Nursing strike: how to get through it?

[alittlebitshy]

I seem to have posted what feels like a million threads this weekend but here goes again.

My ds (9mo) is refusing to feed. He seems to have chicken pox (dr was dubious but then changed mind) but he certainly has a raging sore throat.

He fed as normal on Sat then in the night was reluctant but did feed eventually. He refused all day yesterday but did feed at bedtime. Nightitme was a horror as i normally feed him back to sleep and we had more wake ups than normal simply because he felt so rotten Dh mostly cuddled him to sleep.

I've been expressing - so far 3 times today -aim for another 2-3 (depending on if he will feed at bedtime). I feel uncomfy though as I am sure the pump isn't going the best job.

He normally takes a bottle but won't atm. We got a bit of milk inot him using the nurofen syringe, and he is taking some water from his sippy cup so he's not going to get de-hydrated yet.

I am terrified this is the end of bf. I have been enjoying it after a rotten start and was so proud to have got this far and did not want to stop yet. Normally ds loves it, but how can i be sure he'll take to it again?

Argh

Hi

I too have about a million threads on this....
DS has had three strikes now.
The first two lasted 4-5 days.

The last one lasted NINETEEN DAYS!

But he came back to it!

For me the worst bit was the hormone crash you get - I had a few days of being very teary for no real reason.
My advice would be to get the norks out as much as possible so they are accessible if he does feel the inclination to feed, try and spend time in a nursing position but not nursing so he can relax and snuggle up to you without the screaming and arching.

Hope some of this helps!

You will get through it
Keep going with the pumping to keep some supply - I'm sure I was getting nowhere near as much as he would take from me but once he started feeding again it caught up quickly.
What worked for me the last time (possibly) was "reverse nipple confusion" - got him onto a bottle so he remembered what it was like to suck for food (but that was after 17 days strike - and a whole 3/12 without a bottle)

Oh bollocks the last bit ended up in the middle for some reason!

you get my drift anyway......

Don't force the issue. Hang around the house with no top on (you might want to shut the curtains! ). Striking babies often do their first few feeds in unusual positions or situations, so you want to maximise those without putting any pressure on. Don't hold him like you normally would to feed him. Bath with him. Play with him. You want him to forget he's got an issue with feeding so you don't want any of the usual pre-amble that will remind him about it. You kind of want it to happen accidentally, as it were. Keep your supply up too if you can, but don't worry too much - it'll be the comfort side of it he'll come back to, rather than the milk side.