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Infant feeding

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

7.5 month old on breastfeeding strike

9 replies

Hotcuppa · 28/08/2013 15:55

Dd2 is exclusively breastfed (my 3rd breastfed baby, so I do like to think I know what I'm doing!). She has been very snuffly and has had a cold and on top of this she has been cutting a number of teeth ( 2 last week and another cutting atm). On Saturday morning she bit me whilst feeding, and I yelped in response as it was a shock. All appeared to be ok for the rest of the day, and she fed as usual. On Sunday morning she woke up but completely refused to breastfeed. I expressed around 2-3Ozs and she gobbled it down from the bottle and would have happily taken more if I had given it (ironically she has always refused expressed bm from the bottle so this came as a great shock). Since then she has refused every attempt to breastfeed whilst awake, but I have managed to sneak in to her room 5 mins after she has settled for her naps and get her to feed whilst she sleeps. If she stirs too much, she gets distressed and refuses to feed. I have managed to avoid any serious engorgement so far by doing this as I do have a history of over supply and mastitis/blocked ducts so am extra aware of making sure I don't get too full.

She is happily eating her solids and I took her to the doctors this morning to rule out illness (other than cold and teething).

I have tried all the usual tricks to get her to feed, loads of skin to skin, bathing with her etc, but she is still refusing to take the breast.

I just feel so sad, as in my head I wanted to see her through to 1 and I feel we are not yet done. I just wondered I'd anyone else had had a similar experience which had resolved positively?

OP posts:
Gurke · 28/08/2013 19:56

I feel for you, nursing strikes are horrible & very stressful. My DS is now 11 months and we've had a few of them. The longest he went without ANY milk was 3 days (I could even get him to drink from a bottle or cup).

I would say: be patient, keep offering the boob in a playful way (and don't show her how worried you are), and she WILL go back to feeding as before. Babies don't self wean at your DD's age, so it is a matter of waiting it out (sounds so much easier than it is, I know...)

Lots of cuddles and sleepy feeds helped us. Some people swear by feeding in a warm bath with baby, that's never worked for us though. And in the meantime keep expressing for every missed feed, I would say, to avoid blocked ducts etc.

Good luck, hope she starts drinking from you v soon.

Gurke · 28/08/2013 19:57

Oh and Kellymom has some good advice - sorry can't link on my phone, but should be easy to find.

Hotcuppa · 28/08/2013 20:50

Thank you so much for your kind words of support Gurke. I'm so glad to report a major breakthrough at bedtime tonight. We had a very quiet bath time with loads of skin to skin cuddles (the other 2 dc out of the way). She was being very cuddly and out of the blue latched on and started to feed - the first awake feed in 4 days! She seemed so happy to have fed, and was v v relaxed and contented. I feel so very relieved for now, but don't want to count my chickens too soon! It's been such a stressful few days and I feel so drained emotionally, and to top it off, I've now got poor dd's cold!

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Gurke · 28/08/2013 23:16

Great to hear she's back to bf, well done! Grin I remember too well that 'phew!' moment, when you daren't breathe in or make a noise in case baby gets distracted and pulls off again... Hope you both get over your colds quickly.

Hotcuppa · 29/08/2013 08:01

Well, she's just woken up and refused her morning breastfeed, pulled away each time I offered the boob. I'm trying to remain positive, but feared this would happen (I did dream feed her before I went to bed, so maybe she's just not hungry!?) Sad

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Gurke · 29/08/2013 13:29

Could she just be dropping a feed or two? My DS did this once he started taking in more solids. He went down to only 3 or 4 daytime feeds for a while, but then at some point reinstated a few andis now eating hardly any solids. Never a dull moment!

Anyway, I would keep offering her the breast, in as playful a way as you can manage. I'm sure she'll find her new rhythm soon.

Sorry, if you've already breastfed two monsters I'm probably only telling you the bleeding obvious...

Hotcuppa · 29/08/2013 22:07

Thanks again for your support Gurke. After a very shaky start, she has fed a few times today thankfully, but is so much more hesitant about it at the moment - so very different to how she normally is. I too think she may be cutting back on her feeds. She had a good feed at bedtime this eve so I am going to see how she is if I drop the dream feed tonight.

I really do appreciate your comments as, although she my 3rd bf baby, I have never experienced a nursing strike before, so it is really good to hear from someone who has! Many many thanks!

OP posts:
Hotcuppa · 30/08/2013 09:19

*That should be ebf (for breastfed) not bf (which I think means bottle fed??)

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Gurke · 30/08/2013 21:57

Smile I knew what you meant! Hope your DD has been feeding well today.

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