Bf strike - any success stories?

[Smokedfish]

Dd is 11 months has been on a nursing strikes since Christmas Day. She is teething and i suspect her gums are sore. She has also got a cold and can't breathe through her nose as it's blocked. The last couple of feeds she struggled for air and brought up her milk probably because she swallowed air whilst feeding.

After 48 hours I managed to entice her and she had a tentative feeds on both boobs. I am expressing milk but can already see that supply is on the down. Since yesterday evening she has refused again.

She accepts expressed milk from a cup but not keen on the bottle.

I have read up some information and am trying to keep things light and fun when trying to attach so she doesn't feel pressued.

It would be a real shame to stop bf now where things were going so well. I had hoped to feed her a bit longer .

Anyone's baby came around after a strike?

Craft, yes it's really difficult isn't it?

Did you feel the nasal spray made a difference? I bought some saline spray yesterday but have still to try it. It's just feels so strange. Dd was still on about 6-8 bfs a day. She is eating her solids without any trouble though.

I wonder if its is worth renting an electric pump to keep up supply more easily? Not sure where to get that from though. I never had any issues like this with dc1.

I was just going to start a thread. 9 month old dd is on day 3 of a nursing strike. She is full of cold and I think teething which is why she's striking as she's in pain and can't breathe when latched on.

It's horrible, I can barely get 4oz pumping and I only have one boob to do it from! (Dd has always refused my left side)

She will drink water from her sippy cup and has had a little expressed milk a well but not nearly enough.

She managed a massive feed last night then projectile vomited it all up. Combination of too much milk and too much air taken in due to poor latch from blocked nose.

I'm hoping as soon as her nose clears she will be back to normal.

Canta, I feel for you .

I found this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/a1896510-nursing-strike and have just managed to 'coax' her to feed by rising her 5 min after falling asleep for her nap. So far so good.last night when I managed to feed her (after 48 hours of no joy) she brought it all up as well. Like you I believe it was due to a blocked nose and swallowing air.before I put her down for a nap I gave her bonjela and saline spray.

I'd also maybe have her checked by a doctor if it goes on - DS2 has a bad cold and been semi-off his feed for a few days, turns out he not only has a very blocked nose but has infections in both ears and a red raw throat, both of which were also hurting him when he tried to feed. He's just finished a day of antibiotics and is making game if snotty attempts to feed again.

Oh leedy, that sounds painful for your ds. I'm glad he's on the mend and back to business wrt bf. I managed to give her another feed on both sides after a snooze so that's 2x for us today. She is feeding veeeeeery tentatively though but it's progress, I suppose. Don't feel home free yet though.

No personal experience but friends have had success with taking a bath together. Hopefully the steam would help too?

I'm dreading DD doing this, it must be so sad. I'm sure you can get through it, your supply should be pretty robust by now.

My 14 mo dd went on strike on Christmas day too. I spent Christmas day pumping. A combination of teething and excitement I think. I got her to feed in the end by doing a dreamfeed around 11pm. She wasn't totally asleep still but was dopey enough to cooperate.

Just to update (I'm CantaSlaws) I think dd's strike is officially over! This was day 5. She had a couple of short feeds last night and has had a couple today and I am just hopefully feeding her to sleep. I'm just hoping she doesn't vomit this back up!

Yay well done!

Canta/Pear, that's brilliant, what a relief!!

Dd is fully back to business as well, yeah!!!!

Am on my way out but want to write a recap later, for anyone else who might struggle with one of these.

Thank you for the support. I think without the support here and the info on the thread I linked to upthread, dd and i wouldn't be bf now. Xxx

Happy New Year everyone!

Dd and I have managed to overcome this tricky bf strike. Here is what has worked for us (most of the ideas came form an older mn thread which I have linked to above).

Relaxing together by:

• enjoying skin to skin whilst walking around with her in a warm room holding her in the cradle position, wriggling her softly and singing nursery rhymes. After a few minutes of this, offering her the breast which (bra was already pulled down so not to have to fiddle around with it). She didn't take it at first but snuggled up against the breast (with her hand positioned between nipple and her mouth to be safe ). This got her 'reacquainted' with my breasts and for the first time in two days she didn't pull back and arch her back.

• I then offed her some expressed milk in a cup, gave her saline spray and bonjela and got her to sleep. I woke her after 5 minutes and she fed!!! Very very gingerly suspiciously though. She fed on both sides the slept.

This basically broke the strike but she was still a bit suspicious and refused a couple more times when her nose was really blocked and she couldn't breath whilst nursing.

Anyways, basically skin to skin, saline spray (and bonjela for good measure), walking around in cradle position and raising her from her sleep worked for us.

This was really tough mentally even though she is already 11 months old. Good luck to everyone who experiences a strike like this xxxx

Oh that's great, and thanks for the tips. I hope I never need them but I probably will at some point.

Glorious, even though I didn't try out bathing with her I think it's a great idea. We gave her a bath on her own once the fever had gone though and the warmth and steam helped clear her nose too.

Whoops, just name changed, anyway previous post by me, the op .

Breastfed all three of mine, they all went through periods like this when their noses were blocked. So much easier for a baby to let the milk trickle out of a bottle or cup than have to work for it when you are full of cold. I think that skin to skin and cuddling makes them interested again. Also, once their appetite returns they feel better about it.

It would be such a shame to stop now right in the middle of the bugs season when the breast milk does them so much good. I used to love the fact that their immunity was being boosted and that was a real driver for me to carry on bfing. FWIW my youngest went on to breastfeed until she was three despite losing interest at times......

Great news Blingy. Only problem im now having is a bloody sore nipple! Think her latch still isn't quite right as her nose is still a bit blocked.

I do take her off and relatch if it's very painful but as the damage has been done I'm loathe to take her off every time as it might be the only way she can feed at the minute.

I've dug the lansinoh back out anyway!