She's finally nursing again

Okay, it's been a full week now, so I'm pretty sure that this post won't
jinx things (but I'm knocking on lots of wood as I type). I think I can
announce that DD has finally ended her nursing strike. For those who don't
remember, she went for 5 days refusing to nurse AT ALL (except for maybe
once or twice every 24 hours), then seemed to be fine for about 5 days, and
then backtracked and spent the next 27 days nursing only after falling
asleep--if she was conscious, she bit me. I didn't really know a strike
could go on so long, but it did, and I still don't really know why . . . it
seemed to start because of an ear infection, and then restarted with
teething, but those two teeth still aren't quite in. BUT whatever the
reason, she's nursing again, and seems to love it. Sometimes she stops and
just looks up at me and laughs . . . which makes all that agony worth it.

I want to thank those who offered words of encouragement when I posted . . .
you folks were much nicer than all the people who told me that she was
probably just "tired of nursing" or "ready to quit." I'm thankful that I
educated myself enough about breastfeeding to know that she wasn't ready to
stop, and persisted in working on it, even in my blackest moments (and
believe me, there were some BLACK moments).

So anyway, here's to making it to age 2 . . .

--
Jodi
SAHM to Oliver (3 years) & Arwen (10 months)

Oh Jodi, I'm so happy to read this post!

Woo hoo!

- Jen

"hobbes" wrote in message
...
Okay, it's been a full week now, so I'm pretty sure that this post won't
jinx things (but I'm knocking on lots of wood as I type). I think I can
announce that DD has finally ended her nursing strike. For those who don't
remember, she went for 5 days refusing to nurse AT ALL (except for maybe
once or twice every 24 hours), then seemed to be fine for about 5 days,
and
then backtracked and spent the next 27 days nursing only after falling
asleep--if she was conscious, she bit me. I didn't really know a strike
could go on so long, but it did, and I still don't really know why . . .
it
seemed to start because of an ear infection, and then restarted with
teething, but those two teeth still aren't quite in. BUT whatever the
reason, she's nursing again, and seems to love it. Sometimes she stops and
just looks up at me and laughs . . . which makes all that agony worth it.

I want to thank those who offered words of encouragement when I posted . .
..
you folks were much nicer than all the people who told me that she was
probably just "tired of nursing" or "ready to quit." I'm thankful that I
educated myself enough about breastfeeding to know that she wasn't ready
to
stop, and persisted in working on it, even in my blackest moments (and
believe me, there were some BLACK moments).

So anyway, here's to making it to age 2 . . .

--
Jodi
SAHM to Oliver (3 years) & Arwen (10 months)

"hobbes" wrote in message
...
Okay, it's been a full week now, so I'm pretty sure that this post won't
jinx things (but I'm knocking on lots of wood as I type). I think I can
announce that DD has finally ended her nursing strike. For those who don't
remember, she went for 5 days refusing to nurse AT ALL (except for maybe
once or twice every 24 hours), then seemed to be fine for about 5 days,
and
then backtracked and spent the next 27 days nursing only after falling
asleep--if she was conscious, she bit me. I didn't really know a strike
could go on so long, but it did, and I still don't really know why . . .
it
seemed to start because of an ear infection, and then restarted with
teething, but those two teeth still aren't quite in. BUT whatever the
reason, she's nursing again, and seems to love it. Sometimes she stops and
just looks up at me and laughs . . . which makes all that agony worth it.

I want to thank those who offered words of encouragement when I posted . .
..
you folks were much nicer than all the people who told me that she was
probably just "tired of nursing" or "ready to quit." I'm thankful that I
educated myself enough about breastfeeding to know that she wasn't ready
to
stop, and persisted in working on it, even in my blackest moments (and
believe me, there were some BLACK moments).

So anyway, here's to making it to age 2 . . .

--


you must be feeling so relieved that she is back to enjoying bf again. yay!
sometimes DS does the laughing thing whilst bf too. it's like he is thinking
of some wonderful joke or maybe it's that's he's just so happy having a
feed.
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS - born 20-aug-02

"hobbes" wrote in message
I want to thank those who offered words of encouragement when I posted . .
..
you folks were much nicer than all the people who told me that she was
probably just "tired of nursing" or "ready to quit." I'm thankful that I
educated myself enough about breastfeeding to know that she wasn't ready
to
stop, and persisted in working on it, even in my blackest moments (and
believe me, there were some BLACK moments).

I'm so glad, Jodi! My 5 month old DS just got over a nursing strike also
(prompted by a stuffy nose with a cold). It lasted less than a week, but it
was so incredibly *awful.* I felt as close to true despair as I have ever
felt. I had no idea how emotionally wracking it would be to have a baby
strike like that. He would nurse only while totally asleep (which I was
grateful for, since I have heard of those that won't nurse while sleeping
either). We were miserable. Anyway, he gradually went back to normal even
though the stuffy nose hasn't completely cleared up. For a few days, the
only I could get him to nurse while he was awake was if I was standing up
and walking around with him. I would do anything to get him to nurse, so I
walked all over! During the strike, he also awoke and cried in the night for
only the second time since birth (he always just starts to wiggle around
with his eyes still closed and I nurse him before he wakes all the way up or
cries).

I hope it doesn't happen to you guys again (or us either)!

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months

Yay!!

--
Emily
mom to Toby 5/1/02
Scheherazade, stillborn at 20 weeks, 3/2/04

I want to thank those who offered words of encouragement when I posted . . .
you folks were much nicer than all the people who told me that she was
probably just "tired of nursing" or "ready to quit." I'm thankful that I
educated myself enough about

breastfeeding to know that she wasn't ready to
stop, and persisted in working on it, even in my blackest moments (and
believe me, there were some BLACK moments).


