EBF moms: nursing strike?

Has this ever happened to anyone? If so, what did you do? Did you wait it out or supplement?

I haven't read up on it yet, but someone told me last night that that's what might be going on with ds (he's a week shy of 6m). On Sat. & Sun. he wouldn't nurse for long. He'd latch for about 2 or 3 minutes & then would start pulling off. Sometimes he'd re-latch, others he's arch his back & get as far away as possible & I couldn't coax him back on so I'd give up. If we got 6 min. total a session it was a lot & sometimes he'd go 3.5 - 4 hours between meals. His poops are green, but other than that he seems fine...still cheery & sleeping/napping regularly. Today it's the same thing, but now he's been nursing every hour since 6am for 3-8 min. total. I can do this now, but I leave for work at 3:15 so I'm worried about how the evening's going to go for my dh. I'm also worried that he's not getting enough We were going to start cereal in 9 days, but should we maybe start now so that he's getting some extra food or should I consider adding formula (which I'd hate to do at this point, but if it's what he needs, it's what he needs)? Or, hopefully, someone has some tips on how to get him back on track? I'm getting desperate, so any advice would be very much appreciated Thanks!

Message edited 9/1/2011 12:11:27 PM.

Re: EBF moms: nursing strike?

I had this happen with DS. I started freaking out thinking he was going to starve so I took some frozen BM from my stash and gave it to him in a bottle. I was thinking that maybe it was hurting him to nurse because he was teething. He didn't take much from a bottle either. Than I gave him teething tablets before the nursing sessions and they helped a little bit. My advice is you just have to wait it out, they usually don't last for more than 24- 48 hours. He will nurse when he is hungry enough

Re: EBF moms: nursing strike?

Thank you so much I've been wondering if it's due to teething myself (he's been drooling & chewing on his fingers a lot more than he was before) but since he's still happy I wasn't sure. If it's true about it only lasting 24-48 hours, then we may be at the end of it and that's why he's nursing so often today - phew!

Thank goodness for KellyMom.com - I just read not to do any of the things I was thinking of as it could make things worse (don't add solids or use formula). I changed pacis on him yesterday, and now I'm reading that it may not be helping matters so I may need to take it away if things don't improve. I guess I'll wait it out a bit more...

Re: EBF moms: nursing strike?

DS did it to me. I had to pump and feed him with a medicine dropper...no kidding it was the pits! It passed though.....he went back to normal after 2 days....hang in there it could be related to teething...

Re: EBF moms: nursing strike?

Thanks

He's eating a tiny bit better today, but unlike the past 2 days, he was "off" all day He wasn't giving me any signals that his gums hurt, but I gave him a frozen teether earlier & he calmed down & seemed happy when he was chomping on it, so I think that it helped. So I guess we're officially teething now! Poor guy - hopefully this doesn't last too long

Re: EBF moms: nursing strike?

In What to Expect they say that the suction caused by nursing can be uncomfortable when they're teething. I would wait it out, unless your DS takes a bottle regularly and it won't cause any confusion.