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Desperate for your help: Nursing Strike?

665 Views 8 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  Victorian
Hello Nursing Mothers,
I need your wisdom! I haven't posted a LONG time, but this is a situation only to be handled with the wisdom of you women.

My dd is 13 months today. She is my 3rd baby. She was an avid nurser, solids made up 10% of her daily intake. She sleeps right next to me, and nurses 3-5xs a night (well, it could be 10xs really, coudn't it? I usually sleep through most of them.)

Here is my situation mixed with some questions:
(preface: my milk supply decreases a few days before my period starts)
So my period was late the supply decrease was significant and spaced over 3-4 days. She was frustrated, but we've gone through this before. Once the flow starts with my period, my milk is back full force. (Does anyone else experience this?) My period started last night. This is my 3rd babe, and the first two had no problem if there was in fact a change in the taste of the milk. And my baby now has not shown a problem with it in the past, if there is an altered taste.

Yesterday, starting about 4pm, she bites me and refuses to nurse. Every time I put her to the breast, she would bite me. (ooh those razor baby teeth!) She wouldn't even latch on. I FINALLY got her to nurse an hour after she fell asleep, and then a few times during the night. No biting when she nurses while asleep, whew!
Her gums are not swollen, there appears to be no teeth coming. Not to say that couldn't be the case.

It is now 4pm the next day. She has not nursed all day! I pumped, she won't take it from a sippy cup.
She has gone from nursing 10+ times a day to NOTHING! I refuse to believe she is weaning herself, she is such a little baby.

Please tell me this is a strike and help me navigate through it. I'm begging you.

Thanks so much,
Quincy
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my supply tends to do the same thing. i wish i had some concrete advice, but it sounds like you are trusting your instincts and handling a rough situation uber-gracefully. a big hug to you mama.
((hugs)) I would treat this like a strike! Sorry, don't have time to write much, but check out the ideas in this link:

Getting baby back to breast

And you don't have to have that monthly supply dip - take calcium/magnesium supplements and you should see that supply dip disappear: Calcium supplements

HTH - hang in there!
She's too young to wean- you're right. Humans need to nurse until at least 2 years old. That said- to get back on track: no other sucking, no bottles, no sippy cups, no pacifers. No other milk - cow, formula, goat, etc. Offer often (good to offer asleep- that often works as you found) try offering in a bath together. Go topless as much as possible. Co-sleep and offer then.

good luck!

-Angela
Are those links to the kellymom.com website? There is great stuff in there.

Otherwise I am tempted to suggest not trying to force her when she doesn't want it. It sounds like you are quite in touch with her. If you think taste is an issue, see if you can figure out if there is a food you are eating that affects your milk in a way she does not like.

Good Luck

I hope that this reverses quickly.
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Common to have milk dip....around your period
Take calcium and magnesuim, Vitex is also good too

Mary
Oatmeal really helps my supply during that pre-period dip. I bake a huge batch of oatmeal cookies and usually polish them off in the days before AF.
I hope things are looking up for you and your dc!
my ds went on a 26 day nursing strike at 15 months. Keep offering, keep pumping. Is she sick? My son ended up having "hand, foot, mouth virus" and it just took a lot of time, tears and patience to get him back on.

I would say rule out medical reasons first. Then proceed with Alegna's plan


V.
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oops I see this is an old thread...hope you don't need the advice anymore.

V.
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