So anyway, here's to making it to age 2 . . .

--
Jodi
SAHM to Oliver (3 years) & Arwen (10 months)

That's great news Jodi, I'm so happy for you !

laurie
mommy to Jessica, almost 3 years and
Christopher, 10 months

"hobbes" wrote in message
...
Okay, it's been a full week now, so I'm pretty sure that
this post won't jinx things (but I'm knocking on lots of
wood as I type). I think I can announce that DD has
finally ended her nursing strike.

Congrats, Jodi! That's awesome. I admire your persistence.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 11 mo. and Jaden, 6 months
Quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Oh that is just wonderful!! Thank you for the update.


hobbes wrote:
Okay, it's been a full week now, so I'm pretty sure that this post
won't jinx things (but I'm knocking on lots of wood as I type). I
think I can announce that DD has finally ended her nursing strike.
For those who don't remember, she went for 5 days refusing to nurse
AT ALL (except for maybe once or twice every 24 hours), then seemed
to be fine for about 5 days, and then backtracked and spent the next
27 days nursing only after falling asleep--if she was conscious, she
bit me. I didn't really know a strike could go on so long, but it
did, and I still don't really know why . . . it seemed to start
because of an ear infection, and then restarted with teething, but
those two teeth still aren't quite in. BUT whatever the reason, she's
nursing again, and seems to love it. Sometimes she stops and just
looks up at me and laughs . . . which makes all that agony worth it.

I want to thank those who offered words of encouragement when I
posted . . . you folks were much nicer than all the people who told
me that she was probably just "tired of nursing" or "ready to quit."
I'm thankful that I educated myself enough about breastfeeding to
know that she wasn't ready to stop, and persisted in working on it,
even in my blackest moments (and believe me, there were some BLACK
moments).

So anyway, here's to making it to age 2 . . .


--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

"Em" wrote in message
news:cas3c.90989$ko6.560183@attbi_s02...
"hobbes" wrote in message
I want to thank those who offered words of encouragement when I posted .
..
.
you folks were much nicer than all the people who told me that she was
probably just "tired of nursing" or "ready to quit." I'm thankful that I
educated myself enough about breastfeeding to know that she wasn't ready
to
stop, and persisted in working on it, even in my blackest moments (and
believe me, there were some BLACK moments).

I'm so glad, Jodi! My 5 month old DS just got over a nursing strike also
(prompted by a stuffy nose with a cold). It lasted less than a week, but
it
was so incredibly *awful.* I felt as close to true despair as I have ever
felt. I had no idea how emotionally wracking it would be to have a baby
strike like that. He would nurse only while totally asleep (which I was
grateful for, since I have heard of those that won't nurse while sleeping
either). We were miserable. Anyway, he gradually went back to normal even
though the stuffy nose hasn't completely cleared up. For a few days, the
only I could get him to nurse while he was awake was if I was standing up
and walking around with him. I would do anything to get him to nurse, so I
walked all over! During the strike, he also awoke and cried in the night
for
only the second time since birth (he always just starts to wiggle around
with his eyes still closed and I nurse him before he wakes all the way up
or
cries).

I hope it doesn't happen to you guys again (or us either)!

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months


I so know what you were going through. I can't imagine it happening again,
but at least I know that she'll come around again if it does. There's simply
no way to describe the agony and frustration to someone who hasn't been
there, is there? I hope your little guy keeps getting better.

Jodi

"hobbes" wrote in message
"Em" wrote in message
I'm so glad, Jodi! My 5 month old DS just got over a nursing strike also
(prompted by a stuffy nose with a cold). It lasted less than a week, but
it
was so incredibly *awful.* I felt as close to true despair as I have
ever
felt. I had no idea how emotionally wracking it would be to have a baby
strike like that. He would nurse only while totally asleep (which I was
grateful for, since I have heard of those that won't nurse while
sleeping
either). We were miserable. Anyway, he gradually went back to normal
even
though the stuffy nose hasn't completely cleared up. For a few days, the
only I could get him to nurse while he was awake was if I was standing
up
and walking around with him. I would do anything to get him to nurse, so
I
walked all over! During the strike, he also awoke and cried in the night
for
only the second time since birth (he always just starts to wiggle around
with his eyes still closed and I nurse him before he wakes all the way
up
or
cries).

I hope it doesn't happen to you guys again (or us either)!

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months


I so know what you were going through. I can't imagine it happening again,
but at least I know that she'll come around again if it does. There's
simply
no way to describe the agony and frustration to someone who hasn't been
there, is there? I hope your little guy keeps getting better.

I hope that if my DS does get stuffed up again, he will remember that it
worked out okay last time and won't strike again! You're right about not
being able to describe it to someone that hasn't experienced it. I talked to
a friend who is a LLL Leader about it when the strike was winding down a bit
and she had experienced one with her DS as well. It felt so good to talk to
someone who had *been* there. She agreed that it is the emotional impact
that really hits you amazingly hard (any physical discomfort really seems
very secondary).

I was so desperate to have him nurse that if he would latch on while awake,
I would let him scratch me or pinch me or pull my hair or *whatever* it took
to just have him be nursing. On our worst day, he only nursed 4 times in a
24 hour period--down from about 12 per 24. Wow. It was awful. During that
extra bad day, DH kept trying to talk to me about getting a well drilled and
what kind of foundation to have poured for our house. Finally, I broke down
sobbing and said that I was literally incapable of thinking about anything
other than nursing DS and to stop asking me questions, because I couldn't
answer them. I was *consumed* by it.

I think you're right that if it happens again, we'll know that they do
eventually come around (and it is like nothing ever happened!) and hopefully
we'd also be more emotionally equipped to deal with it.

--
Em
mama to L-baby, almost 6 months old