My son is going through what is apparently called a "Nursing Strike." Have any of you dealt with this before?
It has been going on for 4 days now and I am not sure what to do. He nurses well in the morning but by the 11 am-ish feeding he lets me know he does NOT want to nurse. He fusses, cries, arches his back, you name it. I have been pumping to try to keep my supply up.
I can't figure out what is wrong. He has been congested, but is mostly over it now. I get so frustrated trying to get him to nurse, and then decide it isn't worth it so I offer him a sippy cup of pumped milk. My patience is wearing thin. I planned on nursing until he turned 6 months. He is now 7 months. I am surprised that even going through this experience I am not quite ready to give up nursing him (it is so stinking convenient... very inexpensive... let alone the bonding that happens!). I wonder how long this will go on as well as how much longer I can handle it!
Any tips, suggestions, or even support would help!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Oh, I am so sorry to hear that! M did that when she was very young and it was so hard! It's very discouraging and it's also a personal insult. It was like she was rejecting me, not just my milk. I pumped as well and it only lasted for about five days. We would both end each feeding in tears and I felt like I was doing everything wrong and I know I was adding to the problem by getting so upset!!!
Keep pumping as long as you can and if he'll take the breast milk from a bottle, then that's great. Make sure there isn't something in your milk (blood blister bleeding? spice that's new or different? infection? that could be turning him off? teething? sick?) but colds are sooo tough! They can't breathe which makes nursing so hard. I had great success working with a few lactation consultants at Le Leche League and really found them helpful. Even when it had been a few months and I felt like "I should know this already!" Try not to take it personally and try to keep nursing positive and not let him see how stressed out you are because he'll feed off it! Good luck! You can ride it out!!!
My daughter basically weaned herself when she got teeth. She kept biting me and I kept telling her no and stopping nursing when she did it...and then she decided that she would never nurse again. I tried for a week. There was even one day I didn't nurse her or give her a bottle all day (she was eating solids at least) because I figured she would HAVE to want to nurse that night...but she didn't...she just screamed and turned away. That's when I knew that it was over. I was so sad and felt so cheated that my daughter ended this special relationship that we had...but we're still friends. :)
AND..now I can eat foods that I couldn't before..and leave her with my husband with him having NO excuses about not being able to feed her! I still miss nursing...but I figure that I did all that I could...and she's been fine since she's stopped.
Amanda, I think you know that Eden refused to nurse from the beginning. All the emotional stuff is so true. I have been exclusively pumping (EPing) her whole life. It is a pain to pump so much but I only pump three times a day and she still gets my milk and we don't have to pay for formula so for us it is worth it.
I'm not saying this is what you'll end up having to do but possibly it is an option you hadn't considered. Perhaps if you think of this as the "worst case scenario" you will realize that even the worst is do-able and relax and then maybe he'll nurse again. I think you are smart to use the cup instead of a bottle though so that he doesn't get nipple confusion. Hang in there and if you do end up needing to EP, shoot me an email and I'll hook you up with some great resources.
You guys are awesome. I am surprised at my own feelings over the whole thing. It is also very comforting to know I am not alone out there!
Anyway, thanks you guys. It is so easy to feel like I am the only one that has ever gone through something like this. (Even though I am not!) And I admit, I feel bad for getting so upset and frustrated because overall my babe is such a good one! it is like I am a fair-weather mother!
Anyway, I will keep pumping and keep offering and see what happens. Tomorrow will be day 5 and I hope I see a little improvement.
My son did this when he was the exact same age. He just flat out refused. If he's still taking the breast milk by cup or bottle, then it's likely not the milk. The congestion/breathing issue is hard w/ nursing. Our problem turned out to be that he didn't want the breast milk PERIOD. I had started a very strict diet in efforts to lose the baby weight and my milk went from cream to skim milk in that few weeks before he started rejecting me. So, keep pumping and offer the breast BEFORE the cup and hopefully he'll come around! Don't take it personally--- I know it's hard not to! But my husband sure was happy that my breasts were no longer community property!! LOL!
Keep trying. Sometimes babies just go through little phases. Hopefully he will just come back to it soon.
Post a Comment