"Nursing Strike"

How active is he otherwise? Perhaps the bottle gives him more freedom to "glup it down" and get back to moving and exploring. He might be giving you the signal to stop breast feeding him and as sad as that is, for you, it might be time.

W.

My son did the same thing at about 6 weeks. He was a bigger boy for his age and I asked the Dr. and she said he isn't getting satisified. I then switched him to a bottle and sensitive formula and he did great. I know not the advice you are probably looking for.
J.

If the bottle is easier for him, that may be why he's refusing to nurse. In my experience, using the smallest slowest bottle nipple possible keeps them away from the bottle. Also, you could try feeding him in a sitting position with the bottle so it's not as comfortable. That was all advice I got from my lactation consultant and it worked like a charm with my son. He was younger than yours but it's worth a shot if you want to keep nursing. Good luck and don't give up:)

I have a 6 week old, she just did the same thing. I've had to calm her with a binki, then pull it out and put her right on the breast. It doesn't always work, but it helps. part of me thinks she's just tired and being lazy. She doed it at night mostly. Keep trying, don't give up on nursing, it's so wonderful. They have phases, and the bottle is always easier for them to drink, like I said they're lazy!

When my 12 year old was a baby, he refused to nurse. It was strange. I tried different positions, he always fell asleep. Then he threw a fit under my breast and screached. It was day 2 at the hospital (he wasn't eating) and I went to the nurses, got a bottle, and he took to it like we were starving him to death. I tried several times to get him to breast feed, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. If you are pumping, then give him breast milk with a bottle. Some babies breast feed forever (until they are well over 1 years old), some quit and don't want to. All babies are different-and everyone needs to keep that in mind.

First of all I want you to take a nice deep breath and remember that you are doing a great job! Being a mom takes so much out of you and it's easy to get frustrated when you are tired. Contacting a lactation consultant is a good idea that you will probably benefit from. One thing that no one has suggested is that maybe your flow is too heavy for your baby. That is what happened to my son and I. He would latch on and start nursing only to pull off crying and squirming. He didn't want to nurse on that side. (yeah it only happened on one side, go figure.) But he would take the bottle that I pumped just fine. I called a lac. consultant and she suggested I manually slow down the flow like this...Place your index and middle fingers on either side of your nipple and press firmly against your breast. Just make sure there is enough room around your nipple to allow the baby to latch on. Do this through your "let-down" and ease off the pressure gradually. After a couple tries my went back to nursing just fine and soon after I didn't have to be squeezing myself during nursing. :) But do contact a lac. consultant for questions. They are an amazing resource. Good luck!!

Hi S.

Everyone's advice or suggestions are wonderful but I was wondering if it might be the foods you consume too. When I was breastfeeding my daughter will cry and have a lot of gas whenever I ate anything spicy or when I ate broccoli. So once I avoided all that she was fine and nursing was a lot easier. I hope this works. Good luck

Mar

Two of my three boys were champion nursers. (My mother called them "booby babies" and swore they would have nursed until going off to school if I'd let them. My third son was, frankly, lazy. He LOVED LOVED LOVED the bottle because he didn't have to work as hard. I cut him off the bottle because I didn't want him to be weaned so early - and I knew that this was where we were heading. I nursed him before he was hungry and shrieking. (When he woke up from a nap, I wouldn't take the time to change him before offering him a breast. He was much more receptive to latching on when he wasn't upset. I would also get him up from a nap and offer him the breast before he was even fully awake.)

He still weaned himself earlier than I would've liked, but we made it almost to six months.

You might want to try contacting la leche for some tips. Those folks are pretty great!

Hi S.!

The situation you describe definately sounds like a 'nursing strike' to me. It also sounds like you are doing exactly what you should be doing. Just keep offering the breast before offering the bottle of pumped milk... these things don't usually last very long, so just hang in there! You can do it!

Hi S.,

This is so frustrating, especially when they are so young and you are so tired! I don't have exact similar experience, but from what you say, you might consider seeing a lactation consultant. If he's gulping down a bottle, my guess is he's not getting enough milk from you. Perhaps when he is trying to feed, he's getting very little so he's frustrated and starts crying.

Another thought - if he's having gas, there is a possibility he is responding to something you are eating. He could be tasting it in your milk and be responding to that.

I saw a great lactation specialist in Ballard at a baby/lactation store on 75th (or so) and about 13th NE. Wish I could remember the name for you. Anyway, my 2nd was not eating enough at first. It resolved itself pretty quickly, but I felt so much better having the input and experience of the lactation specialist. I'd strongly suggest that.

Good luck! I know how frustrating feeding situations can be. Get some help and I bet you'll have it taken care of in no time.

I went through the same thing when my son was about this age. In the end I just figured out that he was getting upset because he had to "work" too hard to get the amount he needed. He already knew the easy way (bottle) and he wanted the bottle. I started pumping and everything went fine. He had the gas problem too and what it worked best was the soy formula. I just got to a point when I couldn't pump enough. He wanted to eat more and more. Hope that will help you. Good luck!

The increased gas could indicate that he's swallowing more air when he nurses at your breast. Perhaps he's not latched on properly. Something has changed for him. I'd suggest that you call the LeLeche league and ask for advice. My daughter went to a clinic sponsored by the hospital in which she delivered. I think that someone not only experienced but also trained to assess and suggest solutions in the area of breast feeding would be helpful. The Leleche League information would be free. A lactation clinic would charge but the visit would probably be covered by insurance as a medical appointment.

