed ad wake up 8am this week). The last few days her day time sleep has been worse than ever, can't self settle and just cat napping for 20-30 mins here and there.

Last night she crashed out exhausted by 7pm, she woke early at 3.30am and fed well then went straight back to sleep as per usual. She woke up screaming at 6am and I gave her a quick feed and put her back to bed. She didn't settle and started crying. She seemed really windy so I gave her some gripe water and a good winding. She then cried and was really unsettled for 1.5 hrs then fell asleep. This is unheard of for DD. She woke up at 8.30 happy but not hungry the gradually got distressed again and seemed really hungry but went went mental everytime I tried to feed her. I just offered her a bottle and she guzzled 7oz straight down and crashed out on my6 shoulder.

What should I do?

I am just sterilising the breast pump and when DP gets home to look after DC I will pump as much as I can as I havent fed DD Properly since
3.30am and that wasn't a full feed both sides. I thought if she won't take EBM then I will know if it is a problem with me feeding her or my milk. I had a couple of glasses of wine last night but it would have been well gone by thw time I fed her.

Nobody answered this so am bumping again as today again Dd has refused breast feeding, I kept trying on and off for hours but she wasn't having any of it and was getting more tired and distressed. So in the ned I gave her a bottle and fell guzzled it then fell asleep.

On Saturday after I posted she had a good sleep and fed normally until today. I started a thread earlier about her sleeping so long at night now and engorgement.

No Bf for 12 hours over night plus refusal in the day will be terrible for my supply won't it?

sorry, don't have any answers, but I am having a similar issue today. dd2 has hardly nursed at all and when I try she just fights at the breast. She doesn't even seem hungry at all.......

My breasts feel 'empty' after just one day, so I hope it doesn't affect supply...... I hope someone comes along with some answers soon.....!

How old is your DD tanmu? Is she hungry yet?

she's 12 weeks on weds. No, she's not hungry yet - she still keeps fighting at the breast too. I tried having a bath with her but still no luck..... she seems content enough though, but her nappies are not as full. could she be teething already? she is dribbling for england and chewing her fists/my shoulder........

how is your dd doing now?

i think that around 12 weeks breast go softer anyway? I have no idea about teething, but am a bit nervous about BF once DD gets teeth! I guess if she isn't hungry, she isn't hungry.

I had to give DD another bottle of formula, as she did seem hungry but would not feed. she went to bed at 7.30 and I am expressing like mad as she had 2 bottles today. I have only managed 2oz though, whereas usually I get about 4oz . Im a bit stuck as to what to do really, so am planning to espress what I can to give her if she is like it again tomorrow as I want to keep formula to a minimum.

I think when she feeds next (about 5 or 6 am) she will be starving and still a bit sleepy so BF should be fine. I am really concerned though about supply as she doesnt feed over night, each missed feed in the day is a big deal and my supply isn't always great hence the formula top ups I have to give sometimes. She just wants to feed as much and as greedily as she can in the day, I think maybe it is that my let down isn't quick enough for her.

I hope someone who can advise us comes along soon

No experience myself, but try to feed her when she's sleepy (getting sleepy or just waking up).

Lots of skin to skin contact often helps. Co-bathing can be good, as can wearing her in a a sling.

If you're feeding on demand, not topping up with bottles and don't have a medical problem, there shouldn't be any problem with low supply. What makes you say that your supply isn't always great? Formula top ups will only tend to reduce your supply further.

Kellymom has some info as ever.

DD was 10lb 1/2 oz and I had her by EMCS it took days and days for me to get any milk at all. I think I was in a bit of shock! I was hooked up the hospital pumps whenever I wasn't feeding. DD got extremely fed up with not getting anything and still hadn't produced a wet nappy by day 4. So I started topping up, since then I go through phases with plenty of milk then when she has growth spurts I need a bit of help.

I have maybe got a bit lazy with trying to boost my supply though. DD feed all day everyday and then sleeps nearly all night 7pm-5 or 6am then back to sleep until 8am. As you can imagine a big girl like that takes some feeding, and by the evening she often gets really frustrated if she can't have enourmous feed after enourmous feed. I knew the risks with top ups but did it anyway as otherwise i think I may have just given up BF altogether.

thanks for your advice and also the link

We had a nursing strike around 10 weeks. In our case it was due to too many bottles and she got used to the immediacy. This meant she wouldn't wait for let down, she would even stop crying as soon as a bottle teat touched her mouth.

kellymom is a good site, particularly if you search 'how to bottle feed the BF baby' and 'nursing strike'.

