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Infant feeding

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

12 weeks...nursing strike?

7 replies

jusdepamplemousse · 05/06/2016 13:46

DD is 12 weeks and while she isn't completely refusing to feed, will only suck for about a minute - two max - before pulling off. Often I think she pulls off before let down. If I try to put her back on she screams. When she is on she's punching my boob or mashing her hand into her face. She's definitely dehydrated after about 36 hours of this - dry lips and sunken fontanelle. I've no idea how much she's had, it's not nothing, but clearly not enough. She refuses to take a bottle of expressed milk or water - and I even tried some formula in desperation. Nothing doing.

My period came back this week which I know might have effected my milk but what can I do about that? She is also v dribbly so maybe starting to teeth, but again, what can I do?

Am offering boob all the time, have done skin to skin, lying down, dark room, different places.

Anything I haven't thought of? When do I need to panic? Am trying to keep cool about it but worried especially as weather hotter than normal here atm.

Very grateful for any tips!

OP posts:
getyourselfchecked · 05/06/2016 22:07

Oooh blimey, that sounds pretty stressful. You're doing really well to keep your cool. It's a shame nobody has offered any advice and I don't know what I would do either. I had similar a couple of weeks ago and I just had to get through it i.e. keep putting the baby back on and my supply increased after a day or so. I would be getting concerned about dehydration though, tbh, especially in this hot weather. As it is sunday, can you call your local maternity ward?
Would a bit of calpol calm her if she is having teething pain? *disclaimer- I am not offering medical advice, check with OOH (phew!)

Tatiebee · 05/06/2016 22:13

Keep trying but whilst little one is still refusing how about expressing into a cup and feeding her from a syringe? Once she's tasted the milk in the syringe she might be more inclined to feed.

puddleduckmummy · 05/06/2016 22:15

If you haven't already spoken to someone, maybe ring your HV in the morning and ask her advice. Hope she settles soon

jusdepamplemousse · 06/06/2016 01:56

Thanks guys...relieved to say she's nursing again now (with a vengeance!) - no idea what was going on. Hopefully she keeps it up. Well, calms it a little and keeps it up HmmGrin.

I basically took it off the agenda altogether for a couple of hours and stopped offering...seemed to re set things. Maybe I was stressing her out? Feel awful if so but she does need to eat! Confused

Ah well. Thanks for replies anyways all.

OP posts:
NickyEds · 06/06/2016 13:12

My dd did this several times at about your baby's age. It was really stressful! I think sometimes I was just assuming that she needed feeding when she was fine. I think they can pretty much be trusted to take what they need- when I realised that it became much easier to relax.

jusdepamplemousse · 06/06/2016 14:41

Thanks Nicky. Tbh if it wasn't so hot I wouldn't be as worried but she was certainly dehydrated by the usual signs.

I'm vaguely concerned now as I didn't get engorged when she was striking...could that be a sign I don't actually have enough milk? Bit of a mare if so as she acts like she's being poisoned when presented with a bottle Confused.

OP posts:
NickyEds · 06/06/2016 16:17

It doesn't mean you don't have enough milk. I was never, even once properly engorged (even when she missed a feed as she did take a bottle) and dd always seemed to get enough milk.

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