Weening? - San Diego,CA

Her sinuses probably are bothering her when she latches on, just keep helping her find a position till it's comfortable for her. Keep bf till at least 12m.

Her nose may possibly be stuffed and/or has post-nasal drip dripping in the back of her throat, and when stuffed/having post-nasal drip, a baby has a hard time nursing.... because they can't breathe, and/or the mucous dripping in the back of their throat makes it very hard to swallow/suck.

Nursing from breast, takes a lot of mouth/tongue/muscle coordination and sucking... to get the milk out.
Bottle feeding, is just by gravity and much less effort.

But when sick, a baby has to be hydrated, by any means and fed on demand still, by any means. So they don't get dehydrated. For the 1st year, a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition is from breastmilk/Formula, not solids and not other liquids. Per our Pediatrician.

Or, she may be teething in conjunction with her cold... thereby making it harder. Many babies, will "seem" to reject breastfeeding, when teething, because it is uncomfortable. Both my kids did that when teething, and/or when sick and stuffed up.

If anything, its temporary given her circumstances. Keep trying to nurse, but the bottomline is that she feeds... so pump as well, and/or give her a bottle of pumped milk, to assuage her and supplement her.

All the best,
Susan

Nursing strike or she's just not feeling great? www.kellymom.com has some great info on the topic. "They" say - babies at this age will not wean themselves, so it is most likely something else.
Best wishes,
M.

Hello, I am SAHM as well I have 5 kids and breast fed them all! currently nursing my 9 month old ...many times when they have a cold they become congested which makes it hard for them to nurse ! If u r willing to continue trying there r a few things that may help ,(use saline drops & suction her nose with nasal asperator ) stop all bottles as baby will have to nurse ...purchase and use lanolin it helps a lot! Medela has a product I believe its called Nipple shield it helps mothers with inverted nipples but is a shield that helps when baby bites...most of all nurse in a calm enviornment and drink lots of water !
Happy Nursing , A.

My baby did this one or two times. It could be a few things:
1. If she's congested, it could be hard for her to breath while nursing - try nursing her in an upright position (tricky but possible) or after clearing her nose with a bulb (my child HATED that so I nursed her upright)
2. Keep trying every day but if she rejects it, don't force it.
3. If these don't work: I would look on www.kellymom.com and/or contact a lactation consultant. I also used the book "A Nursing Mother's Companion" as it has a whole section on problem solving. It worked for me - I think my baby was on a "nursing strike" but eventually she started nursing again. Some children wean early too but I wouldn't give up this soon.
All the best to you!!!!

Sounds like she might be teething. Remember that teeth move up and down in the mouth before they arrive so it can take a while. Don't give up nursing, it might take a few days. Good luck!

sounds like she's teething. my kids can get the cold-like symptoms and sometimes fever when teething and would cry when their gums were hurting and couldn't nurse, the one thing that gave them comfort! what worked well on my babies is homeopathic teething gel and tablets (which can be bought at most grocery/drugstores-although you have better selections at natural/health food stores), it helps them relax...also, ice and cold teethers...hope that helps! soon it will be over and i'm sure your nursing will go back to normal.

Maybe she has an ear infection? Ear infections come with colds sometimes, and hurt more when laying down, especially in the cradle position (from what I've heard from other nursing mothers, my son hasn't had one yet). Teething is the thing that will make my son uncomfortable enough to not nurse (otherwise he will nurse anytime, unless there is something really fun going on). So teething pain can also cause problems, but usually only for a couple of hours for us, and then he's ready to nurse again.

I think you should try getting help from La Leche League or a lactation consultant. Don't give up if you really want to do it, especially after working so hard to get away from the pump and bottle. She isn't truly weaning herself, she's probably just uncomfortable and doesn't know what else to do. Have you tried the side lying position (where you are both lying down on the bed on your side), or even with her sort of upright instead of laying down (like a football hold or even just letting her sit up on the couch or bed beside you)? That could help.

