Any Experience with a Nursing Strike?

Hang in there M., my DS did the same thing at the same age. Literally one day he took the breast and the next day he didn't and every time I tried to give it to him he bit me. He was, as his doctor informed me, "self weaning". He never went back to the breast and took to the bottle. I kept trying to feed him but after about a week of me subjecting myself to those hard little bites, I let go. This was good and bad for me because I wanted to make it to that 1 year mark and I was bummed at being one month short. I also didn't experience the weaning horror stories that my friends have had. Look at it as a positive

My daughter and I went through a nursing strike when she was 10 weeks old. Same thing as you, she bit me, I screamed, she screamed. It lasted about a week. I was desperate. I didn't want to ween her that young and go to formula. She is almost 2 now and only had maybe 4-5 bottles of formula in her life.

The good thing is you little guy is almost a year old and can eat and drink from a cup. My little girl is now 21 months old and I WISH she had weened at 1 yr. Now she grabs me by the hand and starts yelling NUMMY, NUMMY, NUMMY!!! and drags me down the hall to her room to nurse. (so you see we made it though our nursing strike)

If you want to continue breastfeeding offer when he is sleepy. Do NOT push it. I found out the hard way you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. If he turns away just stop and cuddle with him a while. It will pass but if it doesn't it's ok. You did the very best thing a mom can do for a baby. He can drink from a cup now and you should give him every opportunity.

I know its hard to let go of our little babies, but we do have to let go eventually. I'm kinda jealous. I wish I had weened before mine turned in to a talking, demanding toddler!

Good Luck!

The same happened with my daughter when she was 10.5 months. She bit me and I put her down and said no, because I read that's what you are supposed to do to get them to stop biting. After that 1 no, she never was willing to take the breast again. There are a couple of article on the La Leche League side regarding nursing strikes. I tried their recommendations like leaving your breasts exposed as much as possible, trying different positions and locations, trying to nurse when they are semi-asleep. Unfortunately, nothing worked for my daughter, and after pumping for 3 weeks, I gave up. She did drink my expressed milk however, so dehydration was not an issue. Maybe you can already start him on milk, I would aks the ped first though. I know it's hard and I felt sad about bf being over and a little guilty for saying no to her, but now I figure when their done, their done, and there is not much we can do... I wish you the best of luck and hope things work out.

My youngest self-weened at 11.5 months. It was cold turkey. I remember being so sad, wishing I had known that that "final" nursing was the last time I'd ever nurse her. She didn't like milk or formula. But, would take water from a sippy cup (but, still not much). The dr said that she was probably getting enough water from food and she'd drink when she got thirsty enough. I was convienced she'd dehydrate. But, the dr was right. After about 2 wks, she started drinking several sippy cups of milk and water a day.

Good luck to you!!

I second the suggestion to talk to a lactation consultant. this isn't to make you feel bad or put any pressure on you, but a lot of kids will go on a nursing strike after mommy reacts strongly to a bite, which is one reason that they suggest doing the best you can not to cry out or do anything drastic at the first bite (I know, I know, MUCH easier said than done!). please, don't take this to be any kind of condemnation of your reaction -- one of my boys was a big biter and believe me, I yelped, yelled, and otherwise reacted badly more than once! it's just, some kids are more sensitive to it (and for others, it's the only way to get them to stop biting...). a lactation consultant should be able to guide you in ways to re-establish the trust needed (for both of you!) to continue/resume nursing. If you don't want to wean (and there's no reason to do so now if you don't want to; there are lots and lots of good reasons to continue nursing past the first year), then get help asap, b/c your supply will dwindle if this continues for too long.

good luck!

if it is sudden, then its a strike. And a child will almost never wean by age 2 without "help".

Start feeding while baby is asleep. You should be able to sneak up on him while hes drowsy, or all the way asleep. It will at least get enough liquids in him so he doesn't get dehydrated until he starts nursing again.

I experienced the same thing with my daughter after she bit me. It was a nursing strike and not weaning. She would cry and act hungry and not nurse. She did eat a lot more solids during that time. It was a long 5 days or so before she started nursing again. A lactation consultant recommended nursing in the bath. My daughter relaxed and took the breast. Anyplace your son is calm is a good place to reintroduce nursing. Try not be tense (which is so hard at a time like this). Best of luck.

Hi M.,

Have nursed both my babes, oldest is now 8. Yes, this is totally normal, especially while teething. Keep offering the breast, its likely he is NOT ready to stop but just trying to figure out what this new hard thing in his mouth is about....i.e. the tooth. He'll get the hang of it in a few days. You might check these sites for more info...www.llli.org, www.mothing.com, www.kellymom.com.

Good luck and WAY TO GO for nursing your little guy!!
S.

My son self-weaned at 6 months. I did nothing to encourage it. He just stopped. He loved his formula, and because I started him on solids at 4 months, his solid food intake increased. He was on 32 oz of formula a day and had 3 solid meals. Shortly before he turned a year, I weaned him off formula, started him on whole milk and introduced him to juice.

Have you started your baby on solids? He may be transitioning. As they grow that first year, their nutritional needs change. Introduce him to formula. He'll only be it for a month or so. You can give him water and diluted juice, too.

I am very happy my son "chose" this route because I didn't have weaning nightmares that many women encounter.

When my oldest weaned around 13 months, she just stopped asking to nurse. We were down to one feeding after I picked her up at day care, and she simply didn't ask one afternoon or ever again. I don't think she would have refused, but simply lost interest. My 16 month old is still nursing 1-2 times per day. She was not very demanding at 11 months, but is now!!

I personally think it wold be unusual for a baby to not want to nurse at that young an age without some other reason. I bet he is in pain - have you tried Tylenol 15-20 minutes before feeding him? Maybe try that and change the routine - if you normally feedhim in the rocking chair in the dark, start feeding him downstairs with the lights on. Get him out of that pattern of refusal.

If you want to continue, then I would see a lactation consultant for some advice on how to keep your supply up with a pumping schedule or how to change positions in a way that might make him nurse more.

You said you are his main source of fluid. That is another reason why I think it is unlikely he is just done. Babies are smart - he knows he needs to drink. At any rate, I think you need ot try to nurse or pump until he takes to a cup and you can be assured he is getting milk (protein, calcium, vitamin D).

Good luck. He may be starting to wean, but it is hard to imagine he would go cold turkey. You've done great going this long. I found it personally very sad when my dfirst stopped, so don't feel bad about trying to have a little control over the timing of when you wean... it can be very emotional.