Nursing strike or self weaning? Feeling rather emotional - be gentle!

[walkingonthemoon]

My ds is 22 months. In brief - I have been battling thrush for over 6 weeks now, am on 4th! course of fluconazole. DS has fed throughout.

3 days ago he went ballistic when I offerered bedtime boob - to the point we thought he was sick. Bought him downstairs and after a harrowing hour, he calmed down and was fine.

When offered a cup of milk when he refuses breast he says yes and goes ahead and drinks from a cup... but today when he woke he gave me his cues that he wanted boob but then turned away when I offered it.

I am ridng it out, expressing when I feel full but I am not sure milk production is as much as it was with thrush problems?

Anyway, feeling very emotional, just wanna crawl away, hormones probably up the wall. Life very busy too which is making me feel a bit low too.

Needing a virtual hug I suppose....

Thjanks for reading my ramble.

Oh sweetheart, here's a hug x

You must be feeling rotten. Antibiotics can upset little ones tummy's sometimes, through your BM. Do you think he's put two and two together? Or do you think he's been fine all along.

You poor thing. Your milk supply will naturally drop if he's not feeding off you and your expressing from time to time only. And if tired and ill as well, it's not a good combination. It's so hard when things like this happen, as BF is so lovely for bonding etc. And the thought of it ending is always hard.

Keep persevering for now and maybe things will change. You could ring your local BF counselor or La Leche for some ideas, if no one else gets back to you?

Hopefully some other Mums Netter will have some tips for you though.

Try to rest if your other half is around today, when you can x

Thanks tea and cakes x

Pistachio

I want to stop when he tells me - so I feel half sad (end of an era and all that...) and half glad because it has been his choice and I will feel that his bedtime routine will be less dependant on me which is a bonus.

So it is good all round but I just feel so emotional at the moment - really weepy - it's mad!

Walking, I just logged on after being absent from mumsnet for some time with a question so similar to yours I exclaimed out loud!
I am feeling miserable too so feel some cyber solidarity!
Reading the comments has helped a bit already and I hope you don't think I am hi jacking but my 13 month old girl started refusing in the night last night (she was a bit of a regular night time feeder) and has not had a drop today. Previously I had been worrying about how much milk she was having from me! She wont have milk from another source so has been without any for almost 244hrs now. I have also had anti b's this week for a mean and nasty urine infection so that advice could ring true too. I guess I just want to be included in the virtual tea and sympathy too!

I just had a bath with her in the hope that close proximity of boobs would tempt her..nope. I then did the usual bedtime routine culminating in sitting in her feeding chair and she snuggled up but resolutely refused to feed. I am so sad. So very sad. I was totally unprepared for this and as I said, thought I would have trouble weaning her off. I should add that she has been a bit off colour all week and seems pretty stuffy and lethargic today along with a bit grizzly. I also returned to work a fortnight ago (but only do two days a week). She is in nursery and is struggling to settle in. With my son (who is now 4) he was quite happy to go without milk for the two day times that he was at nursery and happily picked up where we had left off when I got home of an evening.

Sorry, I really have hijacked your post Walking. Hope you are doing better than me.

Hi waking Just a thought but could the thrush be bothering him too? Refusing milk could often a sign. I am currently breastfeeding my 16 mo and am suffering from thrush too. I have only been given the cream for me and gel for baby. Has your little one been treated? I am finding it a bugger to get rid of.
oli Could it be teething?? I am sending a big plate of virtual biscuits and have put the kettle on xx

It could be teething...only two teeth at 13 months...

You could put the teething gel on 10 minutes before feed time, so it's got plenty of time to work and then try the feed Olipop? That's what I did when the front teeth were coming through, as it's oh so painful for them when trying to feed x

Olipop - don't worry, you are not hijacking! Sad to hear you having same stuff going on - but maybe it is more likely its a nursing strike as your LO is much younger than mine - hang in there! Hugs back!

