Information or Suggestions for Dealing with a "Nursing Strike"

She may be weaning herself, but don't give up yet. If she didn't take a bottle don't start now though. How about some breast milk (or formula ) in a sippy cup?

Take a look at this link on kelly.com. This website is so helpful regarding breastfeeding. Good luck!

www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html

Take that as a blessing the child stopped on it own. You can still give the milk to her from a bottle. Just buy a brest pump and use it. This way she will stil getting the milk and you will still have to watch your weight.

Sounds like self weaning to me! If she is done, you really are wasting your time trying to have her continue! She is ready to move on with foods.
Don't feel bad it is an exciting time as she grows!

Y.,

Both my sons, now 5 years and 18 months, started the same thing around 10 months. I kept pumping until 12 mos. and used a sippy cup with tiny holes. They loved it. They are very independent, active boys.
I am a SAHM who believes in healthy sleeping habits for babies, so I did not do the dream nursing. Just my 2-cents.
Nursing works if everybody's happpy, not forced and stressed...

My daughter got a nasty head cold at 13 months. She stopped nursing and sucking her fingers. She never attempted either again. I didn't mind her stopping the finger sucking but I wasn't ready to stop nursing!

Babies rarely wean themselves at this early age:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html
Most people mistake nursing strikes for weaning.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html Down towards the bottom of the page they address nursing strikes. Brains are the last thing that develop in human babies and this isn't complete before 24 months. Breast milk is pretty key to brain growth, so developmentally, they aren't ready to self-wean before their bodies are done growing. And it's been shown that breast milk contains stem cells which I figure we'll find linked to that brain growth in the next few years.

I second the nursing when she is sleeping. Since I'm at work all day, I do a lot of night nursing and also co-sleeping to keep the breastfeeding relationship going. I would also suggest lying down with her during nap times on the weekends. Anytime she is sleeping, if she falls asleep in the car, trying feeding in the car before entering the house. (my baby stays asleep at least long enough to pull her out of the carseat, and even if she wakes, she's not fully awake.)

I also find that my 10 month old is just too busy to want to stop and nurse. There's too much to see and do and I just let her play. But when she's tired and ready for a nap/bedtime, she's also ready for some mama milk.

Good Luck and best wishes for a continued BFing relationship.

Y.,

First of all, breastfeeding is never a waist of your time. I don't want you to get discouraged & just stop trying. If you think she is weening herself, then that's it just that. But you can still pump & get her the same nutrients as before. Her body still needs all that good stuff to help her immune system, her brain, you know the facts! It's just going to kinda suck having to pump. But keep in mind, it's for her. You're a great Momma for wanting to go as long as possible. I know the heartbreak that comes with a baby weening herself. Who do they think they are making such a big decision for themselves?! ;o) HEHE! Good luck, sweetie.
S.

Hi Y.,
Try www.kellymom.com. It is a great site with tons of information on breastfeeding. If you do a search on their site for nursing strike, you will find a lot of information to help you. Good luck!
T.

Hi
I know it is heartbreaking for your child to resist nursing. But my child did the same thing at the same age. She was just done nursing, didn't want anypart of me putting my boob anywhere near her. If you want her to get the nutrition you can pump and try giving it to her in a sippy cup or bottle.
Good Luck

Maybe she had a sore gum that is irritated during nursing or getting sick,maybe a tummy ache or something.

I might be in the minority, but I feel it's ok for a ten month old to wean. I've nurse 5 kids, all for different lengths, for different reasons, from 8 weeks long to 13 months. My third nursed for 10 months and then started with sippy cups. I think it's great when a child self-weans like that because they're doing it on their own terms and there's no guilt or struggle. Conversely, I had two situations where I had to give up early for different reasons, and one where I would love to have weaned, but he just kept at it (like I was a pacifier). SO, in my opinion, your situation is the best of all possible worlds. Good luck, whatever you do!
M.

