It's day 5 of the nursing strike and I am starting to feel depressed. Really rejected, like how I remember feeling when I was a teenager and I got dumped by my boyfriend. But worse. I can barely sleep at night because I feel so sad, and wonder if it was something I did to cause her to not want my breast anymore. She will be 18 months in a few days.
The strike coincided with her having a bad cold and also getting 4 molars starting to come in. However now, 5 days later, her cold is almost totally gone, she's barely congested anymore, and her molars don't seem to be moving anymore, they seem to have stopped where they are, poking out of her gums.
So why does she persist? I show her all the animals in her favorite books and we talk about how they like to nurse from their mamas. I nurse all her dolls. She even told me to nurse the dog and I pretended to. When she sees my breast she says "nurse" and then when I try to give it to her she kicks and hits me, pushes me away and says "NOOOO!"
Up until 6 days ago we were a happy nursing pair. Now I'm devastated. I had imagined nursing her well into toddlerhood, and actually counted on nursing to help keep her well (we decided to not vax and planned to do CLW) and as a SAHM I love nursing during the day as a time I can get off my feet and relax with her instead of doing the toddler chase all day.
She will not nurse no matter where or how I try. No bath, no shower, no carrier, no couch, no bed, not to nap, not to sleep.
When she is fast asleep in the night I CAN get her to latch on, but she doesn't get any milk out, she's just doing it out of habit in her sleep. She woke up nursing at night a few days ago and looked horrified and yelled "NO!" And turned over and went back to bed (we cosleep).
What can I do? I really need to hear some BTDT stories. I know no-one who's ever experienced either a nursing strike or early weaning (if this is what it is.)
I'm bringing her to the pedi today but don't hope for any miracles there. I just figured I should cover all bases just in case there is a physiological reason she isn't nursing. I'm beginning to think it's psychological for her.
The strike coincided with her having a bad cold and also getting 4 molars starting to come in. However now, 5 days later, her cold is almost totally gone, she's barely congested anymore, and her molars don't seem to be moving anymore, they seem to have stopped where they are, poking out of her gums.
So why does she persist? I show her all the animals in her favorite books and we talk about how they like to nurse from their mamas. I nurse all her dolls. She even told me to nurse the dog and I pretended to. When she sees my breast she says "nurse" and then when I try to give it to her she kicks and hits me, pushes me away and says "NOOOO!"
Up until 6 days ago we were a happy nursing pair. Now I'm devastated. I had imagined nursing her well into toddlerhood, and actually counted on nursing to help keep her well (we decided to not vax and planned to do CLW) and as a SAHM I love nursing during the day as a time I can get off my feet and relax with her instead of doing the toddler chase all day.
She will not nurse no matter where or how I try. No bath, no shower, no carrier, no couch, no bed, not to nap, not to sleep.
When she is fast asleep in the night I CAN get her to latch on, but she doesn't get any milk out, she's just doing it out of habit in her sleep. She woke up nursing at night a few days ago and looked horrified and yelled "NO!" And turned over and went back to bed (we cosleep).
What can I do? I really need to hear some BTDT stories. I know no-one who's ever experienced either a nursing strike or early weaning (if this is what it is.)
I'm bringing her to the pedi today but don't hope for any miracles there. I just figured I should cover all bases just in case there is a physiological reason she isn't nursing. I'm beginning to think it's psychological for her.
