11week old refusing breast, please help

[Heatwave]

Hi girls

My 11week old and I had been breastfeeding well until recently. He has always been a hungry baby and has gotten one bottle of formula every evening from early on as I initially found it hard to keep him full without this topup, but it hadn't caused any issues with supply/nipple confusion etc.

Two weeks ago I had to leave him for 24hours. I pumped some milk and also left some formula for him with his granny. They got on great for the day and he fed well for her. I pumped while away to keep up my supply.

The problem is that he won't go back to the level of Breastfeeding we were at before I left him. I feel like he realises its easier from a bottle and isn't interested in breastfeeding. Every feed is a struggle. As soon as I lay him across me to feed he screams, cries , bites me, hits me. He won't even latch on to try. He is definitely hungry as I wind him, change his nappy, soothe him etc to no avail. As soon as I offer him a bottle he happily takes it and feeds great.

I don't think it's my supply as if I feed him with a bottle I always pump myself afterwards and usually get between 3-5oz.

It's very upsetting, I wish so much I didn't leave him that 24hours as everything was going so well beforehand.

Any suggestions? So close to giving up and just bottle feeding him as cant go on fighting at every feed like this.

 

[optimistic1]

I think you should keep trying with the breast...he is probably preferring the bottle over you but maybe if you keep trying he'll get back into I mean he was taking a bottle for 24 hours. I'm sorry your going through this and I hope everything works out and you don't have to give up completely buy if you do don't beat yourself up over it lo will love you no less!

 

[armywife11]

Just keep trying the breast. I used breast shields at first and I went through this when I was weaning her off them. She would throw a fit and I would give her the shield for a bit then take it away and at that point she was hungry, the milk was flowing, so she just took it.

One of my friends who went through this said she had a bit of luck when she would express a little then latch. She had already had, or started the let down and would leak into his mouth as he was latching.

Good luck!

 

[Pielette]

I haven't experienced this myself but I read a good tip for situations like this - try dripping some expressed milk or formula onto your nipples so he is getting something straight away, it may encourage him to keep feeding. Keep trying! Good luck.