Nursing Strike

[xxbeckyxx]

So Lizzie is having a nursing strike and I am getting really down about it. Every feed is a major battle and she's already quite low weight-wise so I really want her feeding properly!

So I'm after people's experiences really - what did you try to overcome it? Did you find a reason for it? How long did it last??

At the moment I can get her to stay on for about 3 minutes if I hold her like a rugby ball and pace up and down the living room, but that's about it. She's even worse in the evening so I give her a bottle then (which she seems to take fine), but I don't want to give a bottle too often in case it makes her even worse at going on the boob.

 

[Minchin]

Oh hon I feel for you. LO started doing this from about 4 and a half months and it got progressively worse and worse. Thing is I had to go back to work a 5 and half months so I htink for us it was him having more bottles int he day and just being a lazy boy and wanting bottles. There are loads of reasons though and apparently it's quite common. Do u have a local breastfeeding counsellor you can chat to?> that helped me quite a lot. sadly we are no longer bfing but we gave it a good go.
hope it gets a little easier and you get a few solutions...fx

 

[SmallPurpleCat]

Awww - this is what happened with Isla when she was about 8 weeks. Unfortunately we didn't get back to breastfeeding and I'm now expressing all her daytime feeds which is hard work but I'll do it for as long as I can! She still breastfeeds at night strangely enough but I've tried a few times in the day recently and she just screams.

As you know, Isla has weight issues too so I just went with the bottles to get her feeding as well as possible.

I think the reason for it in my case was maybe that my supply wasn't great and she was fed up working so hard to get it!

Sorry - no constructive advice but I do know how you feel. I felt terrible at the time but decided that if that's the way it was going to be, then I just had to relax and go with it.

 

[Rayoflight]

Blake was like this about a month ago for a fortnight. Do you remember my frantic postings on Facebook about it?

I figured out very quickly he was tired and couldn't be bothered. So, overdosed on oats, mama tea and fenugreek so my boobs were really full at each feed and the lazy monkey didn't have to work too hard to get it. I also did as many feeds as possible in bed on my side. It worked a treat and he was fine within a couple of weeks. He just kind of grew out of it. Now when he starts screaming at the boob I know he is knackered, take him upstairs to my bed, feed on my side and all is usually well (and he falls straight asleep too! Bonus!).

Hope Lizzie feeds better soon xxx

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Well I just had two bowls of porridge and two pints of water within the space of 10 minutes...I feel very full
I think (hope) things are starting to improve - she fed for 10 minutes this morning!
The idea of laziness/tiredness sounds pretty much spot on Gem - feeding just after naps seems so be most successful at the moment, specially if she's still half asleep cos then she doesn't realise what I'm doing till she gets the let down

SPC - I've thought about expressing and bottle feeding if she doesn't improve, do you find you have enough throughout the day? Cos I have loads of milk in the mornings but don't know if I could express enough later on for the evening cluster feeds? How is Isla's weight now?

 

[SmallPurpleCat]

Supply varies but we are now supplementing with formula - she has 2 formula feeds a day when the EBM runs out!

Had Isla weighed on Wednesday and she was 11lb 1oz so had gained 6oz in the last week and a half which is good for her. What's Lizzie's weight now?

 

[xxbeckyxx]

12lb 2oz today so hasn't gained a lot in the last couple of weeks, but I'm just glad it's not gone down!

 

[SmallPurpleCat]

Glad she is still gaining. That's what I have told myself - as long as she doesn't lose weight it will be fine! So, is Lizzie feeding better again now? Isla has just done a personal best today - 25oz!

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Brilliant! Lizzie is better with most of her feeds, there's still the odd one that I've gotta get up and walk her about for (strange girl), but I feel like we're getting back to normal

 

[SmallPurpleCat]

Being fed whilst walking around - that is odd lol!

 

[Rayoflight]

Being fed whilst walking around - that is odd lol!

I have to do this sometimes!