Nursing help...
Caroline is fighting nursing like crazy now. She will happily nurse first thing in the morning, but that is it.
She arches and screams every other time I try. My LC said to wait her out and she will eat when she is hungry, but she won't. She just plays and has a good 'ole time - I tried to wait her out 4 hours today (trying repeatedly to nurse) and she still fought me. I ended up giving her a bottle because I really don't want her to go all day without eating and she will.
I don't know what to do. It is not a taste issue (she does great in the AM) and is not a supply issue (I am getting very close to what she is taking from the bottle when I pump).
I have tried a dark / quiet room, swaddling her, not swaddling her, every position imaginable, things to speed up the let down, etc. (including pumping beforehand). She just won't even try - mere sight of the breast sends her into hysterics.
I don't know what the heck to do - my standoff attempts to try to force her to eat have all failed miserably.
Re: Nursing help...
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DD was like that for about a week (I can't remember when...maybe at 6 months or so??) Anyways, she eventually went back to eating normally, but that week sucked! She wouldn't take from me but more than a minute without screaming (and I know I had milk in there!) and she fails at bottles (she'll drink maybe an ounce before she's bored). Luckily, the phase just went away after about a week, but I had no idea what to do.
Do you think she's teething and her gums are bothering her when she latches on you (vs. the bottle)? It's strange that she'll take the bottle, but not you, which is why I'm guessing the way the bottle goes into her mouth might hit a different spot.
I'd like to think our issue was teething, but we still have NO teeth! Although, I swear she's been teething for like 5-6 months (no joke - - exhibiting all signs of teething for months, but no teeth...)
I'm not sure how long C's been doing this, but hopefully it's a phase that goes away quickly!
***Baby #3: BFP Mother
Caleb went through a small nursing strike (2 days) when he was cutting 2 teeth at once. He refused to nurse but would accept the bottle. I would cuddle him close and feed him a few ozs from the bottle then transition to the breast. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. As soon as his teeth cut he was back to normal nursing.
GL! I know its so frustrating! You're doing a great job!
DITTO! As my mom would say... this too shall pass. (At least I hope it does!!)