My son is 16 months and still nursing, and it has been uncomfortable and difficult at times (relactating when he was 2 months old, many plugged ducts, etc), but as long as you get some help and keep at it, you will get through it.

it sounds to me like your little one is stuffed up and can breathe while nursing, Have you tried the bulb syringe on her before you nurse? it will help her breathe and then she will be comfortated while nursing.

looks like my response is unnecessary, you've gotten some great advice already. Keep nursing as she demands it. She'll probably nurse like crazy once she's feeling better (and can breathe through her nose again) to make up for while she was having her little nursing strike. Babies this age don't wean! So many people say their kid weaned at an early age but really what they're doing is coping with something like teething or a cold or growing independence or milk flowing too fast or slow. There's no reason to give her formula if there's a perfectly good boob full of milk (assuming you were going to do that if she kept rejecting you).

Besides, your milk is best for her, especially while she's sick. All those antibodies need to do their job!

Is her nose stuffed up? If that is the case she will have a hard time nursing OR drinking a bottle right now. They are nose breathers so it is a pain. It is very frustrating, on both ends. Hope it passes soon mama.

sometimes when a baby has a stuffy nose from a cold, she can't breathe when nursing. you may want to clear her nose before nursing and give breaks for her to breathe.

The biting sounds like teething. If she's 100% on the breast with no solids or pumped milk, once she's hungry enough, she should eventually take the breast. I'm sure it's not the easiest way to go in terms of her being happy all the time, but it might be the only way to go if you want to keep her nursing. She may also need more milk than you're supplying. You could try pumping for a minute or two before feeding her so she doesn't have to wait for your milk to let down. If it's teething, I'd try some orajel or baby tylenol (sparingly).

Sounds like her nose (babies are obligate nose breathers) is stuffed up.

Take an eyedropper full of breast milk and put it up her nose to clear it.
She needs your milk to get better. It has the antibody in it.
As a Mommy you sometimes have to do what is BEST for her even when it is challenging.

She may have an ear infection and it's just hurting her to suck...I'd take her in the to the doctor to rule that out...

Good luck.
-M

THis is very normal for a baby who has a cold. They want the easy way. You may need to nurse more often, like every hour to hour and a half so she gets enough. I like trying the homeopathic remedies for children. They have worked well for my children.

It sounds like she is teething. Sometimes the sucking hurts tender gums. Also, check your milk flow. If it is coming out very fast sometimes they will retract. This happened to me. Another possiblility, is sometimes when they don't feel well they eat less. Has she started solids yet. If so, she may be changing her eating schedule. She may not be hungry at the time you are offering.

Good Luck!

Hi M.,

First off ~ Great job getting your little girl on the breast full time! Sounds like you've worked very hard and you should be proud.

My baby did the same thing when he was about 4 months old. He had RSV and he could not coordinate the sucking, breathing, and swallowing because he was all stuffy. Your little girl might also be cutting teeth, hence the biting (when it rains, it pours huh?) By all means, continue to offer the breast as much as possible to keep her hydrated and keep a close eye on her diaper output.

If you are not seeing good diaper output (at least 3-4 wets a day), I would be sure to give her a bottle of breastmilk. It will probably only be temporary until she feels better.

Best of luck Mama!

Sounds like when my daughter was teething. Don't give up, she will nurse once she gets really hugnry. The other thing it could be if she had congestion is now the drainage could be making her throat sore. I'd ask your pedi, but tylenol in either situation might help.

Maybe she has an ear infection and it's painful for her to suck.

My son started the no-nursing/biting thing at around the same age, though he wasn't sick. It lasted for a few weeks...and it was VERY frustrating...but then it suddenly passed, as quickly as it started. If you have the patience, I would stick with it for a while and give her a chance to get better and resume a normal course. She may not, but it's worth a try.

I know it's frustrating...especially after you worked so hard to get her nursing 100% (I had milk supply issues too). Hang in there and good luck!