XP: Pls Help! Suddenly prefers bottles?

LMBESQ

I also posted this on the bf board:

My dd has always been an excellent and efficient nurser.  Over the past three days, she has seemed reluctant to nurse, other than in the middle of the night.  Other than in the middle of the night, she will latch on and nurse for 5 minutes.   She normally nurses for 10 minutes every 3 hours. 

Just now she would not eat, and it had been over three hours since she'd last eaten.  She arched her back and screamed when I put her on the breast.  I thawed 2 oz of bm and she gulped it down.  Tried to get her back on the breast and she again refused.  Thawed and fed her 2 more ounces.  Then tried the breast and she nursed for about 5 minutes, before seeming full. 

She has also been acting like she is very gassy.  Mylicon does seem to make her less agitated for a few minutes. 

Any thoughts and/or advice would be VERY appreciated, thank you

mommy411

Try the gripe water..just keep offering her the breast dont cave...

mason15

I would ONLY give her the breast right now.  If you're working, obviously that isn't an option, but I'd give her the breast as much as possible.  Look on kellymom for more info on nursing strikes.  Gripe water might help.  Do you have an overactive letdown?

mason15

Wanted to add that breastfeeding is so much more work than bottles, so it's important that you just keep BFing her and not giving the bottle or she may end up not wanting to nurse at all.  She won't starve herself.  :-)

beachybride1

I feel like my LO has been doing this lately, I've just kept on offering the breast as much as I can, and haven't given him any bottles since last week.

mrsbliven

when DD did her nursing strike last month, my LC suggested using a sippy cup to feed her instead of a bottle. breast first, sippy cup some, back to breast. sippy cup is no fun at all so they will go back to breast. the concept of nothing but breast when they are striking only leads to a panicky starving baby.