13wk old refusing breast. Only one feed in last 20 hours

[MuggledOff]

Just wondered if anyone has experienced this. My previously placid happy 13wk old has stopped breastfeeding. She is just screaming if I put her anywhere near the breast. She has been a great feeder since birth so it's very unusual.

She has had a cold and a cough for a few weeks and I think a slight tummy bug (everyone in the house has had a bit of a dodgy tummy the last few days).

She had an unsettled day yesterday with a lot of crying but has seemed happier today. She fed slightly less yesterday, had a bedtime feed about 10pm and has refused anything since.

Any suggestions?

Is her nose blocked?
Have you tried saline drops to clear it? she can't feed and breathe if her nose is blocked.

Is her breathing rate normal?
My 4 month old couldn't feed because he was breathing very fast due to bronchiolitis. This is really important because it can get very serious very quickly.

What is her temperature?

Are you using perfume or anything that could be putting her off?

Sorry, I keep thinking of things to check.

Has she had a wet nappy today?
Have you offered water either on a spoon or with a bottle?
It is very hot again today so hydration is very important.

Has she a temperature?
Wet nappies?
Have you tried both breasts?
Is she teething?
Try a different position?

I had this (I'm going back 10 years now but I remember it like it was yesterday) I ended up at the doctors who sent me to the hospital. After much checking of baby they ended up feeding her with a bottle. She then slept through the night (at the hospital with people checking on her every hour) and the next Morning was back to normal and feeding well.

I don't know if I had eaten something she didn't like or if there was something else wrong.

Thanks for the thoughts. I did put perfume on today for the first time in months...

I've got saline drops so I'll try them. The cough and cold doesn't seem to be bothering her too much, she's had it for a few weeks now and saw the Dr last week who said it wasn't serious. Her temperature has been normal and was normal again this morning.

Thankfully (!?) its cool and rainy here today so I'm not so stressed about dehydration as I would have been a week ago.

I've expressed milk now as was very uncomfortable so when she wakes up I'll try her with a bottle. She isn't acting particularly hungry which is the bit confusing me.

Thanks again. Hopefully we can work out how to get some milk into her!

Wet nappies, yes a few but definitely less wet than usual. Not completely dry though. First sign of dry nappies and I'll phone 111. No dirty nappies but it's normal for her to go days between dirty nappies.

Can't see or feel teeth, have tried both breasts, every feeding position, skin to skin, feeding lying down.

Thanks for the input

I would take her to A and E if she's not had a feed in that long, I had to do similar with my youngest and they did observations on him and kept him in till he had had a feed.

My dd did this at one point. It was so stressful ! I took her to the GP who looked inside her ears and they were inflamed , the GP felt that it was hurting her to suck and swallow. Thankfully it only lasted 48 hours. My dd was a few months older, so I spoon fed her fluids and gave her food, and then suddenly (while back in the GP’s surgery in a panic ) she started feeding again. That was the only time it happened but it is pretty common with sore throats, inflamed ears, or blocked noses.
With such a tiny baby the main thing will be keeping fluids etc up, until feeding is resumed. Can you syringe small amounts of expressed milk ? Takes time but will keep up your supply and keep your baby fed and hydrated .

I also agree either see the GP, who can check ears, or go to Casualty if she can’t even take syringed milk.

Hurrah she's feeding! Decided to try her one last time before phoning out of hours and she has latched on and is feeding fine. I'll still do the saline as I wonder if it is a blocked nose or similar.

Thanks so much for all your thoughts. I'm so relieved!

Hurrah . What a relief. I remember actually crying with relief when dd started feeding again. I was hopeless at pumping so had engorged breasts, and I was so stressed !
Might never happen again. I fed dd2 until she was five and that was the only time it happened.

I had this with my DC. It turned out that they had silent reflux caused by a Cows milk protein allergy. If her reluctance to feed continues please see your GP and raise this as a question.

Both mine fed well to start with but over time the constant vomiting ( babies with silent reflux vomit the milk up but then swallow it back down...- so you don’t know they are vomiting) had caused ulcers in their oesophagus. They then refused to feed or would eventually latch on have several big glugs then arch away screaming.

It was easily sorted by a prescription of ranitidine and me following a dairy free diet.

Hope you get to the bottom of it soon. I would worry about the lack of milk even more in this hot weather.