Just turned one and has stopped bfing, cold or self weaning?

[callmeovercautious]

I am so sad. DD has just turned one and is poorly with a cold (ruined her bday )
However she is refusing to feed, once such an enthusiastic feeder I was looking forward to extended feeding her.

So if she continues this strike, how do I maintain my supply - express? and how often, I am thinking as she usually feeds 4x that I should express at those times. Am I right or do I do more?
Also as she is now so much older will she just decide not to go back? She actually pushes me away when I offer her the boob and screams. She is very bunged up and can't feed so is obviously distressed, I don't want to upset her even more by keep offering it. She is having cows milk in a doidy cup which she loves, but I am worried she will prefer it

Am usually so positive about bfing and this has hit me hard. Think I am panicing over nothing but any advice/experience would be gratefully received!

I am not very experienced, but I do have a 14-month old DS who is still bf-ing. The cold sounds like the most obvious explanation. DS has gone off some of his feeds when he has a cold. Expressing sounds like a good idea.

Another possibility, however, is that you may be feeding her more often than she needs you to. DS went down from four feeds to three about three months before his first birthday (I can't remember exactly when). A few weeks ago, I posted on here for advice because he was biting me on the second and third feeds, giggling and not taking things at all seriously. I cut out the afternoon feed and now feed him just twice (on waking and just before he goes to bed). The biting has stopped and he feeds very seriously at both feeds. He has started drinking a small quantity of cows milk mid-morning.

Hope this helps.

Thanks oldie mum - I don't worry if she does not fancy one of the day time ones as she is at Nursery some days anyway. It is just that the night feed has gone out the window and as she is a big feed to sleep baby (even though if well she can sleep without it now) I know something is wrong

I actually considered defrosting some ebm and giving her a bottle which I have not done for at least 6m! She eventually went off with cuddles tonight.

Bump need help!

BF DS til he was c. 13 months, but DD self weaned at about 10 months and I was gutted, especially as I knew she'd be my last baby. Both had been having milk from cups during the day from 7 months, BF morning and night. It might be just that a cup is easier for her while she can't breat. Keep your milk supply (not expert enough to say how often you'll have to express, but would have thought at least as often as you hope to feed), and try her again when she can breathe properly. Prepare yourself tho that she might not want to....

have you tried latching your dd on when she is asleep, if shelikes to feed to go to sleep she may comfort suck and actually feed a bit whilst she sleeps, then hopefully once her cold starts to get better she will resume bfeeding

do you think she is teething or has a sore throat, if so it may be uncomfortable for her to feed?

i would just hold her close and give her some expressed breast milk, give her that instead of the cows milk, it will be better for her, esp with her cold.

sorry she had such a yucky bday and i hope she is feeling better and feeding again soon.

do keep expressing to keep up your milk supply, sometimes when mine were on a feeding strike i would squirt a bit in their mouths when i offered it to them, and that would give them a taste and encourage them to latch on.

often tho when they have cold your let down and all the milk is a bit too much for them and they feel like they are choking etc, which may be why she screams when you offer her the breast? she is a bit scared, so take her to bed with you maybe and see if she will latch on when asleep. hth xxx

Thanks everyone, she has had a few short feeds, one in the night then this morning but after her nap she just pushed me away. I gave up immediately so she does not feel forced. Hopefully she will be ok when her nose clears!

that sounds good i am sure as her nose clears she will soon be a bfeeding monster again glad to hear you sounding relaxed about it, its so awful when they refuse to feed, but you are doing everything right

take care of yourself xxxx and hope dd gets well soon xxx

Good news - big old bf before bed tonight and is still asleep!!! Hoping for an all nighter so I can get some sleep!

That's great!