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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

8 weeks old nurses only when drowsy/ Refuses breast when alert - please help/ is it a nursing strike?

9 replies

musicmusic · 23/06/2012 22:05

My 8 weeks old baby refuses to nurse when alert ? have to rock him to sleep and then to feed him AFTER naps. He does not want breast before naps ( occasionally will nurse before the nap, but it is very rare). Before each nap he cries to show that he is ready for nap and I will intuitively offer breast ? he will refuse and then I have to rock him to sleep. Do not know whether it is nursing strike and whether I can change it to nurse him before nap so that he does not cry?please help with ideas.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 24/06/2012 08:21

That's odd - when did this start? Is it possible he's too tired to feed? What happens if you offer a breast when he wakes up?

Have you had a hard time with latching? Has he spent much time cross at the breast? (as in, cross while trying to feed - I doubt he's spent any time actually cross at your breasts)

whenwill · 25/06/2012 16:40

I had this on and off. try to get sleepy baby before crying for tiredness e.g. first yawn, eye rubbing and hand sucking soon. dd never really fed to sleep though.

KellyKettle · 25/06/2012 19:10

I had this with DD2 and I think I had oversupply/forceful let down which she found very upsetting.

I was "leaky" but once I addressed that she seemed to be ok. She still isn't the comfort suckler DD1 was/is though.

musicmusic · 26/06/2012 21:30

it started when he was 2 weeks old. I assumed that he would do COMFORT feeding before nap, HE will feed AFTER nap, but just wonder why he does not take breast before nap just to fall asleep. I know he wants to suckle because when I put my little finger - he find it soothing.

WHENWILL, you said that your baby did not feed to sleep - was it your baby's choice/ behaviour or have you imposed it that way? did you give a dummy before the sleep then?

KELLy KETTLE
I have not got oversupply - quite often I have very soft breasts and baby was OK latching on.

please help me understand this situation...

OP posts:
KellyKettle · 26/06/2012 23:23

The fullness of your breasts doesn't indicate milk supply and latch isn't necessarily an issue.

Let me just go back and read your posts again and we'll talk it over Smile

FirstUpBestDressed · 26/06/2012 23:27

My neice's baby done this at three months.she refused during the day and fed all night.
We then realised my neice had changed her deodrant and baby didn't like it.deodrant had worn off at night.:)

KellyKettle · 26/06/2012 23:28

Ok, does he feed normally when alert and hungry?

Or is he refusing the breast altogether unless he's half asleep?

How was your birth? Straight forward?

If its the second one it sounds like bf is causing him discomfort - so forceful letdown, issue with his mouth/jaw, has he been encourage towards the breast with a hand on the back of his head?

Where do you live? If you don't mind saying we can find you some very good real life support (you can pm if you prefer). Or you can call one of the helplines:

www.laleche.org.uk/pages/about/helpline.htm

0845 120 2918

musicmusic · 01/07/2012 20:34

I now figured out that he prefers to feed after naps - when he is still drowsy...
he dislikes feeding before naps...

OP posts:
KellyKettle · 01/07/2012 22:20

Glad to hear all is well music! Smile

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