DS is on strike!

[suzi2]

Hasn't fed since 8am. Has had a couple of sucks at midday. He's flatly refusing to feed - I'm offering every hour or so. He's teething badly at the moment and I'm stressed which may be the cause. He refused a feed

He gets a bottle of expressed milk every evening (has done for months) which I'm sure he will take. But I'm worried if I give him his bottle while he's on strike it won't encourage him back to the boob.

Any suggestions?

Sucking can be really painful for babies when they're teething, so his refusal may be because it's hurting him. Are you giving him pain relief and/or teething gel for his gums?

I would second the teething thing, suzi. Ds is dribbling like mad at the moment, and his feeds are often consequently quite short. (He is too greedy to give them up altogether though!)

It's likely to be teething (DS is always like that for a day or so when cutting a tooth) but if it goes on longer it might be worth getting him checked for an ear infection. Sometimes refusal to nurse can be the only symptom.

Suzi - I wouldn't worry. If the only other thing he is getting is EBM then no probs. and as he is used to EBM out of a bottle already, he is unlikley to get nipple confused !

My DS had thrush when he was 5 mo and he once refused to feed for an entire 24 hours and fed really badly for another week. I resorted to EBM by syringe as it was the only thing he would drink without it causing him pain.

Just keep offering the boob as you have been doing very wisely IMO and he will come back to it in no time.

Good luck !