Yup, both of my kids did that. It was probably because I tried to fluctuate between bottle and breast. With my daughter (now 2) I gave in and switched to bottle, pumping for four months, then giving her formula. My son is now 8 months and with him I just stopped the bottle all together. He ate poorly and every hour a sip or two for a couple days, then got back on with eating normally once he decided that was all he was getting. Most kids will prefer a bottle and fuss when you offer your breast instead (if they've had both options). So you just need to decide what you'd prefer doing, bottle or breast, then stick with it. It's definitely hard to keep with the nursing (though I'm so glad I did) because it hurts our self esteem to try to nurse a child only to have them scream and fuss like we're starving them. We then wonder if they're sick, if something is wrong with the milk supply, if they're over-tired, everything! But sometimes we moms worry a bit too much. He'll be fine if you just try to feed him every time he fusses (as opposed to sticking with a 3 hour schedule, if you have some sort of schedule you can go back to it after he's back to nursing, but you don't want him to go hungry during this time that you're re-training him to breastfeed). Hope you find something to work!

If you want to continue breast feeding, you'll need to stop offering the bottle. The bottle aslo is what is most likely causing the gas...it adds a lot of air into the baby, thus causing the gas. My totally breast fed daughter never had gas or burped more than one small burp but my son who took mostly bottles was gassy and burpy.
I had the same problem you are having with my son.
Please contact a lactation consultant at the hospital you delivered at. They will be able to work with you and give you help and advice. You can go in and they will show you how to hold the baby, etc. They also can give you advice on how to offer him the breast when he's not hungry, etc. Please do not wait too long because your child will get used to the bottle and wont want the breast any more. That's what happened to my son.

Good luck to you and your baby.

Your son is doing what mine did. He has decided that the nipple on the bottle is easier than sucking from the breast. Depending on how important it is to you to breastfeed, stop giving him the bottle and he will quickly learn that the breast is all he is going to get.

He also has a learning milestone at this point and that causes a change in breastfeeding.

Hang in there Mama.

S.

Hi S.,

Trust your "momma instincts", your baby is telling you something is difficult when feeding. I would definitely make an appt with a Lactation Consultant. Having someone watch his behavior while breastfeeding will help you discover the true problem. I don't think the bottle is the culprit.
I receive this call everyday in my lactation office and usually this is related to a mom with a fabulous milk supply and a baby who is overwhelmed by the flow.
Call today and have peace of mind for you and your baby.

Take Care,
D.

Hi S.,

He's pretty young to go on a nursing strike, although it's not unheard of. I'm the mother of four, ranging in age from 5-20 and my first thought, given my experiences with my own four, is that he may have a slight ear infection. Swallowing may hurt, the pressure from having his head tilted, etc...may be causing his issue. I would have his pediatrician check his ears as soon as you can get in. Many children get ear infections with no real symptoms, no fever, nothing. But this could be a symptom. Additionally, your pediatrician may have some good suggestions to help you through whatever is bothering him.

Good Luck,

D.

How about just continuing to pump and give him a bottle? Nursing is a great experience but your child's health is the most important thing. Your not taking anything away from him by feeding him a bottle. There's just as much of a bond created with bottle feeding as there is with breast feeding. His needs and nutrition is #1.

S.,

I know with both of my sons they would get really fussy at the breast. It was so hard to nurse and I had no idea what was wrong with them. It was very disheartening. I took them to the Dr. and it turns out they both had/have acid reflux. We treated it with liquified Prilosec and it worked wonders. No more fussing at the breast and less spitting up.

Just an idea. I hope he continues to nurse well and good luck!

Take Care,
K.

My oldest refused one side. What I found is that bottles have a larger hole in the nipple then the brests have, you son likes to be able to nurse and get lots rather then the smaller amounts. It took me over 3 months before I got my oldest to take my other breast. It was time consuming, I took extra time attempting to relax, offered the breast when she was not hungery, and gave water in the bottle.

When I was a lactation consultant and worked with moms and babies I usually found that this type of issue was worked out with either chiropractic or even more likely craniosacral work. Often there was something that made it painful for baby to eat and when baby had a session or 2 they were better.

Some how it seemed to work even better and faster if mom had a session @ the same time.

You might check and see if it will help. Some times they are reacting to you and sometimes it is pain of theirs either way this helps.

Hi S., I have a similar problem with my 4 month old daughter. She was on a nursing strike for about 15 days. She only fed 3 times a day that too when she was fast asleep and I should on disturb her sleep too. I went to the Lactation specialist, her pediatrician both said there was no problem with her and she might be teething. But I thought teething should not stop her from feeding for prolonged days. Here is what I did, I woke up about 2 hrs every night and breastfed her while she was fast asleep. It is actually working. She is getting better day by day. If you really want to breast feed you baby please don't give him a bottle of expressed milk or formula. Be patient this process took a very long time for me but it surely has results. Hope this works for you too. When you get frustrated don't show your anger in front of the baby. Put him down to sleep or play slowly and go and relax. Because your feelings might affect him and the strike will not stop. Good luck.

HI S.,
I want you to know that my daughter went thru this as well. She was a horrible nurser and she was my fisrt. I went back to the hospital 5 times in two months because she would not latch right and she was on a strike and then she just did not like nursing. She also would not take a bottle either and I did not want to give up nursing. At that time I don't know why I did not, I am glad that I kept at it, but no one really tells you in advanced that nursing can be very hard. Just keep at it and talk to the lactaction nurses where avaialble they are truly helpful and just know that I feel for you. It is so hard to endure these trying times, but I know if you do it does get easier.. Take care and try to rest.
B.

He may be frustrated. He has to work harder to nurse, a bottle has a much faster flow. He's just mad. LOL!