7 month old refusing milk! Please help

[Needsleeptime]

Hi all

Hoping someone can help me, for the past 24 hrs my 7 month old had refused to bf, (he has been ebf from birth). He is teething and bottom two teeth have broken through the gum, but probably still have some way to grow still.

He is usually fed 4/5 times a day, but last 24 hrs he has latched and then just bitten me with no interest in feeding. Eventually we managed to get him to take very small amounts out of tommee tippee cup, but really not much.

I am worried about him not getting calories/nutrients/liquids he needs. He is not a great eater of solids either.

I am also worried about my milk drying up as I don’t manage to express much at all. I have called nct, lll and national breastfeeding helplines and all three say no one available to take call.

Please help!

Mine did this at the same age. Didn't take solids or drink much milk (BF) for 4-5 days. Turned out to be teething and all went back to normal afterwards.

Do you have a pump? You can buy an affordable hand pump just to get through this period if you're really worried about supply.

Thanks brookshelley did you just keep up fluids by offering water throughout the day? I am worried about him being dehydrated

Yes I kept offering water which she took well, but food and milk she really was not interested. She was still filling nappies strangely enough.

Have you got liquid anbesol? If teeth are hurting, mine refuses to latch so I rub some of that on his gums and it numbs it so he can latch and feed. If you haven't got it, you can get it over the counter in the pharmacy

Sounds like a nursing strike.

Your supply is well established but you may need to pump or hand express for comfort and to avoid mastitis.

Yes to painkillers and then try skin to skin or when he's very sleepy (or in the bath did the trick for us at almost the same age when he was teething AND had a horrible sore throat)

Hi all

Thanks for all the advise. He has gone 48 hrs now without bf, I have expressed and he has drunk out of a sippy cup. Every time I offer him the breast he bites and then gets really upset, I might continue to express and give him sippy cup tomorrow without offering as it seems to make him upset x

Have you tried skin to skin? At least he's taking out of sippy cup.

Today might be totally different.

FIngers crossed