Nursing strike

Has anyone ever dealt with a nursing strike with a teething older baby? My son is nearly a year old and was nursing three times a day (before naps and bedtime) until two days ago. I'm afraid this started with my reaction to a bite. And he's just stopped. On the one hand, I know I could let this go because he doesn't seem distressed by it. But on the other hand, it seems so sudden to go right from three times a day to stopping. I've tried skin to skin and trying when he's asleep--nothing. Maybe he's just done. I just feel bad if this all ended because of a response to biting.

[HouseofWool]

Awww Momma - I've never experiences a nursing strike, thankfully. I don't have any useful advice, but hope that you come to a resolution that works for both of you.

[spotty_dog]

Babies under 18-24 months don't really self-wean so I think you're right that it's a strike. Here's the kellymom page on nursing strikes: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...st.html#strike

Just keep offering, try to catch him when he's relaxed, maybe take a bath with him and the boobies will prove too tempting to resist? Try to keep your supply up with pumping or hand expressing as best you can. Hang in there momma, and don't feel too guilty, you were in pain and didn't *mean* to scare him, and anyway it might just be a coincidence.

Thank you all for the support and the suggestions. I hadn't thought of an ear infection, and he did have a bit of a runny nose and congestion a couple of days ago. It hadn't seemed that he was so congested that he couldn't nurse (that happened once with a cold he got around 5 months) so I didn't think anything of it. I will have DH look in his ear tomorrow when he gets home.

[ides]

Hang in there. It could be from teething too. I know when Oscar is feeling extra soar he bites and nurses less. Usually some oragel fixes it. Just another option to explore. I hope things resolve themselves.

Hang in there. It could be from teething too. I know when Oscar is feeling extra soar he bites and nurses less. Usually some oragel fixes it. Just another option to explore. I hope things resolve themselves.

I think it may be this. Yesterday T nursed at bedtime, and had had some tylenol earlier in the afternoon that had turned him from fussing, crying upset baby into contentedly playing baby. That was the first time he nursed awake in four days. (He has twice nursed half-asleep...well, mostly asleep)