Nursing strike in 8.5 mo. old - any experiences?

[systemsaddict]

Hi, my 8.5 month old has gone on a nursing strike. She bit me yesterday and got incredibly upset when I said 'no' and took her off - crying floods of real tears and looking completely distraught - she is normally a very happy little thing. Since then she refuses to feed, arches away and screams whenever she gets near a boob. We had a very very unsettled night last night because of this. She is still eating solids, drinking water and EBM happily from a cup (has never taken a bottle). I have had her checked over by the GP and no sign of ear, throat or chest infection.

I am planning to keep trying to gently reintroduce it, have spoken briefly to bfc who suggested co-bathing, but wanted to know if anyone has any experience of this - can I get bfeeding back on track? Up till yesterday she was feeding 4 or 5 times a day and 2 or 3 times at night so she is nowhere near weaning yet! Of course the GP said 'maybe it's a good thing, you'll be trying to wean her soon anyway' - um, no ....

Yes my DS had a strike at the same age (as well as one at 7 months).
Made my boobs available without being pushy (sitting around nonchalantly waggling tits!), kept going with the EBM - lasted 5 days both times.

Don't actually know what I did to get him started again though - sometimes they are more receptive if they are half asleep so could be worth a try.
I will say as soon as he decided he would feed he went right back to being how he always has (boob-monster!)

HTH

thanks wuglet! will get boobs out forthwith . It helps massively to know it can get back to normal after 5 days - I've started to panic already, after 3 or 4 days I would be a wreck!

She is still not feeding. We co-bathed and co-slept last night, doing lots of skin to skin, but she was really distressed and unsettled and didn't get properly to sleep till after 10, she kept almost feeding and then panicking and turning away and screaming. When she finally did get off to sleep she was doing sucking motions with her mouth, broke my heart.

With some distraction I can now get her next to my boob without hysterics about half the time, but there is no sign of actual feeding.

I thought I saw an ulcer in her mouth today which might explain this but not sure now having looked again.

Any more ideas / support / experiences really welcomed as I'm very worried about this; it's exactly how my son weaned (caused by teething with him) but he was a year old and so I didn't push it, but have always regretted since that feeding him finished so abruptly and unpleasantly. I really would like it to tail off more gradually this time, and surely 8 1/2 months is too young for self-weaning?

Wondering how things are going.....

much better thanks wuglet! Have been meaning to post an update but didn't want to jinx it ...

I stuck with the boobs-out-lots no-pressure approach, lots of cuddling and skin-to-skin, and she fed again for the first time on Saturday morning. She was really nervous to start off with, she nipped me a couple of times and pulled away at the tiniest flinch on my part, so I did freak her out when she bit me last week, but I just tried to be really reassuring and gentle and by Sunday she was back to feeding confidently and normally again [phew].

We are both very relieved and she is super-happy, I think she really enjoyed all the extra cuddles! And an unexpected bonus is that she is sleeping much much better, it seems to have broken her feeding to sleep habit now she knows she can get through the night without me.

Many thanks for the advice and support

Yeah! I love a happy ending..

Very of the sleeping - with us it was the beginning of sleep hell!

May have spoke too soon on the sleep, she was up at 12, 3 and 5.50 last night - but still feeding so that's the main thing!