I posted earlier in the week as DD wasn't feeding, she's been ill - I think with hand, foot and mouth and has refused to breastfeed since Monday afternoon. I'm trying to be positive it's just a strike and a temporary thing (I'm pretty sure it is, she was feeding at least 10 times in 24 hours before and then just stopped completely with no signs of tailing off) but I'm starting to get quite down about it 
she seems happy to take expressed milk from a sippy cup but I'm finding it really hard to express with 2 small children around, the pump I've borrowed is so slow (took me an hour and a half to get the same amount I can get in 20 minutes by hand) and I need both hands and both DC are trying to climb on me and grab the pump or otherwise just cry at my feet. If I do it by hand I feel bruised and either way I'm only finding time to do it about 2-3 times a day. it's so much harder than just feeding and I'm feeling stressed and worried about losing my supply/gaining weight/DD never feeding again.
has this happened to anyone else? is it common? Will DD remember what to do if she decides she wants to feed again? if I offer she either tries to get away or bites me. she's also getting really overtired because she's used to feeding to sleep.
the other thing I'm worried about is she's biting down on the cup so will she forget how to latch?
she's miserable, I'm miserable and with a needy toddler as well and I'm really started to feel stressed and depressed.
I never thought I'd miss breastfeeding so much, is gently offering several times a day enough to encourage her to restart? she seems to want to but can't either because of teething or a sore mouth, I don't know. her appetite is pretty normal, she still wants to be held and carried and cuddled all the time - only by me. I don't know what else to do
so far I've just been offering when I usually would, giving expressed milk in a sippy cup if she refuses, we've tried skin to skin, a bath (I couldn't even keep her still, she just writhed around and kept trying to stand up and grab things until I had to get her out) I've been wearing her in a sling when I can but she's really heavy and just can't keep still at the moment - she wants to come up and then wants to go down once I've picked her up and then cries to be picked up again if I put her down. I think she's still feeling under the weather but I can't feel any new teeth under the surface
sorry that was much longer than I intended it to be, thank you if you've got this far - can anyone help?