I find myself feeling a little dumb because I am crying now.... for the past few days my baby has not wanted to breast feed. She is 4 months old and was solely breastfed until 3 weeks ago. Due to my job, three weekends ago, I had to pump and leave a few bottles for her daytime feedings.(Only for 2 days) Each day when I got back I noticed that she was not as interested as usual but still fed some. A couple of days later things went back to normal and then we introduced solids... once again there was a lack of interest in nursing.. I figured she might be full. A couple of days later she went back to normal but the past 4 days she has totally rejected me. It has been hard since she gets really hungry but refuses to latch on. I don't want to starve her so i have pumped and given it to her. Today finally I tried letting her go hungry for a longer period of time to see if she would latch on... did not work. She finally fell asleep without eating so I felt horrible, quicly pumped and fed her in her sleep. I don't know what to do. I breastfed my other 2 daughters til they were 10 and 11 months. How can I get her to nurse again???!!!?? Is it normal for me to feel so down about this. I am not prepared for it to be over yet... is this ok or should I continue fighting her?? (P.S. She latches on and feeds great at 4am when she wakes up to feed)
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/strike.html <--From La Leche League
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html <--from kellymom
both have good advice and I'll let them speak for themselves. But I wanted to post to cheer you on. You can do it! Keep trying!
DON'T GIVE UP...TRY TAKING OFF YOUR TOP AND HERS AND LAY HER ON YOU. SHE MAY FEEL THAT YOU REJECTED HER SINCE YOU STARTED HER ON THE BOTTLE ABRUPTLY. THIS WILL HELP WITH THE BOND AGAIN. ALSO, THE BEST LACTATION CONSULTANT IN TOWN IS AT MERCY HOSPITAL ~ HER NAME IS FAITH PLOUDE. SHE HAS LACTATION CLASSES THAT SHE GIVES AS WELL AS PERSONAL CONSULTATIONS. THERE IS A Working Mother’s Support GROUP THAT YOU COULD GO TO ON FEB.27TH
7:00-8:30 pm.
HER INFO:
Faith B. Ploude, BA, IBCLC, RLC
Mercy Hospital Lactation Services
Lactation Manager
###-###-####
please do not give up
please get to a lactation consultant and/or la leche league as soon as possible
there's even a ph # you can call now, a hotline:
for miami (shouldn't matter- just call) ###-###-####
try: 1-800-LALECHE
also www.kelly-mom.com look up nursing strike
try a LOT of skin to skin contact- try lying in bed tummy to tummy a LOT and also try taking a nice warm bath with baby
keep offering the breast a LOT
get assistance!!!
you can do it!!
hang in there :-)
dear G. i know exactly how you felt my son stopped wanting to nurse at 3 months old and i was devestated and thought it was my fault for going back to work and having to pump. The bright side is at least your still getting your mommy time at night which is great because you can cuddle and not have to warm a bottle =) when my son didn't want to nurse from me during the day because he fought me and screamed i gave in and relized that i had to concede to the bottle because its less work for them so they rather have the bottle, but at least your still giving your daughter breast milk so you shouldn't cry. i found that if she still refuses to latch you can make her a bottle and pretend to nurse by opening your shirt and have her close to your skin i did that and once in a while i was able to trick him and switch when he started to doze and he ended up nursing a little more, just put her hand on your breast and not on the bottle and if you really still want to nurse maybe this will work for you too.
my name is Jennifer Gonzalez and im the mother of a wonderful 5 year old and im a newlywed after 8 years and were trying for our second soon =)
good luck
Well. If she doesn't want it, she doesn't want it. But If she is hungry don't let yourself feel guilty about giving her a bottle. If it is the Breast milk that you want her to have and you are pumping then amen to that. I can also understand the closeness that you have with breast feeding but as I could tell from your reading she obviously will not be forced into it. Maybe it is to soon to tell if she will reject the breast completely... Yes I think it is normal for you to feel the way that you feel. But also know that the feelings you are having (based on what I am reading) are ok. Plus they are your feelings of course they are ok... But remember I don't know you so how could I be the on to tell you weather they are or aren't. Only you can do that... That is judge your feelings. No one can do it for you.... I wouldn't fight her on it. I think the easiest thing would be for me is continue to offer the breast and if she doesn't want it then just go with the flow.... I hope I helped...
If I were you, I would call Winnie Palmer Hospital and speak to a lactation consultant. You can even go down there and they will help you get her to latch on.
Good luck - I'm nursing my 10 month old - my third child and loving it.
S.
