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Nursing strike from older baby

SV917SV917 member
in Breastfeeding
Has anyone dealt with an older baby on a nursing strike? My 10 1/2 month old suddenly stopped nursing. I cannot get his head anywhere near my breast. He pushes his head back and screams at the top of his lungs. He takes a bottle just fine and doesn't appear to be in any distress except when breastfeeding. I'm already pumping for his twin sister so it's really hard to get 50 oz/day.

I'm so close to that one year mark and I had planned on nursing him at night & morning while my daughter finished up my frozen stash. This whole breastfeeding experience has been so stressful, but I thought that would be a normal, more relaxed way of ending this relationship. But now it looks like it's over with tears and screams and my stash will be gone before the end of the month.
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Re: Nursing strike from older baby

  • SV917SV917 member
    My little guy is Henry, too. 

    He has 7 teeth and has never done this before, but I suppose it could be a molar. He doesn't seem bothered by teething at any other time which is strange, I think. I will try giving him something cold tomorrow. I have tried a dream feed. Even fast asleep he would not let me put his head near the breast.
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  • DahliaFlowerDahliaFlower member
    As painful as it is, I would probably just let him do his thing.  My LO is the same age and all over the map lately.  He nurses pretty well most days, but his bottle consumption has gone way down. Sometimes he seems less interested in BF, too.  I try not to worry to much or force it. He takes solids well and I just make sure he stays hydrated w/ sippy cup (water).  I believe that many babies start to self wean (or at least limit BM) at this age.

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  • SV917SV917 member
    Thanks. I will try some of these things. He hasn't nursed since Sunday morning, so I have been giving him bottles. He is on the small side for his weight so I'm worried about him not having milk. I tried milk in a sippy cup last night and he did okay. He's still learning how to use the sippy cup so I'm scared of spills. I was thinking today I would mix milk in with his breakfast cereal and give some in a sippy cup. He'd still get bottles like normal from the nanny but then this evening we'd go back to sippy cups. Does this sound reasonable?
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  • amichelle723amichelle723 member
    LLL has some great info on nursing strikes that I referenced when DD did this. She was 7 months, so a little younger than your LO. It only lasted 2 days for us, and I think that's the norm. Lots of skin to skin, offering the breast often (like every hour), and trying not to force it is what worked for us. She went from screaming and arching away from the breast back to nursing normally, and at 11 months she's is still happily nursing away. 

    It's tough, but hopefully it's only temporary!
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  • SV917SV917 member
    amichelle723 said:
    LLL has some great info on nursing strikes that I referenced when DD did this. She was 7 months, so a little younger than your LO. It only lasted 2 days for us, and I think that's the norm. Lots of skin to skin, offering the breast often (like every hour), and trying not to force it is what worked for us. She went from screaming and arching away from the breast back to nursing normally, and at 11 months she's is still happily nursing away. 

    It's tough, but hopefully it's only temporary!
    That gives me hope. Thanks. 
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