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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Stopping breastfeeding

27 replies

Littlemissexpecting · 19/08/2013 06:08

After ebf ds, at 8wk old he has decided he no longer wants breast feeding. He will take bottle happily with expressed or formula but won't even try latching on. I am keen to express where possible, but if we are out in the day I can't express as often as I would like. I have woken up with very painful breasts, very hard and very tender to touch, and tried expressing and got very little out (

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WhatKatyDidToday · 19/08/2013 06:14

I'm hoping someone more knowledgable will be along in a minute (I was always useless at expressing!)- if you decide to stop, don't just do it suddenly because your boobs will get more sore. Perhaps of you're expressing 4 times a day, drop to 3 times after a day or so, then twice etc etc

You could try doing it in the bath/ warm flannels if they're sore - good luck. I'm not sure how helpful this is, but I didn't want to read and run!

growyourown77 · 19/08/2013 06:41

Gradual seems to be the way if you want to stop.

Check out the kellymom website for sound bf advice.

For expressing, my friends who've done it have said that you need to be relaxed to get the let down. This can be tricky as many of the reasons people express can come with anxiety. But try to chill out as you do it if you can.

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 19/08/2013 08:12

Fab thanks. I expressed 2 or 3 times yesterday so will try 2 today. Woke up incredibly sore, struggle to even hold ds which is hard. Will try a bath too

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sleepyhead · 19/08/2013 08:53

Littlemiss, if you've found that suddenly you can't express and your breasts are very full and sore you may well have some blocked ducts. This can lead to mastitis if not resolved.

Can you look up hand expressing and see if you can get anywhere with that? Heat, massaging towards the nipple and ibuprofen can help.

If you are planning on stopping then as pp have said, do it gradually.

Forgetfulmog · 19/08/2013 09:05

Do you think he may be having a Nursing Strike? 8 weeks is very young to suddenly not want to bf anymore. Have you sought RL help? It's important to get some bfing help as you do run the risk of getting mastitis if you stop bfing suddenly

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 19/08/2013 09:16

I've had a bath and expressed some in bath so feel loads better
I've tried getting help but HV just says she doesn't know why refusing and he'll take breast if he's hungry, which he wont!
Not sure where else to go for help, I've emailed a breastfeeding counsellor who hasn't replied!

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tiktok · 19/08/2013 09:22

Little miss breastfeeding counsellor is a volunteer prob. And also may be on holiday. Better to call one of the helplines.

Forgetfulmog · 19/08/2013 09:22

Your HV is obviously no help.

Any bfing support groups near you? Whereabouts are you?

tiktok · 19/08/2013 09:23

Your situation is quite urgent.

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 19/08/2013 09:39

There is a few breast feeding groups, one at sure start centre on Thursday. Could they help?

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Forgetfulmog · 19/08/2013 09:43

They would definitely help yes, but that's still a while to wait.

Have you tried ringing one of the LLL helplines? Lots of skin to skin might help too. He hasn't got tongue-tie has he?

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 19/08/2013 10:03

No hv looked for tongue tie a couple if times. Mouth fine, pink not red.
Tried skin to skin, he just cried when he wanted food

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tiktok · 19/08/2013 11:00

Littlemiss you need help today. Full uncomfortable breasts and a baby who won't feed (and that needs investigating as babies of 8 weeks simply don't go on strike with no reason) are an urgent health situation. If you Hv is as useless as she sounds you need proper help from elsewhere. Thursday is no good. Call a bf helpline at the very minimum.

Forgetfulmog · 19/08/2013 13:36

What about calling your maternity ward?

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 19/08/2013 17:29

My HV spoke to the community mws.
I've phoned la leche and national breastfeeding helpline they both just said not sure why he's just stopped and keep trying so no further forward

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tiktok · 19/08/2013 17:46

No one can really know why your ds has stopped, littlemiss, but the main question I would ask is has he had a lot of bottles, and less and less direct breastfeeding? This might mean he 'votes' for the productive bottle and against the breast, which may be producing less and less if you have been feeding direct less and not able to express to replace the 'missing' feeds.

If you want to continue bf this would have to be reversed.

If your breasts are painful and you are unable to express/breastfeed direct, then yes, you are at risk of mastistis...but if you are managing to express and feel better as a result, then this is probably ok now.

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 19/08/2013 20:24

He didn't have bottles before he went on nursing strike.
He now has bottles as refuses breast, I won't let him cry all day every day in hunger.
I am managing to express, especially in bath so will keep trying

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tiktok · 19/08/2013 23:21

Littlemiss - in that case then his nursing strike is really, really unusual and needs to be investigated (sore mouth? sore ears?)....I really hope you get good help soon.

glossyflower · 21/08/2013 14:53

Hi there.
I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties.
All I can tell you is from my own experience.

My now 17 week old DD was breast fed 90% of the time in the first few weeks - my dad was sick and dying so it was better for me to occasionally give FF.
I find sometimes even now, DD won't take my breast but will have a bottle quite happily.
I put it down to a couple of things.

she's over hungry and wants food NOW without having to work to hard for it. (She is impatient just like me!)
as she's grown she's no longer in a comfortable position. As a newborn I cradled her with one arm. When she got bigger I really struggled feeding her, I think it was around 8 weeks when she fussed and cried at the breast terribly. She doesn't always feed well in a sitting position so when she's not over hungry we lay on the bed. She feeds beautifully most of the time and its a great excuse for me to tell hubby I'm having a lay down! As time is getting on I am supplementing with EBM or FF. in an ideal world I would love to exclusively BF but I can't have an unhappy hungry baby.

With your expressing, how are you getting your milk? Are you hand expressing or pumping?
When I hand express it takes me forever to get just an oz.
I have the tommee tippee electric pump. It cost me about £75 and I can express anywhere between 5oz and 9oz in one sitting.
That pump has been my best buy for my baby ever.

I'm not saying this is what's happening with you but it's just something no one else had mentioned and may be a possibility. Something as simple of getting a comfortable positioning for you both.

All the best xxx

glossyflower · 21/08/2013 14:56

Also my HV is a BF specialist and gave me the good advice of always try BF and give FF afterwards. Don't just give up on BF (unless this is what you would prefer).
Also maybe you could try nipple shields to make him think he's having a bottle?
Nipple shields can be great as long as you can get the right sized shields for your nipples and apply them correctly (there's a special way to do it)
Xxx

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 21/08/2013 15:01

I was discussing nipple shields with my sister, I might buy them tomorrow if our boots has them.
Good point on positioning, I was finding I couldn't hold him in same position that I was using so might be a factor.
Going to be more tricky now as he is getting more and more used to bottle but I'll keep trying.
Thank you and I hope your dad is better now

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Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 21/08/2013 15:02

Sorry just read your post again, sorry to hear about your dad, couldn't have been easy dealing with that and a baby

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glossyflower · 21/08/2013 16:30

Thank you. Yes it was hard, but my lovely little girl is keeping us all going

Good luck and keep us updated xxx

nancerama · 22/08/2013 09:03

Has your little one had their jabs yet? A friend found her baby wouldn't feed after injections because the hold she was using put pressure on the sore limbs. Have you tried "biological nurturing"? It helps baby to find a comfortable position by themself.

If you're engorged the breast feels funny to baby and they struggle to latch. Hand expressing a little off and lots of skin to skin may help.

Original poster

Littlemissexpecting · 22/08/2013 17:35

Started before jabs.
Used to do biological nurturing and he's stopped that too.

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