Toddler on Strike, but for How Long?

[elliottsmommy]

Hello:

My 18-month-old son abruptly stopped nursing two days ago, and I'm not sure what to think about it. His lower left canine is breaking the surface of his gum, so he has been in a lot of pain and pretty grumpy for the past week. He was still nursing normally until two days ago. The last time I offered to him, he covered the nipple with his mouth, but then pulled off sharply before even attempting to latch. He has done this same thing each time I have offered, until tonight, when he didn't even want to look at the breast. I tried to turn him toward me, but he yelled and pushed away with his hands and nearly fell off my lap.

I had always hoped that child-lead weaning would be a very slow process, so I am trying to convince myself that this is just a simple nursing strike----that everything hasn't suddenly ended. When my son was about 8 months old, he skipped a few hours of nursing while teething, but he was still exclusively breastfeeding at the time and had to finally just nurse through the pain or be hungry. (He wouldn't take bottles, and still won't drink breastmilk from any containers.) But, now at 18 months, he has lots of other options and doesn't need to nurse for nutritional reasons, so there is nothing to compel him to nurse through the pain. I'm worried that he will not want to return to it, once the teething pain subsides.

Does anyone have any words of experience or advice to help us get through this? I've just been pumping and dumping, and hoping this won't be how it ends.

[Katie T]

Have you tried tylenol or Hylands teething tablets, maybe go to your local natural foods store and get a baltic amber necklace witch some some people have good luck with easing teething pain.

I hope everything has resolved by now, I have never had a child that old strike so I don't have much to offer sorry.

[PatioGardener]

Pumping to keep up your supply is a great idea. Also removing any 'sucking devices' (pacis, bottles etc) so all sucking has to be done at the breast. Breastmilk in an open cup will help with nutrition/liquid intake.

Keep offering, but in new positions and in a very nonchalant way (as if you do not care one way or the other - difficult to do!!).

Hopefully someone will be able to help with the teething pain, which IMO is likely behind this strike.

Hope it passes soon!

[elliottsmommy]

Thank you for the kind thoughts! We're on Day 5 of the strike.

I was finally able to get my son to drink a few ounces of pumped milk from a sippie cup, but only if I mixed in some whole milk and Ovaltine. Argh...

Still pumping and hoping....

[PatioGardener]

5 days - that sucks! Have you tried to get him to nurse when he's asleep?

[elliottsmommy]

I've read about that technique, but I'm terrified to try it! If I remove him from his crib to nurse, and this wakes him up, it will be so difficult to get him back to sleep again. (He actually woke up at 1am last night due to our dogs barking, and I couldn't get him back to sleep for over an hour. He used to nurse to sleep so effortlessly.)

I keep hoping I can try the sleep technique by catching him one morning before he has woken up. Crossing my fingers that that might work!

[elliottsmommy]

Just posting an update....Today is day 10 of the "strike," which I believe is officially a termination. Yesterday my son fell and smashed his finger under one of his heavier toys. It bled, and started bruising right away. He was crying and holding his hand. I scooped him up and offered to nurse, since he always found it so comforting whenever he hurt himself, but he still refused. With tears sitting on his cheeks and in obvious pain, he still pursed his lips and turned his head away. This was the final bit of convincing I was waiting for. I'm so very sad, but I don't think I can pretend any longer that this is anything other than weaning.