When Your Breastfed Baby Suddenly Refuses to Nurse
What should you do if your breastfed baby suddenly refuses to nurse?
It can be frustrating and worrisome when your baby starts refusing to nurse! What are some things you can do if this happens?
If possible, clear your daily schedule as much as you can so you are available to nurse your baby often during the day. It can be helpful to spend some time in bed with baby, keep your shirt off and keep baby close to you, and possibly take a bath together to encourage nursing. Follow your baby’s nursing cues, and even try different nursing positions especially laid back nursing. Sleep near your baby, if possible, to increase the amount of skin to skin contact. If you own a sling or can borrow one, wear baby when you are up and about. Try not pressure your baby to nurse. Do not force him or her to take the breast.
Some other things to try: hand express or pump until you let down and then offer your baby the breast. You can also add a little bit of expressed milk to your nipple before offering the breast. If baby takes the breast but then stops nursing when the milk flow slows down, try breast compressions to keep him or her interested.
Express your milk as often as baby would normally in order to help keep up your supply and decrease your chances of engorgement or a plugged duct.
While baby is refusing to nurse, give your baby expressed breast milk using a spoon, eye dropper or a cup.
If your baby has a cold or is teething, this period of breast refusal should be relatively short. However, if you suspect more complex things going on such as reflux, a birth injury or even latching issues or nipple confusion that you cannot seem to fix on your own, consider calling a lactation consultant in your area.
Last but not least, take care of yourself. Eat and drink well. Rest. Call a fellow nursing mom for support. Log onto CNML’s Facebook group for support. Remember that you will get through this!
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