Help - nursing strike and also refusing milk from bottle

[chaya5738]

Hi everyone,

My 9 month old is currently on a nursing strke and it is so distressing. She opens her mouth wide to latch and the moment she gets close to my nippples she either bites it, clamps her mouth closed, or screws up her face and turns away. I really don't know what to do. She has also started refusing a bottle (either of formula or breastmilk) although I can get her to drink a tiny bit (maybe 20mls at a time at the most) of milk from a cup - she drinks the same amount she would of water ie: enough to quench her thirst but not enough to be food.

I am giving her water to keep her hydrated and custards, cereal, and yoghurt for the milk and she is still eating her usual solid food but I am worried she isn't getting the nutrients she needs.

I am so worried about her. She seems generally quite happy although she has started to get a cold. Maybe she has a sore throat? But then why would eat the solid food?

Or could it be teething? I can't see anything teeth coming through though...

I also ate a VERY hot chilli the night before the strike. The next morning she feed, threw up, ate again but then refused every feed after that. I have eaten hot food before while breastfeeding but this chilli was particularly hot. Could this have caused it?

Sorry for the ramble but I feel so upset at not being able to feed and comfort my baby, am tired of the biting, and of not knowing what is wrong with her.

Have read Kelly's Mom's advice etc but noone seems to have any suggestions about what to do if baby refuses milk altogether.

Thanks so much everyone

This is a shameless bump but could someone please help me. Has anyone else's baby just gone off milk completely all of a sudden and should I be worried. She won't drink formula or breastmilk really except the tiniest bits from a cup if she is super-thirsty.

Thanks so much!

The only time dd has done this was the day she cut her first tooth. Has she got any teeth yet?

How long has it been going on for?

My dd did exactly the same around 10 months and again around 20. It started with the biting then the turning away. I too found it really distressing. Dd wouldn't have any milk either. I'm not an expert but this is what worked for us. We kept giving her water and food as you're suggesting. I spent as much time as possible with no top on just being normal , reading to her, cuddling etc and bit by bit (over 2-3 days) she started feeding again. We went through almost a month of a big bite a day and lots of nips but after that she never bit again.

Keeping calm, not letting her know it is a big deal, not forcing her to eat and making it as easy as possible for her to start again without it being a big thing were the beat things we did.

Sorry - v uneloquent but I'm knackered. Good luck.

I agree with monkeysmama. You can't force her to nurse or drink milk from a bottle or cup. As she grows up she will regulate for herself how much food/fluids she takes in and you have to relinquish control over that.

Hopefully it is just teething or illness and she will recover soon. Have you tried giving her a dose of Calpol and trying to feed 45-60mins later to see if that helps?

She will be getting plenty of nutrients from her food so try not to worry about that.
Definitely try not to make it into a big deal, just keep offering her the breast and try not to react too much if she refuses. If she bites I would tell her a firm 'No!'.

Breastmilk is the perfect nutrition for her but there's nothing in cow's milk/formula that is so great or that she can't get from other foods, so don't worry that she is not drinking formula.

hi
first of all, my sympathies-it's very distressing, I know.

DS had a mini strike at 9months and I just went with all the kellymom stuff, like monkeysmama says. I was terribly worried as he had dry nappies for two days. To deal with it I walked about with my top off (and curtains closed ) and tried to be really calm (gritted teeth, tears permanently at the ready but smile smile smile!). We also had a nice bath. It was a bit like back to basics, skin to skin etc that seemed to help. DS also did feed at night, is it any better at night?

Things settled down after about a week but he dropped all his daytime feeds bar one. Just when I'd accepted the new state of play, he got three colds in a row, gave up all solids and returned to feeding like a much younger baby.

I'd say stick with the kellymom advice and prepare to be tested...FWIW, IMO your baby will be fine nutritionally in the short term.

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much everyone. I really appreciate all your support and advice as it is so worrying.

She is still not feeding from me although will have about 10mls of milk at a time from a cup. But it is very worrying as her nappies have been dry and her wee very dark and smelling of ammonia. I really hope she gets over this soon. Managed to get 60mls into her this morning in her cereal and some water too.

She could be teething - she has one tooth already - and she does have a cold so that could explain it.

Looking forward to wandering around with my top off - or at least my husband is!

Really hoping I look back on this shortly and wonder what i was so worried about!

Thanks once again!

Hope it works out soon - it is worrying if her nappies are dry. Is the cup a beaker with a spout or do you just put a cup to her lips?

If you use a cup with a spout make sure it hasn't got the non-leak valve in cos IME they find it too difficult to get the milk out. A free-flow cup is better (I use the Amadeus cow beaker this one with the valve taken out, it is BPA free - I checked ).

Sometimes my DTs acually drink more when I put an open cup to their lips, it's a bit of a novelty. Not sure about a 9mo though. Worth a try if you are not already doing that. Good luck!

Thanks neenz. I am using a Doidy cup so it is an open cup. She will drink from it (although a lot runs down her chin). Probably about 10mls at a time if I am lucky. Her nappies aren't completely dry but they aren't very wet at all - not like they used to be! It is really worrying. I really hope she gets over this soon.

Hi everyone,
Just to let you know that after five days of refusing to nurse and refusing most solids my baby suddenly decided to nurse again. Am so relieved! I just kept offering her casually throughout the day and one day lay her on a pillow across my lap and she decided slowly to latch on.

Thanks everyone for all the support and advice. It was such a help to know I wasn't alone

xox