I'm pumping and bottle-feed him, so he's developing fine. It's just I relly enjoyed nursing him, tired of frustration when I try breastfeeding and feel that we are missing on developing special bond. * * If that was tething, thrush or ear infection he would have hard time taking a bottle as well, especially slow flow. If he tried breast and pulled away, I would think it's a let-down problem, but he would get hysterical the moment I offer him a breast. I pump before offering a breast, but he wouldn't even try! * * He started to refuse breasts 3-4 weeks ago (still nursing at night then). 2+ weeks ago I stopped breastfeeding for 5 days to see if his exema was related to something I ate (switched to similac alimentum, frozing pumped milk). 10 days ago he got cold, so I switched back to breast milk to help him recover. I used fast flow nipples because he had stuffy nose. His nose is not ok yet and he cough ocasionally, but he has no problem taking slow flow nipples. WHY NOT BREAST?
2007-01-03 07:29:32 · 11 answers · asked by mimemamomu 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
thats a tough one. it took me two months to get mine to go to the breast and now he wont take anthing but that. i would say keep offering. maybe he is to hungry by the time he gets the breast he so anxious he cant wait. you can give a little bottle and then offer breast again. also, get into the local la leche league in your area. you can find them on www.lalecheleague.org. they have ben a great help to me. dont give up!! good luck!
2007-01-03 07:44:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It probably just is a nursing strike. My little guy started striking from time to time at about 4 months and he would do the same - just scream any time I tried to breastfeed. It is a very emotional experience, so I can sympathize with you. Some kids just do it, and you will drive yourself crazy trying to figure out why. It could be anything or nothing. My advice is to continue to try to breastfeed him, but if he refuses and is obviously hungry, you may have to cave in and give him the bottle. Since he gets a bottle from time to time, he probably is just developing a preference for it.
One trick that sometimes worked for me is that I would put a bottle nipple in my son's mouth - not attached to a bottle, just the nipple. Then after he sucked on it for a few seconds and calmed down, I'd swap it out with the breast. It sometimes worked.
Best of luck to you. All that you can do during a nursing strike is to continue to offer the breast and eventually he will come around.
2007-01-03 15:38:05 · answer #2 · answered by Randa 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The bottle works differently than the breast, even if you are using slow flow nipples. With the breast, he must work to get the milk out. If he isn't suckling, nothing will come. With a bottle, you stick the nipple in there and he has to work to STOP the flow of milk or it will just drip into his mouth. Maybe he has gotten lazy and prefers the bottle since he doesn't have to work to get the milk?
How do you hold him when you try to nurse him compared to how you bottlefeed him? Maybe there is something about the positioning?
Have you tried getting in the bathtub with him and "rebirthing" (nursing in a tub of warm water)?
Have you tried latching him on when he is not quite awake? In a dark and quiet room where there are no distractions?
2007-01-03 15:45:47 · answer #3 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The breast lets down slowly, which is why the same bottle feed will take 10 mins compared to the standard 30 min breast feed. Babies who have been introduced to the nipple learn early that they can get more food faster and often are frustrated by the breast. By 4.5 months he's smart enough to know the difference and is probibly protesting for this reason.
2007-01-03 15:34:00 · answer #4 · answered by Gig 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
its nipple confusion
stop pumping before you feed him
cause then he dosnt get the squirting of milk that flows quickly in helping quench his thirst. so make breast feeding easier on him. by pumping first you are makeing him work harder from the beginning for his milk instead of building up to it.
try different posttions the football hold may do
also if he is on bottles as well if its possible for someone else to give him the bottles then he will ssociate your smell with the breast.
it is a very emotional time and if you are stressed over this he will sence your feelings and stress and find it more difficult to nurse.
your quality of milk will also be affected.
2007-01-03 15:59:35 · answer #5 · answered by ohcall mewhatyouwant 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My baby went thru the same phase, try feeding him/her while the baby and u re in a sitting position and offer him ur nipple, other solution cud be try feeding him while walking that workd and this process mite take around 6 weeks before things get normal . but dont worry baby lll get over it.
I also tried feedin my baby once in every hr even if she took only few sips and pump ur breasts regularly so that there's no letdown on the milk supply. And i fed my baby thru the nite cauz that was the only time she took it.....All the best.
2007-01-03 15:40:14 · answer #6 · answered by lovelace 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When my littlest one use to feed he was afraid of the 8 oz bottle because he thought we were expecting to much from him but he ate fine with a 4 oz bottle. It is the same thing here he either is afraid of it or he just don't like way your nipple feels in his mouth and he might be having a hard time latching on.
2007-01-03 15:39:38 · answer #7 · answered by Nicole 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could it be that his stuffy nose is preventing him from breathing too well while he is nursing? Maybe try the snot sucker before you nurse him.
I rub my baby's head and back while we nurse. Nursing gives you an extra hand to do that with. My son had to have his foot massaged while nursing. You could try giving him the bottle to settle his hunger and then give him the breast for comfort sucking. It will keep your supply up and keep him used to nursing.
2007-01-03 16:12:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like he has seriously given up on the idea, and that may be the end of breastfeeding for this little guy. I had something similar with my first, so didn't feed for as long as I wanted then. Better to keep him happy with a bottle than to enter into WW3 over it. Sounds like you have tried to do your best, but he has made his choice now.
2007-01-03 15:39:48 · answer #9 · answered by Greth 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is called exactly what you've said a "nursing strike". The ladies at La Leche League can offer some EXCELLENT advice and ongoing support...
http://forums.llli.org/
2007-01-03 15:38:27 · answer #10 · answered by Betsy 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