3 day nursing strike - advice needed

New York Jen wrote:
"Cathy" wrote in message
Thanks Jen. Am I correct in thinking that Laszlo self-weaned at 13
months? If so, what did you do then? DD won't take a bottle or cup
of EBM, cow's milk or (sorry to mention it!) formula (she thought
she was being poisoned the few times I offered!).

If DD does wean now, I have to look on the bright side and think
that I may get AF back, so we can TTC 2.

And congrats to you on the birth of Lily - it doesn't seem very long
since you announced you were pregnant. Where has the time gone?!

Cathy


Thanks!

Yep, he self weaned at 13 months, but it was VERY gradual. He was
only nursing about 4 times a week at that point, so I knew it was
coming soon. I think when it happens suddenly due to an illness, you
are MUCH more likely to be able to continue your nursing relationship.

Good luck, keep us posted,

Jen

No luck yet - but the only way she would sleep last night was lying
semi-upright on my chest, and that is the closest she has got to 'booby'
without screaming for several days. I couldn't get her to latch though.

Cathy

Cheryl S. wrote:
"Cathy" wrote in message
...
But she isn't too% yet, and is still on anitbiotics (and will be
for another 5 days), so that won't be helping.

The only thing I can think of is maybe the A/B are upsetting her
stomach and if she's nauseous that could make nursing unpleasant
somehow? I'm sure the breastmilk would help her tummy feel better
but maybe something about the actual act of nursing aggravates it.
At least if that is the reason, she should hopefully start nursing
again in a few days.

The strike actually started 2 days before the antibiotics, but she had a
sore throat, so that won't have helped.


And she just won't fall
asleep while I'm holding her - she thinks if Mummy is there, it is
play time. I tried last night but no, she had to go to sleep on her
own.

This is actually a good thing, really! I wouldn't mess with that.

Of course, last night was different, and at 5.30am after trying for an hour
to settle her, she went to sleep on my chest. And she didn't scream at
being so close to my breasts. Fingers crossed.

Cathy

hobbes wrote:
"Cathy" wrote in message
...

We used to nurse to sleep, but that hasn't happened in a long time -
not my choice. And she has started waking in the night, and I've
been offering (I've only just night weaned her!), but she's been
refusing even then. I sat on the floor and hand expressed in to a
spoon, and gave her that, and she drank it. She also looked
interested in 'booby' but still refused when offered. But she isn't
too% yet, and is still on anitbiotics (and will be for another 5
days), so that won't be helping. And she just won't fall asleep
while I'm holding her - she thinks if Mummy is there, it is play
time. I tried last night but no, she had to go to sleep on her own.
Nighttime routine is (or was) bath, breast, book, bed, although the
book and the breast tended to be the same time - she often wouldn't
nurse without holding her book.


Ah. I wonder if the antibiotics are bothering her stomach and
therefore her appetite. DD's strike started with an ear infection and
I am convinced that the antibiotics aggravated the situation. Plus,
they might confuse what is causing the stomach upset--not blaming the
medicine, but rather the breast? It's frustrating when you feel like
BM would help their stomachs settle (not to mention the comfort
factor), but they won't take it.

The strike started 2 days before the antibiotics. But it seems she might be
having a reaction to the amoxycillin (rash, which could also be viral, so
hard to tell), and is now on e-mycin (or will be next dose).

I don't know how much you want to mess with her nighttime/sleeping
routine, since she's 14 months and doing so well. If you're desperate
to nurse, you could still try to nurse when she wakes up or as she's
going to sleep, but I don't know. What you describe is really nice .
. .

I do hope she comes around for you. One other thing I just thought of
(which again might not work, as your DD is quite a bit older than
mine) was that when she did start to nurse again, I learned quickly
that I had to offer before she got very hungry. I'd catch her when
she was in a good mood and offer then . . . if I'd wait too long, she
was much more likely to get upset and frustrated. Just a thought.

DD never really seems to get hungry, that is one problem. But this morning
she is interested in looking at my breasts, and is again laughing at my
flabby belly (as she used to do when nursing), so I'm not giving up just
yet. And I got a few mls down her with a syringe. She seems to want to
suck, as she is sucking the medicine syringe which she hasn't done before.
And I haven't added anywhere that her canines are coming through too, and
she always has a terrible time with teeth, so that is not going to helping
at all. At the moment, she seems to hate lying down - bed, nappy changes,
or nursing. I'm trying to offer with her sitting or standing instead.

Better go and pump, as the supply has dwindled enormously in the lat few
days, and if I'm not careful, it'll be too late to get DD back on. Thanks
for the help,
Cathy