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Infant feeding

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

refusing to breastfeed

1 reply

mumsway · 13/05/2009 17:39

ds is 7 months and has always bf very well. today he had half and weetabix at about 11.00 and hasn't had a feed since about 9.30 this morning. He has normally had another 2 feeds by now and he is crying every time I try to feed him. He has just woken up from his afternoon nap and my breasts are getting quite full now which is something that has never really happened with ds as he has always fed regularly. I can't express either as I have always had problems.

Would it be best to omit his solids and just try to bf tonight.

OP posts:
Verity79 · 13/05/2009 19:42

I'm sorry that things aren't going swimmingly at the mo.

First off some questions then some advice.

Is he off his solids as well as bfs?

Has he had at least one wet nappy today? If not is he dehydrated (lethargic/dry mouth/etc?)

Is he teething? (Biting on everything/red swollen gums/red cheeks/etcs)

Has he also refused water? (obviously if you aren't used to giving him some don't worry if he doesn't today)

Ok sorry if this is too personal ....but...are you due on/ovulating/pg? I found that I had a tougher time with feeds directly before a period and some times milk changes taste in early pg rather than later pg most would expect.

Now the advice,

Don't hold off altogether on the solids as a pee'd off starving baby who refusing bfeeds won't be the easiest to convince to have another go at nursing.

If you think it is teething try teething gel/teething granules/calpol/cold flannel to chew on and leave off trying to bf him for 20 mins (to give your anaelgisic of choice time to work).

Then, try to keep him calm and be relaxed yourself (which may well be like herding cats - next to impossible but please try ), turn the lights down, keep distractions to a mimimum, maybe even have a bath with him and keep it low key. Nothing makes a baby not feed like Mummy screaming 'Latch damn you' BTDT and it don't work

If pumping doesn't work for you (and I know I can't pump well past 6 months) you could try hand expression.

Even if you don't get anything in the way of quantity out you have 'primed' your breasts for feeding. By 'primed' I mean if you do it directly before offering a bfeed to DS there would be milk on the nipple and if he is getting frustrated by flow speed it 'might' come out faster/easier.

This advice comes with the caveat :- I've only just started training to be a peer supporter so have only my own experience/pootling about on the interweb to fall back on. If in doubt check with TikTok she's fab!

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