Brisco, I'm sorry that things haven't resolved yet. It can be so frustrating!
I got some suggestions from my LLL leader when my dd was on a strike, and although I didn't really tried them (the strike resolved on its own the night when I got the suggestions), I thought I would share them with you as they were unusual, I thought, so here you go:
heard about "spinning" somewhere, and suggested it to the mom of a post-one-year-old whose child was on strike. Here's what she did:
She stood up, holding her child in a nursing position with breast bared, and spun - as fast as she could - in one direction. Then she spun as fast as she could in the opposite direction. The baby latched and never looked back.
I learned later that that's not how spinning is generally done. The mom is seated in an office chair, and someone turns it gently for her until she is mildly dizzy (and presumably so is the baby). Oh well. It worked. A friend said later they use a version of spinning with their child who has some neurological problems. As I understand it, the disorientation takes the child back down to baseline - to unknowing sucking, or whatever. The thinking part concentrates on the disorientation, and instincts and reflexes have a chance to assert themselves.
And here a story and technique, also from an LLL leader:
When my son, Scott, was 13 months old, he developed a cold that thoroughly plugged his nose. Nursing was difficult for him, and on the second day, he quit “cold turkey.â€Â I was by no means ready to have our happy nursing relationship stop so soon, but Scott continued to refuse my breast, even after his nose had cleared. He would play with the nipple, would even laugh and point when I asked, “Where’s the milk?â€, but would cry and turn away if I brought my nipple close to his mouth. I imagine he was remembering the suffocating feeling of being unable to breathe and nurse properly.
As the week wore on, I did my best to express milk several times a day, but never succeeded in getting my milk to let down, and I could tell that my supply was dwindling daily. At my La Leche League Leader’s suggestion, I tried to get him to nurse in his sleep. No luck.
Finally, in desperation after 6 days without his showing any desire to nurse, I let him fall asleep in my arms, tilted his head back a bit, and squirted milk into his open mouth. He would either swallow, I decided, or drown! Scott swallowed, opened his eyes briefly, turned toward me, and began nursing as if he had never stopped. I had to use the same “skullduggery†one more time, then our nursing relationship picked right up where it had left off.
Scott is 17 months old now, nursing often and contentedly. If I had any guilt feelings about “making†my son continue to nurse, they vanished the first time he came to me crying over some frustration or hurt, and left my lap a happier little boy.
There was one side benefit to our week’s hiatus. While he was refusing to nurse, Scott would let me rock him to sleep, something he had never done before, and was more cuddly than usual. I was surprised at the amount of closeness we had, even without the nursing. Now I know for sure that there is life after nursing! When Scott no longer wants to nurse, I know I’ll still share warm, loving moments with him.
I hope this helps Brisco, and I send you good vibes, and best wishes, hang in there!
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My DD started refusing the breast at 4 months old and I could never get her back. I am still heartbroken over it. I hope things turn out differently for you.
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