DS still not feeding - sending confusing signals thoug - pulls at top, then faced with the boob he turns away and crys and thrashes. Happy to drink from a cup though.

Feel a little better though, my DH and I went out to the cinema and had some food (he organised mymum to stay over which was nice) so feel a bit more human today. Feel sad still and wondering if my son and I still have the same bond which is a bit silly but hey, it feels so emotional knowing that he probably won't breastfeed from me again...

Muffin - sorry forgot to add - DS has been treated with Daktarin gel all the way through so don't think that thrush is bothering him. Its gone now (to the best of my knowledge!) but even when it was on his tongue, he still fed from me.

Still not wanting boob

Howz it going Oli?

Same here walking. She has gone to bed without any milk again today. I expressed a cup and she had two sips and turned her nose up. I put her to bed after holding her against the boob for a while. She snuggled and drifted off. I feel so damn rejected. DH says I should be pleased that she has done it herself with no trauma but I feel trauma!!!!

Right there with you Oli - although I feel slightly better today about it than yesterday. It's mixed emotions: on one hand I am chuffed that he has chosen to move on himself, job done, pat on back but for me the wrench is hard - especially since I am wondering if this latest battkle with thrush has been a contributing factor.

He is 22 months old so I know it is prime time for stopping but, it's so hard.

My baby boy....

Oooooh don't walking!! The guilt is horrible. I am sure mine is all tied up with going back to work and her realising that she doesn't need me anyway.....[self pitying emoticon].

Of course she needs you Oli - you are still the centre of her world and the fact that you have breastfed her for as long as she wanted has cemented that bond - that is unbreakable... remember that OK?

How has it been for you today Walking? My LO is still refusing. I am coming to terms (sort of) with the fact that she may well not come back to me now. She has been quite unsettled which I think is the combination of possible teething, a stuffy nose, settling in to nursery and the transition from feeding. On a practical level she is not having any milk at all. Wont touch either formula, cows or EBM. I'm just trying to get her to eat lots of cheese and yoghurt but she is being fussy about food too. I feel really odd. I feel that she has gone through such a dramatic change in the last few days and I feel as if I don't really know her that well anymore. I guess I am still feeling sad about the whole situation.

Oli both my DSs seemed to go off feeding for a while at around 12 months (ish).
I fed DS1 till he was around 2.6 ish and am feeding DS2 who is 2.8.

Perhaps try not to read too much into it and just see how it goes.

And yes perhaps antibiotics might have some effect on the taste of bm so would say to both you and walkingonthemoon just see how it goes....

Hi - no boobs today so think that this is it, he's done.

I feel sad but better today - and I know what you mean Oli when us say you feel that you don't know your LO anymore - I have been constantly thinking, do you love me a little less now you don't have milk from me? And also feeling relieved when they hug you, etc..

Mad I know but it's the reality of accepting the change and I bet my hormones are up the wall too!

Hang in there Oli - she may come back?

my ds and please all dont be outraged self weaned at 33 months and i was devasted when he did but we have an amazing bond and he still remembers it saying that it was all gone because he drank it all!! we still have an amazing bond now and he is 4 on monday!!! its hard when you stop but well done on you all for keeping it going, my ds use to turm me milk down when i had eaten curry!!! i know i havent been much help but well bloody done to u all x

walking DS2 can go for a few days without a feed but he has been ill with a cold this last week and has been keen to have a bedtime feed.
So you never know...

It just seems so totally out of character for my little boob monster. I am going to ring the health visitor today.

Let us know how you get on ollli sending a hug your way x

Walking..how are you going?
Health visitor wasn't much help. Just waffled on about getting her calcium in her diet but I know all that.
I'm going to the GP this afternoon just to rule out any underlying problems (Mum and MIL both wondered about inflammed throats or inner ear infections etc). After that road is tested I guess it comes down to how hard I want to push to resume......