There are times when a baby will go on breastfeeding strike and refuse to breastfeed. This is very stressful for a mom who has just learnt to breastfeed without pain, so I would like to give you a few pointers to help you with this, should you be experiencing something similar right now!
The first thing to do is to understand what may have caused the strike in the first place.
- did your baby have a vaccination whilst breastfeeding
- did you develop mastitis which lead to a change in feeds
- did your baby develop a cold which restricted breathing
Whatever it is that may have initiated the start of a strike, is what you need to go back and focus on.
If it was a vaccination that caused your baby to rebel, do lots of reassuring skin to skin time. Re-teach your baby that the breast or chest area is not a place of conflict.
If your baby is little and hungry and faced with a change in milk taste due to mastitis, you will primarily need to offer milk from the uninfected side, as the taste will still be familiar here. Always start on the uninfected side before offering the infected side. Ensure that your attachment techniques are correct.
If your baby is sick and is suffering with a blocked nose, use saline solution to help break up the mucus before a feed.
It is important that you don’t lose confidence in what you are doing. Remember that your baby wants to breastfeed, though the signs you are currently getting from your baby, tell you that he or she doesn’t.
Keep trying and if you are stuck, get in touch and we will help you resolve your feeding problem!
