8m old refusing to feed during the day

[Callamia]

My eight month old has been breastfed since birth, it’s been fairly straightforward.

He’s been doing fine at weaning, eats three meals a day (lunch is usually the smallest meal).

My problem is that he does not think that feeding is for him during the day. I can offer him the breast and he sucks for about 30s and then he arches away and shouts. I think he can be distracted by anything around him. He could find something in a dark empty room to distract him from feeding.

He may be teething (no teeth yet), but he will feed happily at night and to go to sleep in the evening.

I’m tired, quite stressed, and a bit concerned that he isn’t taking in enough milk. His weight gain has been fine, but his last weigh in showed that he’s started to drop a little (although I’m not enormously worried - this was straight after a tummy bug).

Any words of advice? reassurance?

A few things could be going on,
This might seem strange but have you changed your deodorant, soap, perfume?
I do know that nursing strike is a thing, usually in new borns if mother has changed a cosmetic and the baby doesn't like the scent.

He may be self weaning off the breast. DD3 did this at 6 months. I offered her a bottle of formula (never managed to express). She took it and fed fine after that.

Thanks. I don’t wear perfume while I’m feeding, I think it must be overload. Nothing has changed except his fury about being fed.

I do sometimes work out of the home, but he’s reluctant to take much milk from a cup too. He’s never been bottle fed, and I really can’t be bothered starting with that now (I also suspect that he’s a bit sensitive to dairy - persistent eczema on cheeks and chin). I can’t express enough for him either.

My nearly 7 month old is like this at the moment, distracted/not interested in the day (same whether breast or bottle) then wants to breastfeed all night.
Today I tried just giving her a yoghurt in the morning and not offering milk till after her afternoon nap and she fed much better.