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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

DS is on breast strike - what can I do?

19 replies

Gingerbear · 21/10/2007 18:39

he is so distractable during the day, and will feed only if starving and in a quiet room.
He is feeding 2 hourly through the night.
5 months old - v tempted to start weaning, but would like to hold out longer - but he is hungry yet refusing breast during the day!
I really need some sleep.

OP posts:
JacOLantanne · 21/10/2007 18:42

There's something here about nursing strikes - maybe something here will help.

JacOLantanne · 21/10/2007 18:42

Wow, that was really badly worded I wish you could edit posts on here

angel1000 · 21/10/2007 18:44

i think you really need to give him some food. all babies are so different so i think this 6 month think is very misleading. i started weaning at 4 1/2 months. i think he is not feeling full with just breast milk so is feeling frustrated. just start with babyrice and i'm sure you'll notice a different. my ds is now 9 months and i knew he needed food as he just atarted waking uo so much in the night. once he was having food it was fine. good luck

JacOLantanne · 21/10/2007 18:51

From what I've read giving solids to fill a baby up is a bit misleading. Milk is much higher in fat than any solids you would be giving him. Starting solids with my BF children made no difference with their sleep and, if anything, their weight gain dropped off a bit for a while.

3madboys · 21/10/2007 18:53

all of my boys have done this at a similar age, not because they needed food, just becasue they found it hard to settle to a feed when there were distractions etc.

its a nightmare phase, but it is a phase

i made sure i had time when i could take them somewhere quiet to feed each day, and had them in bed with me so that the night feeding didnt bother me as much.

also do you have a sling? i have a ring sling and that was really good for feeding them, esp when they are distractable, i would put them in sling, then lie them down in it and walk around, jiggling them/rocking them etc so that they fed without getting so distracted its harder for them to look around when they are in the sling and they are so close etc that they feel reassured. also i would drape a muslim cloth or flannellet type cot sheet over sometimes when they were really tired and hard to settle

hope that helps a bit, good luck

angel1000 · 21/10/2007 19:00

i think you have to trust your intuition with this - for me it made a big difference once the weaning started and did make a big difference to sleeping - same for most of my friends who also started weaning at 4 1/2 months. but like everything it is a very personal choice

Original poster
Gingerbear · 21/10/2007 21:41

thanks for the link. I am worried that my supply might drop as he is not feeding during the day.
angel, I weaned DD at 4.5 months (she is now 5) IIRC, it didn't make much difference to her sleeping either maybe it is just a phase. I will give him another week and then start with some solids.

OP posts:
Original poster
Gingerbear · 21/10/2007 21:42

3madboys. Yes I have a coorie pouch. He is getting a bit big for it now, but he does settle and sleep in there.

OP posts:
JacOLantanne · 21/10/2007 21:51

I've just found this on Kellymom on "Reverse cycling" which is what it sounds like your ds is doing. There is also this which has some information about distractible babies. I think this may be more helpful as it doesn't really sound like a nursing strike.

FWIW I think that night feeds are better for supply than day feeds - I seem to remember a friend who expresses saying that she needed to express at night more often to get her supply to increase.

puffylovett · 21/10/2007 21:55

ds has been feeding 2 hourly through the night, hardly at all during the day - and my boobs are permanently on explode mode. so no supply issues there !

he's 7.5 mths btw - started this when we started BLW at 6 mths. He did go through a similar phase at 4-5 months, but it passed.

co sleep at night - it's a godsend. i bring him in about 4am when i just can't face getting up anymore

Original poster
Gingerbear · 21/10/2007 22:08

puffy - interesting about your DS being the same at 4-5 months, I have heard similar from other mums too.
Also interesting about your DS habits changing once you started BLW. Was hoping to try BLW too.
Oh, and I totally agree re co-sleeping - much easier than getting up to fish him out of a cot, but I am still tired.

Jac - aha! I think you may be right - thanks again for the links.

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Original poster
Gingerbear · 21/10/2007 22:20

'Until this stage has passed, baby may need a quiet place to nurse and/or more night nursing until he's figured out how to deal with distraction. Do take advantage of night nursing during this time - it doesn't matter when baby takes in his calories during a 24-hour period. One study showed that older babies can consume as much as 25% of their total daily intake of mother's milk during the night, probably partly because of daytime distractibility.'

Kellymom comes up with great info once again.

OP posts:
chibi · 22/10/2007 08:13

My lo went through the being super distracted/needing very precise conditions in which to nurse at around the 4 month mark. It does pass, I think they learn how to cope. She is now 5 months and unless all hell is literally breaking loose next to her ears, she can cope with distractions [slight exaggeration emoticon]

puffylovett · 22/10/2007 21:04

oh, and of course the distraction / reverse cycling is also combined with the fabled 4 and a half month growth spurt....

i think i was a zombie for about 3 weeks. Had about 2 weeks respite, then he caught a cold, started teething and we started weaning and it all went to pot again !

oh god i'm not painting a very positive piccie am i - sorry ! he's settled now, sleeping much better

Original poster
Gingerbear · 22/10/2007 21:09

We had a better day today - he fed much better during the day - we had a quiet day at home with few distractions, I bathed him at 6pm and he was asleep at 7pm. Am waiting for the familiar 10pm cry, but I am relaxing with a glass of wine so feel much better now.

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JacOLantanne · 22/10/2007 23:37

Good to hear that Gingerbear

Tortington · 22/10/2007 23:41

I wouldhave a breast recducawtion

MarsLady · 22/10/2007 23:48

Ginge.... you keep up the milk babe. When we first wean babies it tends to be empty calories.... fruit, veg etc. Just remember the mantra

This too will pass!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're doing a great job and I can't believe 5 months have passed so quickly. Anyhoo.... sounds like a growth spurt and you're doing the right things

Original poster
Gingerbear · 23/10/2007 19:23

Custy - 'breast recducawtion' Nope, for the life of me I can't decipher that typo.

hey Marsy, hello missus. I must admit, he has had a spoonful of banana and some butternut squash today, lots of milk and has been asleep for the last hour

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