A Breastfeeding Strike - WTH?
Have you ever heard of a baby who is nursing happily one moment, then suddenly refuses? It's called a breastfeeding strike, and I just got through this experience with my youngest.
Commonly, babies are weaned when they strike because Mom doesn't understand that it's a temporary thing. It's not easy physically (I got a wicked case of mastitis) for baby or Mom, and even more difficult emotionally since Mom's hormones are all over the place, and baby's favorite means of comfort is suddenly the thing that causes him pain. It would be like your husband coming to you one day and saying, "I love you, but I can't hug you anymore because it hurts."
Anyway, if you're a nursing Mom, you might want to read my story in case you ever experience a breastfeeding strike.
Commonly, babies are weaned when they strike because Mom doesn't understand that it's a temporary thing. It's not easy physically (I got a wicked case of mastitis) for baby or Mom, and even more difficult emotionally since Mom's hormones are all over the place, and baby's favorite means of comfort is suddenly the thing that causes him pain. It would be like your husband coming to you one day and saying, "I love you, but I can't hug you anymore because it hurts."
Anyway, if you're a nursing Mom, you might want to read my story in case you ever experience a breastfeeding strike.
Labels: breastfeeding
posted by Carrie Lauth at 9:30 AM
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4 Comments:
maybe at sixteen months your child is telling you she shouldn't be breastfeeding any longer. She's ready for some real food.
That is a common misconception about breastfeeding strikes, anonymous. Many people feel that the baby wants to wean, and yet the baby is miserable because they can't breastfeed.
My 16 month old has been eating solid food for several months now and loves it, but she's quite happily nursing now. When she's ready to stop, she'll know and I'll know, that has been my experience with my 4 kids and with the hundreds of mothers I've known as a breastfeeding counselor.
Thanks for your concern :)
Carrie - sorry your baby isn't feeling well. I hope you guys get through this soon. I'm also glad you were able to go out and get a pump. I also have an Isis and like it much better than any other manual pump I've tried.
I don't really understand why people think that babies shouldn't be nursing at 16 months, yet they think nothing of a 2 or 3 yr old that still loves their sippy cup. It's really not that different. On top of that, the sippy cup often has something less nutritional in it than what you are giving your daughter.
more tips on how to handle a breastfeeding strike.
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