Nursing strike? Weaning?

[KizboBaggins]

My 10 month old boy has abruptly stopped breast feeding. I don't know whether he is on strike or if he's weaning. He's gone almost 24hrs with no boob at all, not even before naps or bedtime, but gave no protest being rocked to sleep either. I've given him Calpol in case it's teething but he doesn't seem to be in pain. He refuses bottle and milk from sippy or open cup.

He's been biting more recently but has never seemed scared the few times I've voiced pain (never on purpose). In fact the last time he fed properly he bit me so hard I somehow went into a coughing fit and the kid found it absolutely hilarious. So I'm not sure I've scared him into a nursing strike as google wants me to believe... Every time I've put him to the boob today he's bitten and clamped down really hard straight away.

Anyway it's just really stressful and everyone around me is saying don't worry but I feel SO weird and sad and nervous. He's lost so many calories today and fluids, and it's hot out.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm trying to pump to keep my supply up but my boobs don't like it so I don't get much out. I don't know what to do for him. It seems so early to wean himself!

Could you try a sleepy dream feed? I'm guessing he sleeps though since you haven't mentioned night feeds, but sometimes I find my 10mo feeds for longer when barely awake.
Or try as soon as he wakes up from a nap, in a dark quiet room.

@PotatoCrossroads thanks for your response! I should've said he wakes minimum 5 times a night. I tried every time last night and even tried when he was fast asleep but he wouldn't take anything and just bit me again. He's barely had any wees this morning and won't drink any water 😭

I would try nurofen and anbesol oil and lots of naked time together.

Ah OK. In that case id suggest watermelon and cucumber if he'll eat it.

You could try syringing little bits of water slowly but not a good thing to do in any great volume.

Another option is frozen milk in a silicone fruit feeder.

Ultimately its likely just a phase, just need to keep offering.

Thanks @Summerishereagain I have given some more Calpol tonight. We've done skin to skin and he just bites me and clamps down so hard every time he comes to the boob 😭 it's honestly starting to make me nervous when he goes close ha

@PotatoCrossroads thanks - had a little luck with cucumber and managed finally to get him to drink about 3oz of breast milk from a straw bottle. He's still breast refusing but at least he's had some milk. Managed to get a bit of water in him too by offering it from my Guinness pint glass 😅

Nurofen is better than calpol for teething and you can use anbesol liquid at the same time.

@Summerishereagain ah ok thank you I didn't realise there was much difference. I'll pick some up tomorrow

My first self weaned at 10 months (preferred food and diluted apple juice, he's in his 30s and still doesn't like milk🤢) and because I have this weird thing about treating all my children equally I weaned them all off the breast about that age, so don't worry, they are all perfectly healthy adults now! Just try to up his fluids by anything he will take. Soup, fruit, jelly, ice lollies (which also help with numbing gums if teething) I used natural fruit juice ones or mini milk, yoghurt & cheese if not having much milk💐

My youngest self-weaned at 10 months in exactly the same way. None of my children have been milk drinkers (nor was I - milk actually doesn't agree with me if I drink it straight, so I don't drink it though I have it in tea and coffee). Honestly, I would just take it as a sign that he's had enough and move on with your life.

Anbesol liquid (not the gel, which you don’t want) is only available from a pharmacy and will be behind the counter.

My girls both refused the breast at six months. DS went on for another year. They all hate milk now.

I read that it's harder to suck from a breast than a straw or bottle so it could be that he had realised this and just wants the easier option !

@Mossstitch I did the same according to my mum! Also in my 30s and aside from the sleep deprivation I'm doing perfectly fine haha. So I'm trying not to worry too much but it's becoming a struggle to get any other fluid in him atm. He's just broken out in a phlegmy cold so I wonder if that's what's prompted it. I also made him a lovely batch of fruity ice lollies yesterday and he promptly threw it on the floor for the dog 😂 I'll keep persevering though - diluted apple juice is a good idea!

@mycatsanutter if he's anything like his father that's definitely the reason - anything that requires less effort haha

@Britinme I'm the same with milk. I'm fine with it if he's done with breastfeeding although it does make me feel a bit sad. If I'd have known last time would've been the LAST time I'd have appreciated it a bit more 😞 mind you hard to appreciate it when he's biting lol

DS self weaned onto bottle at 8 months. Tbh it was great as had so much more energy not feeding any more. If he'll take a bottle could be an idea?

@KizboBaggins I hear you on feeling sad. I was late home one evening and my DH had put the youngest to bed without a feed, after which he never wanted to feed again. Knowing I wasn't going to have any more children (DH had had a vasectomy by then) made it poignant.

@arlequin he won't take a bottle unfortunately otherwise I'd probably feel a bit better about it ha it would be nice to have a bit of freedom back despite the sadness at it being over. He also is now refusing milk from a sippy cup and a straw cup. We're on day 3 and he's had probably 4oz of milk and some water over that time 😬 I'm starting to worry more now. He's still peeing a bit though.

@Britinme oh wow so he just stopped feeding straight away too? I heard they mostly drop feeds first but my boy has just gone cold turkey as well 😭 and same here, he's our last so I'm feeling all the feels right now