Nursing strike - how often do I express and any other ideas/inspiration please!

[imissbluesky]

DD is just 9months old and is almost 24hrs into a nursing strike . It could be due to a few things - she is teething and has been banging the right side of her head with her hand for a few days. Not otherwise ill or feverish. Eating well overall although not huge on solids and generally loves her milk. There has also been a tummy bug in the family but not sure if this is contributing. I've tried to read as much as possible but struggle with a few things.

1. I have been expressing every three hours since she woke up and she has drunk everything I've expressed so far despite never having drunk expressed milk before . So that has been good at least. She usually drinks little and often and feeds to sleep (not today though) so was wondering if every three hours is enough to keep up?

1. She is not even attempting to latch on and I can't understand why not. She was happily feeding last night and woke up at 3am crying but refusing to even try to latch on. It just doesn't make any sense to me. She just brought her mouth to my nipple but then turned away and cried . Is this usual for babies on a strike?

That does sound normal behaviour for a baby on strike.

I would ask the GP to check her out as it could be an ear infection, which would account for banging herself on the head too. DS went on nursing strike at 13 m.o. due to an ear & chest infection, although I'd no idea prior to the strike that he was ill in that way. He then also got a sickness bug and conjunctivitis, poor boy.

Your DD clearly wants to feed but probably is finding it uncomfortable, which was what DS was doing.

Not too sure about the expressing - I'd keep going with that as often as you can bear.

It's worth offering a feed when she's just waking up, or when she's due a sleep as she may still take an occasional feed then.

Strikes are horrible: I hope it's over soon. Ours lasted 12 days so don't despair if it goes on for a while.

thanks angeldog. struggling to find time and hands to reply! i'm expressing because i worry about my supply. i really hope this doesn't go on for 12 days.

does anyone know if dry pumping will stimulate supply and if so for how long should i do it each time?

I used to dry pump for a minute each side. If you are producing enough for your LO, I wouldn't worry about doing this though - I did it when we were transitioning DD from formula top-ups to ebm top-ups and I wasn't producing enough for her needs.

DS2 went on strike about 8/9months, think it was just for a couple of days.
Second trying to feed her when she's sleepy, she might just do it again and be fine from then on.

When she's taken the EBM, has she been in a different position?
i.e. if she has sore ears when lying on her side, maybe she can take the milk lying 'flatter' or being more upright?

If so try feeding in odd positions, i think i fed DS2 sort of sitting on my lap facing me as an experiment.

Had a search, it was 7.5months, here is my thread about it - not that my thread is particularly valuable itself but there are some links in there that might help.

(oh and after dropping that 4am feed & sleeping through, he went back to 1 or 2 feeds a night until about 11 months!)

Thank you for replying. It is very hard not to worry but trying to be hopeful. I'm not sure if I'm producing enough, expressed 360ml today and she had it all but it doesn't seem enough to me. She doesn't seem hungry though. I think it is because I've been ill that my supply has dropped a little. Hopefully it will come back again. Am grateful she is drinking the expressed milk.

JSK I have tried different positions but will remain open minded . So hard not to feel rejected.

I will try to feed her in her sleep tonight but she has never been keen. I have been very lucky with her sleep mostly apart from a neverending sleep regression that finally ended about a month ago.

Some people find that taking a bath together helps.

Kellymom has some links about nursing strikes.

Even dry expressing will stimulate your milk supply.

I think DS's strike was so long because it was 6 days before I saw a doctor, and then it took nearly a week of antibiotics before his ear/chest cleared enough to make him comfortable enough to feed.

tbh I woudn't worry about pumping every 3 hours, but I'm lazy. Yes your supply will dip, but she'll get it back up properly once the strike is over.

The turning and crying at the sight of the breast is normal. Please don't take any rejection personally as it is hard not to. Just be easy on yourself until this is over and get as much support as you can.

I still live in fear of strikes.

penguinarmy i worry my supply is not v good to begin with

i will book an appointment with gp if still striking in monday.

In the meantime should i top up with formula or cow's milk?

sorry for typing but doing it onehanded whilst expressing

still striking. no sleepy feeds . can see my supply dipping/ amount able to express about half

any advice?

That's normal regarding dipping supply, just do what you can.

I think it was japhrimel who's DC had a strike and she couldn't express much from the get go. They got through it.

I know it feels like it's been forever, but it has only been a few days. You will get through this. Just try and not force the issue and be stressed at feeding time (hard I know).

Have you done feeds when she is asleep?

Thanks for posting penguinarmy. Feeling a bit sorry for myself this morning. I've tried when sleepy but she just turns away and gets upset. Tried last night whilst she was asleep and couldn't rouse her enough, it's hard to know how long to try for when they are asleep and not interested.

I'll keep trying. Is all I can do.

Chin up BlueSky - keep trying, try (as much as you can) not to get stressed about it, she will sense that.
Try and think 'here it is, i'm not bothered if you latch on or not, i'll just leave it for you to decide'....at least at this age she's able to latch on and off herself.

Have you tried lots of naked time with her, bath, etc?

Managed 2 sleepy feeds - v pleased about it. Still no go when she's awake. Think just more time relaxing with her has also helped me. It's just sad this has happened right before I'm due to go back to work in the beginning of april. I worry that she will wean early like her brother. There was so much I didn't know about breastfeeding and this is my last baby so really wanted to keep going for as long as possible.

Thanks for the positive thoughts, they help to give me hope. Also going to try a bath with her tonight.

Glad she's managed a couple of feeds, OP.

Do keep trying - as JustKeepSwimming says, you're in a much better position than if she were a tiny baby - both in terms of her getting enough milk and in terms of being able to maintain some supply.

It's hard not to feel it's personal though. You may find that things get rapidly better once the strike is over. DS has never asked for milk since being a newborn, but since his strike was over, he's started bouncing & flapping with excitement when I offer bf. It was almost worth the strike just to get that. :)

That sounds very sweet Angeldog

Two awake feeds this morning - yay!!! The first awake feeds in 4 days. She still cried before taking the nipple which she has never done before, but fingers crossed this is the end of the strike.

YEY! I hope so, i remember being very sad at the time, thinking bf was over & i'd never appreciated that 'last feed'. Fingers crossed for you :)

Brilliant.

Here's hoping it continues.

The feeding, not the crying, that is.

Quick last update (hopefully). DD has been drinking well and my supply has recovered. Thanks for support and encouragement - it really does feel like they will never go back to breastfeeding and it is amazing when they do.

Hooray! :) So pleased for you.

Hooray from me too :)

I just searched 'nursing strike' and found this thread, nearly a year old but I felt compelled to write as my 10 month old is doing the same thing after an awfuk sickness bug. Hes getting over it now, even eaten. But my milk was the one thing making him most sick, its really no surprise hes refusing it. I really hope he feeds again. He hasnt for 48 hours now.

Im glad your daughter did in the end, it gives me hope.

Feel for you WhiteTrash, we had similar with my 9mo a few weeks ago and I was frantic with worry, swollen boobs and hormonal crying, but she did get back to the boob after 24ish hours; I found the kellymon advice really helpful, had a lovely bath together and skin to skin and kept offering. Hope it sorts itself out soon, know how horrible it is.

Hi - White Trash - my 11mo recently had a 4 day strike. I was sobbing by Day 3 but it did come good. The La Leche website was very useful for me - some good advice and stories (one woman had a baby who went for about 40 days eek). Mine happened after teething and me yelping when DT1 bit me. I got him back by nursing lying down on the bed before he went to sleep. But he did a few experimental bites that I had to not react to before he was comfortable.

Hope you find whatever works for your baby soon. The relief is amazing!