nursing strike- is this common in 7MO? for the past 3 days, my boy refused to nurse for 1-2 feedings. the struggle was intense, he would cry and push away the breasts. I had to bottle feed him with EBM.

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Nursing strike is common in babies between three and eight months old. Nursing strike usually only last for a few days (but could go up to 10 days). Here’s what you can do. During the strike, you need to focus on i) expressing your milk: pump according to how often your baby was breastfeeding. This will help ease uncomfortable breast fullness and maintain your supply. ii) Feed your baby: a cup (or spoon feeding) would be a good choice for a six-month old (or older). If you can, avoid using the bottle. Using a bottle would satisfy a baby’s need to suck and may prolong the strike. The strike could be brought on by a number of potential causes. You can refer to this list to see if your baby is having any of those mentioned: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2013/1/26/is-your-formerly-nursing-baby-refusing-to-breastfeed.html This is also another great article highlighting some common causes and what to do during the strike: http://sg.theasianparent.com/when-your-baby-goes-on-milk-strike/ Regardless, try to be patient even though it is a frustrating period. Try the different suggestions based on what you think the cause is. Hope these information helps! Hang in there!

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8y ago

yay! Guess it is really just a strike then. Phew~

Have you recently started work? It happens when you stop spending the same amount of time with bb.

8y ago

I took NPL, latching boy for all his feeds.