They recommend expressing to keep supply and if needs me feeding artificially to keep their energy up. Maybe look into alternative feeding methods other than bottle such as syringe or cup feeding.

For us what worked was feeding her either in her sleep or when she had just woken up after a sleep. We had many failed feeds, but since she fed a few times a day and bottles were the cause I didn't top up. Took 3 days of hell, then a few more wobbly days for it to return to normal.

She's been a fussy eater ever since, but I don't know if that's because I'm more sensitive to it.

Make sure you don't force the issue, if they're not feeding or latching on don't keep their head on trying to. Just come away and keep trying. Maybe express to get a let down first and then attempt to latch.

BUT most of all, don't take it personally. They are not rejecting you, they've just lost track of what's normal and need a little while to readjust.

Also it's normal for around now for them to become distractable during the day, not feed well and then catch up in the night.

Thanks penguin army I think this might be the case for us too. How often was your DD having a bottle? Did you stop using a bottle at all after that? I did cup feeding and syringe feeding when she was tiny but she drinks 7oz now so not sure how that would work.

How was your dd last night giddyup ? Did you manage to feed her in her sleep?

My dd slept most of the night and didn't feed anywhere near as much as usual and hasn't had much yet today either....weird thing is, she is totally content, still weeing and pooing and her fontanelle is fine..... I am expressing as I type because I am getting worried about lack of breast stimulation.

Last night I even tried taking a bath with her and she went to feed, but then started fighting at the breast again.....

I'm not sure what this all means to be honest.

Maybe she has suddenly got extremely efficient at feeding and the endless hours of feeding are over (hopeful emoticon!) or she has been having a growth spurt that is now over? If anything my DD is having more dirty nappies than ever before, she has gone from her usual 1 every 3 or 4 days (but loads) to (still loads) about twice a day.

I think in my case it is because she may have got too used to a bottle, but she doesn't even have one every day so not sure. DD woke at 5.30 for a feed, then 7.30 but fed only for 5 mins then fell asleep in bed with me until 8.50 (luckily DS was at ex's so it meant a lay in-woo!). DD has fed on and of since then and got really frustrated at one point but is now asleep. I doubt for long though as she sleeps amazingly at night but can't self settle or stay asleep in the day.

I am going to express a bit to ensure supply but don't want to too much as she is happier when I am full of milk and my let down is fast.

I had a friend whose DD went on nursing strike like PenguinArmy's DD - she regularly gave bottles (eg when out).

I think if you use the slowest newborn teat you can find that can help with not being used to the milk coming out really fast from the bottle. If you can get someone else to give bottles whenever possible (instead of you)

Expressing will stimulate your supply, not reduce it so I'd keep going, Giddyup, but try expressing after you've fed her (by whatever means) rather than before you offer a bf.

I also found that sleep made a difference - when DS was overtired at that age, he wouldn't bf. Anything you can do to help her sleep in the day (sling, pram) will help reduce this problem.

Glad you've had some feeds at least, OP.

Keep offering, tammu. Strikes can go on for quite a while.

yes expressing after makes much more sense. I was worried about expressing when DD refuses and then not having enough milk so having to give EBM in bottle, making things worse.

DD's day time sleep IS shocking so I doubt that helps, just been stomping the streets for almost 2 hours and she slept for about 30 mins of that.

thanks for the advice

I was out for a day which caused the strike but she was having them regularly about once a day. This was because I was starting work at 4 months so wanted to make sure she could and I was working odd days here and there before hand.

We followed the kellymom advice and not had a big problem since. I gave no bottles until I felt she was feeding better and then when she was being fussy after wards I tended not to give bottles as well.

At 4 months I was dreading going back to work but she was miraculously fine. Even at 10 months, the one bottle she has is a newborn teat. We also gave milk to her cold, just little things to make it not as nice.

Nursing strikes at younger ages tend not to last as long as others, but you're still in for a bumpy week probably.

giving bottles cold is a great idea [smle]

smle?!