Breastfeeding strike, or self-weaning? Help

[zaphod]

My ds,14 months has been feeding four times a day and once at night. He has a cough at the moment and night before last, began to gag when I fed him. It took a while, but he finally decided to feed. Then last night at his bed-time feed the same thing happened, although he had already fed from one breast.

This morning he gagged again, but fed eventually,and he took his afternoon feed, but only from one breast.

3 hours later he won't feed from the other breast, starts, but gags and then won't have anything to do with it.

Is this a breastfeeding strike or is he weaning himself? I've been to the doctor about his cough, but it is only viral. Naturally I did'nt think to ask about the BF.

replying to bump for you. I would reckon its just the cough bothering him and he's worked out that feeding aggrevates the cough? keep trying with him and when cough lessens he'll probably be okay again... (but I'm not expert!). My dd had a cold recently and she didnt feed as normal either... now fine again, in fact has recently increased her feeds from 2 per day to 3 or 4!

I think it's the cough... a strike or weaning is usually a complete refusal to feed.

agree with pupuce, doesn't sound like a strike yet. However, it could turn into one. My dd went into a nursing strike at 15 months during a heavy cold and couldn't be tempted back.
It might be worth following some of the strike advice, i.e. feeding in the dark lying down, in the bath etc. to reassure your ds that feeding is nice?

Thanks for replying. He has completely refused to feed now, so I have been expressing. I'm very upset [which surprises me] that this could lead him to stop feeding completely, as I had hoped that he would continue until he was 2ish.

It doesn't help that he is my last baby, and quite small and babyish. He is a bad eater, and while he was breastfeeding, I was reassured that he was getting some nutrition, on days when he would eat very little solid food.