Breastfeeding Advice For A Nursing Strike

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition a mother can give her baby. In fact, there are many health benefits for babies when they are breastfed. However, sometimes breastfeeding is going well and out of nowhere the baby refuses to feed and will not breastfeed. This is called a "Nursing Strike." Nursing Strikes can be very upsetting for both the mother and her baby. It can last anywhere from three to five days to a week. Getting the baby back on track will take a lot of patience and being quite persistent. It seems like this will never happen however, your baby will breastfeed soon again.Make sure that you spend enough quality time with your baby, so you can get the baby back on track. Make this a priority for a few days. There may be a reason why the baby is refusing to breastfeed. Sometimes when a baby doesn't feel well, then they do not want to breastfeed. Illnesses that may cause a Nursing Strike may include: an ear infection, (breastfeed the baby upright to make the baby feel better), a cold, the baby having thrush or yeast infection in the mouth, the baby is separated from the mom for a long period of time, mom is using too many pacifiers or bottles, the baby is teething, the mother's milk supply is coming out too fast or too slow. Go to the doctor and rule out any medical problems.The baby may sense that something is wrong with the mother's breast if she has an infection or Mastitis. Furthermore, if the mother is under a lot of stress or more tired, the baby may sense that. If you just changed the pattern of your breastfeeding sessions, like just going back to work, this may trigger a Nursing Strike. During the Nursing Strike, you may have to supplement your baby. This will depend on upon how old your baby is. A Supplemental Feeder can be used, a syringe and finger feed or a cup. Finger feeding is a good method to use instead of a bottle because this will not give the baby any nipple confusion. You may need to call a Lactation Consultant to show you how to do this method of feeding.You may also have to pump and express your milk a little more often if the baby is not breastfeeding well to keep your production up. Pumping first can also help with a good let down and therefore, encourage the baby to want to breastfeed because the milk will come out faster. Breastfeed your baby when your baby is a little sleepy in a calm, quiet manner and place. You can also try different positions and see if the baby will come back to regular breastfeeding sessions. If the baby is small, do lots of skin to skin time together. In conclusion, most babies go back to breastfeeding once they feel better. Just try to give it a few days and be a little patient. Things will slowly get back to normal and the baby will resume breastfeeding again.By relaxing, you can reestablish the wonderful experience you have had breastfeeding your baby. Good luck and I hope things resolve real soon for you moms who are going through this.