Nursing Strike

The nursing strike has ended already, thankfully. But let me tell you what happened. Baby A caught this 6-day fever illness that has been going around town lately. DS-5 and Miss I caught it as well. Baby A's nursing habits had been getting worse over the course of the week, and Thursday night he would only drink from one side. By the time I woke up the next morning, the other side was hard as a rock. He nursed, one side only, then refused to nurse for the rest of the day. By noon I decided to pump because I was engorged and in a lot of pain. He ate some food by spoon and in the afternoon I got him to take 2-ounces of breastmilk by dropper. Whenever I tried to put him to the breast, he arched away, crying, as he had been doing all day. I did a search on Nursing Strikes and got some good information.

What causes it?

According to the La Leche League International, some of the most common reasons for a nursing strike include:

• Mouth pain from teething, a cold sore, or an infection (such as thrush).

• In an older baby, the baby is afraid Mom will scream. This is common when your teething baby bites and you react by yelling.

• An ear infection, which causes pressure or pain while nursing.

• A cold or stuffy nose, which makes breathing difficult while nursing.

• Too many bottles or overuse of a pacifier, resulting in a reduced milk supply.

• A major disruption in your baby's routine, such as you returning to work.

• An unusually long separation from you.

Other causes include food sensitivity or allergy (most likely to occur in the early months), a cream or perfumed product applied on or near your breasts, or a change in the taste of your milk caused by a vitamin, a drug, or certain foods.

What can I do?

A nursing strike can be hard for even the most dedicated breastfeeding mother. If you and your baby are dealing with a nursing strike, now's the time to reconfirm your commitment to breastfeeding. With patience and support, you can survive a strike.

A nursing strike usually lasts between two and five days, or longer. While you continue to encourage your baby to nurse, you'll need to express your milk by hand or pump every few hours (about as often as your baby had been nursing). This will help prevent plugged ducts or engorgement, and provide your baby with the milk he needs. Try offering the expressed milk in a sippy cup, a spoon, an eyedropper, or a feeding syringe. Use a bottle as a last resort, because it could make the problem worse.

Here are some recommended ways to overcome a nursing strike:

• Try nursing when your baby is asleep or very sleepy. Many babies who refuse to nurse when they're awake will breastfeed when they're sleepy.

• Visit your baby's doctor to rule out medical causes (such as an ear infection or thrush) and seek feeding advice.

• Vary your nursing position.

• Nurse in motion. Some babies are more likely to nurse when you rock or walk them than when you're sitting or standing still.

• Nurse in an environment that's free from distractions. It's common for a 6- to 9-month-old to go on a nursing strike as he becomes more aware of the world. Babies this age are easily distracted and often prefer to "snack" at the breast instead of settling down for a meal. Try nursing in a dimly lit, quiet room, away from the sound of the radio or television.

• Give your baby lots of skin-to-skin contact (try nursing without a shirt on or in a warm bath). A sling or carrier can help keep your baby close between nursing attempts.

• Try eliminating food (such as caffeine, chocolate, cruciferous vegetables, or spicy food) from your diet that may be irritating to your baby

It's easy to jump to the conclusion that a baby who doesn't want to nurse is weaning himself. But it is unlikely that a baby under a year old who has been successfully breastfeeding is ready to give up nursing.

I was amazed to get 7 ounces at my first pumping, and 3 ounces a couple of hours later. I never get that much when I'm pumping. And this time I used the Lansinoh cream because a couple of weeks ago when I pumped for the first time in many months I got a painful blister/scab where the side of the nipple rubbed on the apparatus.

He was sleeping around 5 o'clock when I snuck in there and nursed him. He was sleepy and did nurse. Although his congestion made it very difficult for him. I woke him up every hour and nursed him for the next few hours. He woke up and nursed at 3am and again at 5am and 6am. He has nursed again since. Whew! I was SO worried about him. He has a fever to start with. And then to watch him move close to dehydration was scary. (he was urinating but it was slowing down)

As of right now he is napping and nursing for short periods.