How did your nursing strike (breast refusal) end?

[Sarah+]

LO hasn't nursed in 5 days now It started when he bit me one evening and refused to go back on. I got him to latch the next day but he just chewed for a minute and now he screams if I try His teeth were bothing him but now seem fine. I've been in contact with a local LLL and been given lots of ideas and have been pumping to maintain supply but no matter what I try, he shows no interest in returning. I'm just wondering if anyone else has experinced this and how it ended. I guess I'm wondering at what point we call it a day. We were only nursing part-time now but I didn't expect it to all end so suddenly.

 

[AnnaBanana9]

Try nursing him when he's very sleepy ir already asleep. Many babies who refuse to nurse when awake will nurse when drowsy or asleep. Lots of cuddling and skin-to-skin contact may help too. It's possible that if you jumped or involuntarily cried out when he bit you he may be fearful of nusing in case he gets another similar jolt. Couls it also be possible that he has an earache which is making nursing painful for him?

Hope the strike ends soon and it's not him self-weaning so suddenly. Please keep us updated.

xx

 

[anothersquish]

Well the only "nursing strike" I encountered with my last one was what stopped BFing. Nothing happened to make him refuse the breast but suddenly he just started refusing to take at all. He also refused bottles of EBM (he never took a bottle) but would take EBM in a cup and in his food. I continued expressing to give him milk in his food and cups til he was a year. He was exactly the same age as your LO.
I wish I could say something more positive

I agree with the advise given of trying to nurse him when hes very very sleepy as well as cuddling and skin to skin. If you dont co-sleep it may be worth thinking about for a while?