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DS refuses to nurse!

Jenelle101Jenelle101 member
in Babies: 9 - 12 Months

My son who has been breastfeeding since birth just decided one day he didn't want to nurse anymore!! Saturday he was nursing every feeding, then Sunday, he refused. We were at the fair all day on Sunday and he hadn't eaten for 6+ hours. I kept trying and trying and he kept shaking his head and pulling away every time I tried nursing him. It was really strange because he has always loved the boob! Finally, I made him some formula and he downed 8 oz! So for 3 days, he has refused to nurse... So I guess he weaned himself? I have been pumping and giving him the milk, but I'm wondering if he's just done with nursing altogether. I try a couple of times a day just to make sure, and he wants nothing to do with it. He has had a fever since late Sunday night, so I was thinking maybe that was the problem... But wouldn't he be more attached?  

So my question is, do you think I should continue to try to nurse him? He fights me every time I try, so I don't want to upset him... And he's 9 months today, so maybe he's just done with it. Any similar situations?  Thanks!

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Re: DS refuses to nurse!

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    twinkletoes3126twinkletoes3126 member
    My situation is a little different but I successfully nursed my son for 4 to 5 months and then he seemed uninterested and it slowly turned into me exclusively pumping. He is now 10 months. I would keep offering. My biggest regret was not trying harder to nurse him. After 5ish months of exclusively pumping, I'm ready to burn this pump!
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    Latham12Latham12 member
    I would think the fever and nursing strike would be related. Can you take him to the doc to see if it's an ear infection? He wouldn't have to suck as hard on a bottle than the breast and sucking hurts when they have an ear infection? I'd talk to my doc in general about the situation, or an LC.
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    DCMergedDCMerged
    Most babies will not self wean that young! Yes, keep offering! Three days isn't that long and could be a nursing strike. Keep pumping if he doesn't nurse to keep up supply and keep yourself comfortable. Try not to substitute with a bottle but understand if you need to.
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    melody921melody921 member

    imageDCMerged:
    Most babies will not self wean that young! Yes, keep offering! Three days isn't that long and could be a nursing strike. Keep pumping if he doesn't nurse to keep up supply and keep yourself comfortable. Try not to substitute with a bottle but understand if you need to.

    This. Keep trying to get him to nuse. Otherwise, he might get used to the bottle and start to prefer that bc it's easier. GL!


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    jdbeckjdbeck

    I am having the exact same problem. My son, also 9 months today, stopped wanting to nurse about 2 weeks ago. I was almost exclusively having to pump in order to get him any milk except in the morning. He'd nurse like mad when he'd first wake up but his sucking wasn't as strong as usual and he wouldn't completely empty the breast. After about 5 days of this, we left home for a weekend trip and I packed up the pump and all the supplies since I assumed that I'd have to pump the entire time. I should add that throughout this whole time, I have continued to at least offer the breast before breaking down and giving him a bottle. He tries to latch for about 20-30 seconds and the will pull off and fuss at me.The first evening after we left home, I just happened to look in his mouth and spy a white spot on the top front gums. The tooth was just starting to come through and I could feel it when I put my finger in his mouth. The next day though, he started nursing again regularly and continued to nurse ok for the rest of our trip, about 2 days. However, the day after we returned home, he stopped wanting to nurse again. We are on day 5 now of only nursing in the morning. I have been checking his mouth daily and I now see another white spot next to his newest tooth. I'm hoping that the teeth are the root of our problem. It was so strange though because he never had any issues when his bottom 2 teeth came in at 5 months. With these teeth though, he has constantly been fussy and he is having a difficult time sleeping at night. For seeminingly no reason he is waking up at least once at night screaming and he is inconsolable. He's had no fever though. I did see him pulling on his ears a couple of days ago, but it hasn't happened again so I don't think he has an ear infection. Our problem though, different from your situation, is that our little guy won't touch formula with a 10 foot pole. Its good I guess, but I've been trying to offer him a little bit at night because my milk supply has decreased a bit from having to pump all the time. I've tried offering it multiple times from different sources, from a bottle and from a cup (he's used to using one as we've been giving him a little water with his solids since we started them at 6 months). I've even tried mixing a little bit with my milk. No mater the ratio of formula to breastmilk, it seems like he can smell it and pushes it away.

    I think that this is just a phase, like with everything else and if you keep with BF or at least offering the breast, your little guy will eventually get back in the swing of things.

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    Jenelle101Jenelle101 member
    imagejdbeck:

    I am having the exact same problem. My son, also 9 months today, stopped wanting to nurse about 2 weeks ago. I was almost exclusively having to pump in order to get him any milk except in the morning. He'd nurse like mad when he'd first wake up but his sucking wasn't as strong as usual and he wouldn't completely empty the breast. After about 5 days of this, we left home for a weekend trip and I packed up the pump and all the supplies since I assumed that I'd have to pump the entire time. I should add that throughout this whole time, I have continued to at least offer the breast before breaking down and giving him a bottle. He tries to latch for about 20-30 seconds and the will pull off and fuss at me.The first evening after we left home, I just happened to look in his mouth and spy a white spot on the top front gums. The tooth was just starting to come through and I could feel it when I put my finger in his mouth. The next day though, he started nursing again regularly and continued to nurse ok for the rest of our trip, about 2 days. However, the day after we returned home, he stopped wanting to nurse again. We are on day 5 now of only nursing in the morning. I have been checking his mouth daily and I now see another white spot next to his newest tooth. I'm hoping that the teeth are the root of our problem. It was so strange though because he never had any issues when his bottom 2 teeth came in at 5 months. With these teeth though, he has constantly been fussy and he is having a difficult time sleeping at night. For seeminingly no reason he is waking up at least once at night screaming and he is inconsolable. He's had no fever though. I did see him pulling on his ears a couple of days ago, but it hasn't happened again so I don't think he has an ear infection. Our problem though, different from your situation, is that our little guy won't touch formula with a 10 foot pole. Its good I guess, but I've been trying to offer him a little bit at night because my milk supply has decreased a bit from having to pump all the time. I've tried offering it multiple times from different sources, from a bottle and from a cup (he's used to using one as we've been giving him a little water with his solids since we started them at 6 months). I've even tried mixing a little bit with my milk. No mater the ratio of formula to breastmilk, it seems like he can smell it and pushes it away.

    I think that this is just a phase, like with everything else and if you keep with BF or at least offering the breast, your little guy will eventually get back in the swing of things.

    That's so funny because my son's top tooth just came through yesterday! I wonder if that's what it was.. His other top tooth is about to pop through too. I called a LC and she said it could be a number of things and that sometimes babies just go on a nursing strike... So I'll try for a few more weeks to offer the breast, but this whole pumping every 3 hours is a pain! LOL I'm hoping he starts nursing again...otherwise I might just wean him completely. 

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    ShellykleisShellykleis

    My DD is 10 1/2 months and she did this about 3 weeks ago.  The nursing strike lasted for 4 days and it was torture.  I pumped exclusively and gave it to her in a bottle.  I kept offering the boob a couple times a day and then finally one day she just took it like nothing had ever happened.

     

    Previously, she had been biting and I think she might have gotten scared when I screamed really loud.  That is my only guess as to why it happened.  She nurses great now.

     

    Just keep trying.  Nursing strikes can last a couple of weeks but hopefully it will only be a few more days for you. 

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