10 month old on Nursing Strike - Help!

[mchouchins]

My son Gavin is 10.5 months old, and it appears that we are going through a nursing strike. On Thursday (2 days ago), he just stopped nursing for what seems to me like no reason. I thought he must be distracted at the time. But now, every time I try to nurse him, he either turns away from me or bites my breast. Up until this this point, he was nursing at least 5 or 6 times per day.

He has been sick, so I took him back to the doctor yesterday to make sure there isn't a medical cause for the nursing strike. But his ears & throat look fine. He doesn't seem to be teething, but someone recommended Hyland's Teething Tablets, so I might try that today.

We've been doing lots of skin to skin contact; I've tried to nurse him when he's sleepy in the middle of the night; we've taken some baths together. Nothing seems to be helping, and I'm getting very concerned about my supply.

My milk supply has always been fine if the baby is nursing, but as soon as I start to pump much, my supply really goes down. This morning I pumped (hadn't pumped for a good 8 hours) and got less than half an ounce (on both sides total). I know I need to pump more often, but how often?

He eats solid food & baby food just fine. But do I feed him more to make up for what he's missing in milk? Or do I feed him less so he's hungry & more likely to nurse? Do I give him water to make up for the lost liquid? (I'm giving him the pumped breastmilk in a sippy cup, but I know it's nowhere close to the amount he usually gets.)

I'm starting to freak out a little (ok, a lot!). He is only 10.5 months, and this has been very sudden, so I know he's not ready to wean. I'm so worried that this will continue long enough that my milk is dried up.

Any ideas on...
1. How to end the nursing strike?
2. How much solid food/baby food/water to give him relative to what he normally gets?
3. How to keep my milk supply up until we get past this?

Thanks everyone - Lisa

[alegna]

Originally Posted by mchouchins

Any ideas on...
1. How to end the nursing strike?
2. How much solid food/baby food/water to give him relative to what he normally gets?
3. How to keep my milk supply up until we get past this?

Thanks everyone - Lisa

A few tips, in no particular order

* NO other sucking- no bottles, sippy cups or pacifiers. All sucking at breast.
* NO spoon feeding- let him self feed solids at his own pace, but don't spoon feed.
* Offer often. In new places in and positions and old favorites.
* Cosleep and offer at night and while he's sleeping.
* Take baths together and offer there.
* Okay to give expressed milk and water in an *open* cup. Follow his lead.


good luck!

-Angela

[greeba]

Hi Lisa -

I JUST went through this literally this past week. My son is 10 months old and he went on a nursing strike from Sunday to Tuesday. It helped me just to know that usually they don't last more than 4 days.

I didn't offer him the breast more than usual because he bit me almost every time and it was just too upsetting, but I did offer him the breast at a normal interval like I would before (every 2-3 hours). I'm not sure if I fed him anymore than usual, but I did make sure he had solids when he needed them.

My son was also nursing as frequently as your son, so it was quite shocking for us too.

We thought maybe our son was teething, so when he got very fussy we would give him Motrin or Tylenol. Not sure how you feel about medicine. We have also used Hyland's and it seems to take the edge off. There's another brand of the same stuff that comes in individual liquid doses, which I've found to be more convenient.

We cosleep and he did seem more open to nursing when he was very sleepy, so if you don't cosleep, you might want to try that.

I bought a pump after 2 days of this and was pumping to get him some milk. I would only get about an ounce at a time but he was taking it fine. I did give him a bottle, and it doesn't seem to have done any damage. As a matter of fact he wouldn't take a bottle before, so it's nice to know if I want to go out for more than 2 hours that I can leave him with my mom and she will have breast milk for him! I also hand expressed and gave him milk in a sippy cup. I had planned to pump every 2 hours because I read it's better to do it frequently to keep your supply up, but then he started nursing just like normal again.

Like you, ,my supply has always been great, but after 2 days, I was worried. I read not to make them very hungry for milk. It apparently doesn't work for a strike. You just have to ride it out basically. My son's strike was also very sudden, so because of that I knew he wasn't weaning. I also read on LLL that they don't often self wean before 18 months.

So pump every 2 hours. Hopefully this will be over with in a day or so. Having gone through this once, next time (if it happens) it won't be as scary.

Hang in there! Please let us know what happens!

Greta

[greeba]

Here's the link to my recent posting about my son's nursing strike:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=793995

Greta

[leila1213]

I was also going to suggest offering *less* often. I haven't been through a strike, but my DD did bite me a few times and it was when I was offering too often.

You can make it through this! Good for you for identifying it as a strike and NOT weaning! You did the right thing coming here for help!

[mchouchins]

Nursing strike

Turns out that this nursing strike must be because of another ear infection. I took Gavin back to the doctor this morning. He's been on antibiotics for awhile, but they switched him to a stronger one since he got an infection in the OTHER ear while on the antibiotic.

He STILL hasn't nursed, but I'm hoping that he will soon now that we know what the problem is & we're treating it.

This is stressful for both mommy & baby. Thanks for the responses so far. Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

[leila1213]

Probiotics, for sure!

[mchouchins]

Progress?

I had Gavin adjusted by the chiropractor, and he's now on antibiotics, echinachea, & probiotics. Lots of stuff to take... ugh!

He is still not nursing, but he is not freaking out when I offer. He isn't biting, but kind of scraping his teeth on my nipple. I'm hoping that he's getting closer to actually wanting to nurse. Sigh.