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Infant feeding

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

6 months starting to refuse the breast

6 replies

Breizhette · 13/07/2007 21:04

Hi,

I have been mixed feeding since early on following a CS with a GA and quite a lot of morphine. I tried to exclusively bf for weeks but was made to ff. Anyway. I have been mixed feeding for 6 months (50% of each) and my supply is actually increasing now so trying to reduce ff.
The problem is that my DD now refuses to bf except when she's tired.
Has anyone else been through a bad patch like this and continued on successfully?

OP posts:
determination · 13/07/2007 21:58

This is a post i had made on this thread It sounds like the same sort of thing and possibly the same solution, hope this helps.

I experienced the exact same thing as you when dd1 was around 13 weeks. Only i had been supplementing using a bottle as i had Mastitis 4 times which had majorly decreased my milk supply. The rejections was so bad that my dd would not allow me to hold her in the cradle position even when we were fully clothed. She would scream until she was loosing her breath.

What i did was ditched the bottles COMPLETELY. i would feed her using a large feeding syringe (free from chemist) and also the Medela Softcup Advanced Feeder, this meant that i was not spilling any of my "liquid gold" whilst trying to get it into her. Also, her sucking needs were not satisfied and usually when she was really tired or actually sleeping i could get her to latch onto me using a nipple shield - as she was used to the texture of the bottles.

Then i started a mission to get dd to associate my breasts with a "Happy Feeling". The way i done this was by laying dd on the floor and blowing raspberries on her tummy until she laughed, then i gently and quickly touched her face with my bare breast. We done this nearly every waken hour throughout the day for about 10 days then she started to show loving signs of the breast again. She would happily cuddle into my breast and would let me hold her happily whilst i was clothed or not. Then suddenly whilst playing "Happy Breast Time!" she quickly rooted and latched on - i was on all fours on top of her but managed to stay there until she was finished! I honestly felt like opening the house windows and screaming to let the world know how excited i was.. this was around 2 weeks after we started it. Then we spent about a further week around the house.. sleeping together naked, bathing together and playing together naked! If you have a sling carry your LO in this whilst going out rather than using a pushchair.

Before long we were back in full swing and the bottles were long in the bin.. we managed to continue BFing until she was just over 2 and she self weaned as i got pregnant again.

You Will get through this.. Just remember even though you are feeling that he is "rejecting" you, you are the person he loves most. It is just a case of pchycologilly training him that the breast is for happiness.

Breizhette · 13/07/2007 22:18

Thank you so much. This is very encouraging. We do co-sleep and sometimes bathe together. I love the idea of "Happy feeding". I will give it a go despite my entourage telling me it's time to stop as she obviously doesn't want it anymore.

OP posts:
determination · 14/07/2007 11:18

Here is some more useful information

It is very highly unlikely that she is self weaning at this age.. it more like a nursing strike.

determination · 15/07/2007 03:39

Breiz,

Hows things going?

Breizhette · 15/07/2007 14:34

Hello, thanks for checking on me.
Fine, yesterday went great and today good so far. I have just started to give her solids so I think this played a role in the strike!
The Kellymom link was great. Thanks again. xx

OP posts:
determination · 15/07/2007 17:25

your welcome Breiz,

Is she feeding full time and loving the breast again?

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