How to Get over a Nursing Strike?

Make sure he can breathe through his nose while he's nursing. Once when my daughter was real small, she had a stuffy nose that got worse when laid down so I had to change her position so she was upright. If it is a stuffy nose, try to irrigate it out with some saline and bulb thingy.

8 months isn't a weaning age, babies still need breastmilk/formula until at least a year old.

You might also see if he will nurse when he's sleeping. Often its the easy way to "break" a strike, but usually when baby's been scared off the breast.

There is no way that he self weaned at this age.

I'm assuming that you're giving him a bottle. If so, stop. Don't give him water either. It fills his belly and makes him think he's full, when all he is really full of is water. He'll take the breast when he's hungry.

Since he's sick, he might not want to eat as much. Make sure he's peeing enough. He needs to be hydrated. If he isn't making at least 4-5 wet diapers a day, call your MD. Don't forget that breast milk is made up mostly of three things: water, calcium and fats. Nursing will also help him get better faster because you are passing antibodies through your milk.

He'll turn into a booby piglet when he feels better. My 9 month old just got over a fever. She stopped all solids and went for boob every 2 hours or so only for little sips. When she started feeling better, she went back to boob full throttle.

Ditto what the other posters said.

Your baby is sick... this is why the change in his nursing behavior. He is NOT weaning. He will go back to normalcy and nursing once he is better. Just make sure that in the meantime, you are STILL nursing ON DEMAND... this is VERY important for the 1st year of life. This is a "building block" time as far as nutrients and it's effect on development. Don't stop nursing.

"Nursing strikes" are normal, per a baby's illness, per teething and what not.

Make sure he does not get dehydrated....thus, nursing on demand is important. Just keep offering and he will drink what he can....

All the best,
Susan