A nursing strike can be devastating to a mama.
Breastfeeding wasn’t easy when my son was born. We had SO many complications.
I had to exclusively pump for a while after I had a biopsy done on a suspicious mass. On top of that, my nipples were severely damaged due to his tongue tie.
Once I was ready to resume nursing, my baby wasn’t having it.
Every time I tried to latch him on, he turned his head away. He cried. He hit my chest.
And you know what it felt like? Rejection.
It may sound silly, but I felt totally and completely rejected and unloved by my son.
I was determined to get him back to the breast. And I did! Here’s how.
What to do if your baby is on a nursing strike
1. Use a nipple shield
- FOR LATCH-ON ISSUES: Contact Nipple Shields are effective tools to address short term latch-on issues related to premature, small, or ill infants, flat or inverted nipples, tongue tie, lip tie, or overactive let-down.
- COMFORTABLE & DESIGNED FOR BABY: Lansinoh nipple shields are made of ultra-thin, soft and flexible silicone for maximum comfort. Special cut out design to maximize skin-to-skin contact. BPA and BPS free.
- HYGIENIC & EASY TO CLEAN: Includes a protective case for hygienic and convenient storage. Easy to keep clean and sturdy enough to be used throughout your breastfeeding journey.
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If your baby is used to getting a bottle, the texture of your nipple will feel different than a bottle nipple.
Using a nipple shield can give him a more familiar texture to latch onto.
If you have short or flat nipples, this will make it easier for baby to latch as well.
You don’t have to use a shield forever, but just give it a try. You can worry about weaning him off the shield once he’s back in the nursing groove.
2. Skin-to-skin
Spend as much time bonding with baby skin-to-skin as you can.
Even if the baby isn’t a newborn.
Skin-to-skin contact provides bonding and helps both mom and baby relax.
3. Dream Feed
My youngest briefly went on a nursing strike when she was 14 months old. I was devastated, thinking she was self-weaning.
She refused to latch for over 26 hours. I went into her room around 3am, scooped her sleeping body up, and brought her in bed with me.
In her mostly-still-asleep state, she latched right on. (Whew!)
If your baby is asleep but you know he’s due for a feed soon, this is the perfect time to try to get him to latch.
RELATED: Dream Feed: What It Means For Your Baby And How To Do It?
4. Warm your hands
When you feed your baby, make sure your hands aren’t cold.
Imagine if someone tried to touch your face, neck, etc. and they had ice cold hands. You’d move away, too!
If you notice your hands feel cold, run them under warm water or warm them up with a towel fresh from the dryer. Cold hands = uncomfortable baby.
5. Switcheroo
- Protective medical-grade silicone sleeve provides durability and a tactile non-slip gripping surface
- Dishwasher safe (place cap parts and nipple on top rack/no need to remove silicone sleeve unless desired)
- Includes polypropylene (PP#5) cap, ring and stopper and silicone nipple. All materials are BPA/BPS-free and phthalate-free. All materials are FDA approved.
- Compatible with most major breast pumps
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
You ready, mama? This is the #1 thing that got my baby boy nursing again.
When it was time for a feed, I got ready to nurse. Boob out, nipple shield on. Then, I took a bottle of expressed breast milk and started feeding it to him.
I had him laying on the nursing pillow and in a similar position as I would have him if he were nursing.
Once he drank an ounce or so and was nice and relaxed, I quickly pulled the bottle out of his mouth and latched him on the breast.
It happened so quickly he didn’t even seem to notice! (This really worked best when he was sleepy.)
6. De-stress
Believe me, I know how stressful it is when baby is on a nursing strike.
I know how it feels to desperately want your baby to latch. It’s anxiety-provoking! If you are stressed, baby will be stressed.
Be sure to take a few deep breaths and relax all the muscles in your neck, jaw, and shoulders.
7. Try again
If baby doesn’t latch this time, try again. Keep trying. The odds are in your favor that baby will eventually latch again. Don’t give up, mama! Keep going!
READ NEXT:
- Breastfeeding Essentials: 8 Lifesavers For New Moms
- Breastfeeding Hacks: 8 Things Every New Mom Needs To Know
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Amber
Wednesday 8th of March 2023
Thanks. I'm at my wit's end with my 10 month old. Not only is he not sleeping at night, now he doesn't want to nurse either. It's been about 31 hours! I've been pumpingvand giving him bottles. Is it hard to wean off the nipple shield? I'm ready to try anything. I think I scared him because recently he started biting me (he's had teeth for awhile, not sure why he's doing it now) and I scolded him. I feel so guilty? But on one hand, he didn't wake up as often last night. So maybe good will come of it!