Nursing strike, advice needed.

RedRose87 · February 2013

Hey ladies. I have a predicament. So while we found a bottle Jon was willing to take though only from me, he still refuses everyone else he actually hasn't been given one since mid December when I was doing it once every couple days. I stopped giving a bottle and just breastfed, no big deal. Well he is teething and was refusing to nurse. I knew he needed to eat and he was cranky and hungry. So I gave him a bottle of 4 ounces expressed milk mixed with 2 ounces of formula and he downed the whole 6 ounces like he was starving! He nursed fine this morning while he was still sleepy but he won't eat now. It's been 4.5 hours. I've numbed his gums, did ice/cold teethers, did teething tablets, ibrophen and he still won't latch on. What do I do? We can't afford to go to formula and I don't pump enough maybe 4 ounces to ep. I know it is just a nursing strike due to teething but how do I get through this while making sure he is getting the nutrients he needs without also weaning him in the process. I want to breastfeed till a year so offering a bottle worries me. He gladly took that one bottle and didn't seem at all phased about it. He even held the bottle himself, something hes never ever done. Anyone else go through this? Any advice please and thank you!

jess9802 · February 2013

My son went through a month long nursing strike at around 3 mos old. It was brutal. He was already taking bottles while I was at work. I learned very quickly that I had to nurse him while he was very sleepy - usually just upon waking up from a nap. I did dream feeds, too. Sometimes I had to nurse standing up or walking around, or in front of a running faucet. At some point he got over it like nothing ever happened. Still goes back and forth between bottles and breast with no problem. Don't lose your patience, don't try to force him to nurse, keep it calm and quiet and pleasant when you do offer, and hang in there.

RedRose87 · February 2013

Thanks. It is so hard. Never thought he'd ever go on a strike considering breast is his only source of milk! I hope it doesn't last much longer. If I try to get him to latch and he refuses I have to put him down and try again after a few minutes or he starts screaming. This is rough. How long did it last for you guys?

jess9802 · February 2013

It lasted about a month. A very long month. But now it's just a distant memory!

happywife2b · February 2013

How old is he? Have you tried rice milk or goat milk? If he simply won't BF then you could pump and bottle feed till one year, but there are alternatives to formula if he just won't BF and you aren't able to pump all the time.

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