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Infant feeding

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

Nursing strike

3 replies

LittleLionMansMummy · 19/07/2017 14:33

Dd is almost 8 months and on three meals a day, with three milk feeds (first thing, mid to late afternoon and bedtime). She was ebf till 6 months when I replaced one feed with formula. I had wanted and envisaged continuing with the bedtime breastfeed for quite a while longer, but for the past 3 days dd has flat out refused breastfeeding and will only have a bottle. I mean she throws a full on hissy fit if i approach her with the boob! I think it traces back to a couple of times when she bit me and my shock scared her. Really not ready to give up breastfeeding totally (actually really sad at the thought) but struggling to express more than a couple of ounces, despite waking with them engorged today. Is this It? Do I just need to resign myself to It? Or is there anything else I can try before my milk supply dies completely? I keep encouraging her - when she's in a happy mood, when she's sleepy, making it fun and light hearted, soft cuddles etc but it always just ends in her in floods of tears struggling to escape and me upset too. But she's always ready for a bottle and will cry and cry until I give her it, despite people recommending not providing alternatives. Please help!

OP posts:
furryelephant · 19/07/2017 14:51

I don't think there's a lot you can do if she really doesn't want it, but it is pretty common to go on a nursing strike and then want to carry on feeding afterwards! Your supply is well established by now so should pick back up if she starts wanting it again Smile
could she be getting any teeth or have a sore throat or mouth that is making her have a bottle preference? And do you do paced feeding when she has her bottle? If not she may be frustrated if she's getting the milk quicker from a bottle.
La leche league have a good page on their website about nursing strikes if you haven't had a read of it already Smile

LittleLionMansMummy · 19/07/2017 15:00

I think her top teeth are coming, but her bottom ones didn't bother her at all when they came through. She's had a heavy cold recently but isn't bunged up. Thinking about it, her latch hasn't been great for a few weeks now and she kind of tugs and pushes with her hand so perhaps it is frustration at not getting it quickly enough, and it didn't take much to put her off altogether when she bit me and I yelped.

OP posts:
furryelephant · 19/07/2017 15:05

Could you maybe go back to the smaller size teats on her bottles and see if it helps at all? Do you hold her differently giving her a bottle to when you're breastfeeding? My DD is 7 months and the only way I found out she had an ear infection was that she screamed when I tried to lie her down to feed! It can be quite common after a cold.
I know you've probably tried all sorts to be able to express more but if you haven't, try drinking loads of water while on the let down setting of your pump if you have that! Drinking until I get a let down is the only way I get anything at all Confused

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