Hi G.,
You are not alone. My son rejected me (arching away and crying) at about four months and it did hurt, but he is fine and a completely healthy, rambunctious two year old now. I did not breast feed my twelve year old so the whole experience was new to me, but I'm glad I got the 4 months in. I have no advice to offer other than the fact that it happened to someone else. They are all so different and it could be that she just wants to watch the world around her.
K.
I have two girls and one little boy and it happens to me with him . At the third month he rejected me and I start to pump for one month because he never go back to my breast. I felt bad because I breastfeed my girls til they have 9 months.But you know what, the bonding with him is bigger.Don't worry about it.
BE HAPPY!!! start her on some rice in the milk and even some baby food. some babies progress earlier than others. maybe she wants more than what the milk can give her. my 10 year old had rice in him milk from 3 days old on and was on sole baby food by the time he was 5 months old. i was so happy. my hubby was also happy to have all of me back if you know what i mean. also, when she wants that feeding at 4 am, give her a little milk with rice but dont go in right away, maybe she will start to go back to sleep on her own without the food. good luck and i would also just check with her doctor as i am not one. have a great day. 32 years old, sahm that is happily married with 10,3,2,2 in cocoa
I would talk to the her doctor, I really dont know any way to get her to latch on, it could be because the fact that your not there anymore to actually feed her shes getting use to the bottle, but i would def talk to the doctor and see what she says. I coudln't get my 3 year old to nurse at all when he was a baby!
I KNOW THIS CAN BE DIFFICULT!!! I WENT THROUGH THE SAME...but everytime you give your baby a bottle, it's telling her, don't worry, just wait, mommy will give you the bottle again. Bottle feeding is easier for babies than breast feeding, so of course they would prefer the easier method. You also have to ask yourself if it is really that important to breastfeed vs. bottle, especially since you are still giving her breastmilk in the bottle. Yes, it's more time for you, but if you're constantly frustrated now, you're also taking away time from your other 2 daughters.
J. v.
You might want to find a bottle that is harder to drink form. Like a stage one instead of stage two. Talk to her caretaker also and let them know what you are trying to do. If they know they will be able to help you. Ask them not to over feed her just before you get there to pick her up and be prepared to feed her as soon as you get her. By child care would let me feed my baby right there. Most importantly do not give up. It is important. Seek help form a lactation consultant and the La Leche League. Good Luck.
I don't think ur dumb! My daughter refused my breast about the same age. I however ran a very high fever and had engorged breasts. I ended up giving her sum formula the hosp sent home with me. I was living with my parents at the time and they mentioned when I was a child it was not uncommon to give ur baby a bit od cereal in the bottle, and slit the nipple just a smige for the thicker substance would come through. (i would try a nap time does if u think this is right for you) So I did that. I kno for a fact 98% of babies who wake up in the eve are HUNGRY.. and from that day on she has slep through the night. My daughter will be 6 in a few weeks and she is healthy and happy weighing in at 63 lbs and 4ft 1" :)
try to remember that each child is different.. as is each pregnancy, delivery, this may be a good thing in the long run.
G. I wish I had your problem. Count your blessings. I have an 11 month old son who eats solids, walks, babbles and flat out refuses to take any type of bottle at any time. Therefore, I don't get any mommy time and I'm starting to go a little stir crazy. When he wasn't mobile it was okay 'cause I could take him anywhere, but now trying to get a simple pedicure is a joke, he wants to play in the water, he just won't sit still. So try to look at it as a positive, your daughter is just independent, she's voicing her opinion, which might not be such a bad thing.
A.
Like several ladies said, you can talk to your dr., and request to see a lactation consultant or la leche league. They will help in any way they can, and give you tips to try to get the baby back to feeding. Plus, if I remember correctly there are times that breast fed babies may reject the breast for a while and go back. I don't recall the time it usually lasted, but I think my two kids both had a couple times they went a couple days refusing. Another good piece of advice some of the ladies gave is using the breast like niples and bottles with stage one holes that are harder to suck through. The regular bottles are too different from the breast and require the baby to suck in a different way, using different muscles and everything. So the baby can actually get confused and have trouble transitioning back and forth between the different kinds of sucking. Also if you can go into the daycare and try to breastfeed whenever you have time that can help keep her interested in the breast and use to it. I think since you are able to feed her in the mornings she can probably still pick up more after you get some help with her latching and maybe adjusting bottles and feedings. I wouldn't fight her on it much. Give it a try each time you are available and if she doesn't latch then switch to a good breastlike bottle, but try each time. It can't hurt to keep trying.
