Please talk to me about breastfeeding strike?

[jennieflower]

DS is nearly 8 months, he's always loved being breast fed and has never turned down a feed, we've been doing baby led weaning and he's always had a fantastic appetite, clears his tray every meal.

He's got 4 teeth now, all at the front, 2 at the top and 2 at the bottom, in the past he's nipped me occasionally but nothing too painful, but he's come down with tonsillitis so has totally lost his appetite. Today I've offered him my boobs several times but every time he's bitten me really hard, I've actually bled , I've actually only got him to take 2 feeds all day, one breastfeed, one EBM (which he wolfed down).

So I think he's on a breastfeeding strike because I've cried out when he's bitten me, and now he's associating breastfeeding with being shouted at, I'm also really worried about offering my boobs anymore in case he bites me again, it really bloody hurts!

I fed my daughter until she self weaned at 22 months and really want to do the same with DS, but I'm actually frightened to attempt breastfeeding again

Does anyone have any advice?

My dd had a nursing strike at 7m.She was teething,and the GP said her ears were a bit inflamed,so I think it was painful for her when she sucked. It was horrible at the time,I was an emotional wreck with the wierd hormone shift as she had been feeding a lot,hardly on solids at all,and I found it hard to express.I tried getting her to feed in the bath,when asleep etc,and after a couple of days she latched on (in the GP's surgery) and it has never happened again,she is still bf (24m).My older DD did have a very minor strike after I yelled out when she nipped me-I got round it by managing to get her to latch on after she fell asleep.(I think she nipped because my supply was a bit low,I was pregnant at the time) hope it sorts itself out-I would maybe give some calpol if you suspect teething,and try to latch him on in the middle of the night.

Hi,

I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer here, as I'm in the middle of this myself. DS is 9months and is doing exactly the same as your DS. In fact, a little worse, as he got terrified of feeding after I took him off the boob and sat him on the floor after a really hard bite...and then he fell backwards and bumped his head really hard. So for DS at the moment boob=pain

He is occasionally feeding though, although it's not as easy to get him to take the breast. Things I've found helped are:

Making sure he's not in pain - he's teething really badly at the moment, and I think a big part of the biting is to do with that - he's biting everything and dribbling like fury. So if he's grouchy and biting and generally looking like he's in pain, I'll give him a dose of Calprofen about 30 minutes before a feed, or giving him some cold cucumber to chew on, or an ice cube to numb his gums a bit.

I almost always feed lying down, so I've tried lying down with him and giving him a bottle of EBM - just a couple of ounces to calm him down as he gets very upset lying down atm. Then when he's calm and sucking away happily at the bottle, I take the bottle out and he roots around and latches on to my awaiting boob!

Also I've tried not putting any pressure on him - sitting and playing with him around when he usually feeds, but with my boobs hanging out. A couple of times he's just latched on and off, once or twice he's latched on and decided to have a full feed.

Those are things I'm trying, but I will watch this thread with interest hoping that someone has better ideas!

dd went on a bf strike when she had hand, foot, mouth which made it really painful for her to eat or drink anything. then she associated my boobs with pain . if your ds has tonsillitis, perhaps it is something similar.
hang on in there and keep on offering. try when he's half asleep or even asleep so you can get him to latch on before he remembers he doesn't want to. try different positions, so bf standing up for example. just don't make out you're at all stressed by his refusal - aim for relaxed at all times and he'll get the message eventually. I had to express for days and she wouldn't even take a bottle, just a syringe, whole thing was awful so am sending you much empathy and sympathy.
it took a week for dd, I'd almost given up hope, but once I'd got her to latch on and realise it didn't hurt anymore, she was ok about it again
hth

My 4th son is nearly 1 and has been exclusively breast fed (currently 4 times a day). He just got 3 teeth in one day and more on the way and bit me 2 days ago. I reacted badly and smacked the side of his head to get him to let go - a reflex action and since then he is obviously too frightened to feed. He has fed once from me in 48 hrs. I tried all the advice, spent 2 hours in bed with him at his bedtime, just done the same tnight and no luck. He won't take a cup/bottle/beaker at all so we are at a stalemate situation. I don't know how much longer I can carry on trying to be patient and expressing meanwhile. I had recurrent mastitis with him for months and thought all my troubles were over.
Glad to see it happens to other people and that your daughter took a week...not sure I can keep trying that long, I am too stressed by it all.
Today I confess I have not fed him anything since 9 am in the hope that he will be so hungry that he will be forced into feeding but its a fine line as I can't let him get dehydrated.
Sarah