Here's the story:
My baby went onto solids around 22 weeks or so (I think!), and quickly went up to having 3 meals a day (within about 3 weeks of having the first mouthful of rice).
Baby is now 38 weeks - over the last 3 weeks or so, he has reduced his breastfeeds (which were early morning, mid morning, bedtime and once or twice during the night) down to 1 feed - (bedtime), then for a few days - he dropped that one too!
I then started trying to find a way to increase his breastfeeds - I'm so lucky I have a friend who knows LOTS about breastfeeding - who was able to advise - some things I tried were reducing solid feeds a bit (he was eating say: a weetabix and banana - with cows milk for bfast, dinner and pudding at lunch, dinner and pudding at tea time, and maybe a yoghurt or fruitpot before bed - no wonder he dropped the breastfeeds!!!)...
I reduced the amount of solids a bit - but he held out for them and wouldn't take the breast! I have been offering the breast a lot - and giving lots of skin to skin contact. Have not done the bathing together bit yet.
I do wear nursing bras and easy access bf tops for quick access if he shows the slightest interest!
I tried the Medela nursing system to supplement his bf - but he wasn't keen on the breast anyway at this point - and certainly not with the new "fandango nursing necklace that he was not allowed to yank the tubes of - or pick the tape off!" Infact he got quite distressed - so that was the end of that "experiment".
I have a couple of hand pumps (lasinoh and avent) but have not been able to pump more than a couple of ounces with them).
In the last 24 hrs baby has had diahorrea - like his 3 sisters have had - and vomiting too.
We went to the dr this am - he's not unduly worried at this stage - I'm to offer baby lots of fluids.
Last night baby WANTED to nurse - every hour. I did her some glugging - so there is still SOME milk there.
He doesn't seem keen for the breast during the day. (there is a lot of distraction/noise at home with the other kids - and it's hard to find a quiet time)but I have managed to encourage some good efforts to feed despite this - and I think my milk supply has increased a little - slowly.
I am looking to increase my volume of milk more quickly - and try to encourage more breastfeeding even when well again (I wanted to bf up to 2y at least!).
I have taken "goats rue" supplements and "more milk +" too - It's hard to say how much these have helped as I'm doing a number of things to encourage milk supply and feeding! I shall continue them for now as they don't seem to harm anyway - and might even be helping some!
I think an electric pump would help - I was going to get the ameda lactaline - but somebody else (an online shop) has suggested a medela pump in style advanced or medela freestyle - both of these options are VERY much more expensive than the ameda lactaline - how do I know which breastpump will suit me?
If baby won't go back to the breast - I plan to use pumped milk in a cup - or mixed with food/cereal to get it into him. I'd really like him to rekindle his nursing.
He also got a new tooth the time the actually "complete nursing strike" occured - this was his first tooth (I know - that's late for a first tooth!).