I know this isn't easy, but first of all, try to relax! Have you tried dream feeding? Wake her up in the middle of the night and nurse her then when she's still mostly sleeping. This worked for me. I remember my daughter was about the same age when I began to struggle with nursing strikes. A dream feeding will keep up your supply and give her the calories she needs from milk. Just keep offering. I know this isn't much help and I really do know how worried and frustrated you feel, hopefully knowing a lot of us have experienced this too will be of some comfort. Just try to stay calm and of course, don't force her (as if you could!). This too shall pass... i promise. By the way, I disagree that this is self-weaning. That would happen gradually, not all of a sudden. A lot of people may suggest that, but not in my opinion. A baby doesn't go from nursing 2-3 times a day to nothing overnight. It WILL get better! Also, if your goal is to nurse for 1 year, then YOU CAN DO IT!!! I read a lot of other responses and noticed that people said the baby was "done." Not at 10 months. Yes, she is getting more calories from food, but her main nutrition is you. Don't let negativity sink in. Hopefully, you'll find this encouraging. Keep your head up!!

She is obveoously done with it. Try giving her the cup now, seeings how she is so close to a year old now I wouldn't do the bottle now. Good luck

She is ready to ween. I nursed all 3 of mine till between 10 months to 14 months. It depended on the child. I wanted to nurse till they were at least a year(I did). I was about like you. I would nurse for a little over an hour. The Dr. said she(middle child) must be getting enough because I did not give mine food until they were a year. If she is healthy and not loosing wieght you are producing enough milk. When they are little they go through a lot of growth spurts and makes you feel like a milk cow. She is balancing out.

My daughter did the same thing. I had to switch her to a bottle. My belief is because she did not want to be still as long as it took her to nurse, she was really wanting to be mobile.

Are you my long lost relative? ha ha! I could have written this exact post 2-3 weeks ago. My almost 10 month DD was a nursing champ and woke up one morning and would not nurse. I actively tried to get her to nurse for a week but she refused. I tried nursing her when she was asleep and drowsy. I tried different nursing positions. I did everything that I could think of and nothing worked. So, here it is nearly 3 weeks later and she is weaned. I have been pumping a few times a day and having to supplement with formula when I can't pump enough. It was a very emotional thing for me to go through and I felt very hopeless. This is my last baby and I enjoyed nursing so much. I felt like she had personally rejected me. However, I do feel at peace about the situation although I had hoped to never give either of my children formula. I've gotten over this and my DD is doing very well. I don't have any other advice but wanted you to know that I can TOTALLY understand and relate to what you are going through. I have read that some babies naturally wean around 9-10 months. However, most will go on to nurse past a year or longer if that is OK with the momma.

I know it's hard when they're ready to stop nursing but we aren't. Mine did it to me at eight months -- and I had been planning on nursing until she was about two! (sniffle) Just know that you gave her a wonderful start and she will reap the benefits of having been nursed until 10 months! You go, girl!

It sounds like she weaned herself. I've heard a lot of babies do this -and since she had gotten down to 2-3 times a day, it definitely sounds like the case. I know some women nurse a long time, but 10 months is plenty -especially if your child is "done".

I wish I had that problem! My son is 16 mos. old and does not want to STOP nursing. I have been trying to wean him for about 3 months. If your daughter does not want to nurse any longer then don't force her! Give her a sippy cup and let her join the "Big Girls Club!"

Y., sometimes this can happen if a mom has recently started oral hormonal pills ("The Pill") or if the baby was startled while at the breast. Since she was only nursing 2-3 times a day, it sounds as if she was slowly weaning before, since 2-3 times a day is very little for a 10 month old. If she seemed as though she was unhappy at the breast before, maybe something was hindering your milk supply and she just gave up. Whatever the cause, it's important to not try to force the baby to take the breast again.

Some moms find it helpful to initiate feedings when the baby is just waking up or just going to sleep or lightly asleep. The baby will often nurse at this time when they wouldn't otherwise. You may want to choose to cuddle her during the times you normally nursed her so she knows it's available. Skin-to-skin contact, especially at night, is often helpful, too. That way, she can come back quickly. You also may want to pump so that the milk supply doesn't have to be increased from the lack of demand.

Hope this helps. Been there.
D. S

my daughter did the same thing at exactly 10 months! She acted like I was hurting her by offering it to her. I tried for a couple of more days but then gave up. I was heart broken for a little while but then it was such a freedom for me. I did pump for the next two months...ugh!She had never taken a bottle so she went stright to the sippy cup.

Contact your local La Leche League right away, they will help get your 10 month old nursing ASAP. This is the typical age for a nursing strike if you are going to have one. Please don't give up nursing yet!!