Nursing strike /breast refusal

[SiolGhoraidh]

Hoping for some advice here. My 11 week old is combo fed, with breast during the day and bottles of formula at night.

Recently he's started to refuse the left breast in the evening, sucking frantically then pulling off and crying. Changing position has helped a bit but most feeds end in hysterics. The problem is now spreading to the right side and briefing throughout the day.

breastfeeding is becoming miserable for both of us and my mental health is not benefiting either. We've worked so hard to establish bf despite difficulties (premature baby, tongue tie, maternal illness, low supply.) and I'm not ready to throw in the towel so early on

I'm going to ask the HV about ir to rule out thrush or similar, and I'll also go to the local BF drop in. Any tips in the meantime?

*and feeds throughout the day, that should say

Babies can get a preference for bottle over breast very quickly. Do you practice paced bottle feeding and use a slow flow teat?

Yes, he's pace fed with a slow teat. I usually usr a medela bottle as he has to work for the milk then. Or a standard bottle with a slow teat

He's been combo fed since a week old, so I'm not sure why it's only now he's refusing. It's usually about 5 minutes in, after the initial let down but with lots of milk still in the breast. Expressing off the excess doesn't seem to make a difference

Mine does this sometimes when he is tired just wants to go to sleep (in seem to have a fast and slow side or in the day when he is too nosy and not hungry. It may also be a bottle preference of course. They do get much quicker athan feeding and cope with longer gaps. But it might be none of that.

Once the let down has finished he really has to work for his milk which he's maybe not happy about. Do you switch sides regularly? Use breast compressions?

Thank you. We had a bit more success today with taking him off for a cuddle, calming him, putting him back next to the boob with a finger or dummy to suck, then switching to the breast again. Took bloody ages though. Then this evening he latched like a leech for 20 minutes and fell asleep on it! I really wish they could talk and explain what's wrong

@YellowStickies the mw advised doing one side at a time. At the mo he's only getting foremilk anyway, so it can't hurt to try switching sooner. I do do breast compressions, but he gets so worked up that it can be literally dribbling into his mouth and he's still screaming.

I experienced this with my DD at about 13 weeks, it was stressful and made every feed a misery and a battle. Just when I was about to try in the towel she started to accept it more and now four weeks later it's back to normal.

I would say, keep doing what you are doing. Get her sucking and then switch your breast in, but give up on the feed and give her a bottle if she's becomes very distressed. I think when I finally stopped worrying about it so did she and it all came good.

I think I may have found the culprit - a blocked milk gland that I must have missed earlier which has morphed into mastitis. Heat packs, massage and a gp visit ahead!

@motion it's great to hear you and your baby worked through it successfully!

Foremilk and hindmilk is an outdated way of thinking about it. It's all milk and increasing the volume is what matters. Switching often increases number of letdowns and volume passed to baby. Mastitis is awful, hope you feel better soon x

If you aren't feeding at night, how are you maintaining supply?