A very distraught mother called me on Sat to report her 9 1/2 month old went
on a nursing strike starting 4 days before. On Sat, he also had a fever and
was refusing bottle or sippy cup as well. I wonder if anyone has any other
good ideas on how to get this baby back to breast.
Baby is 9 1/2 mos, mom works full time as a teacher and baby receives
bottles of expressed milk at daycare. He also eats some solids (started at
6 mos and has always done well with them.) He was still happily nursing
several times a day at home on weekdays, and all weekends until last Tues.
On Tues, mom was diagnosed over the phone with strep throat and started on
amoxicillin. That night, baby refused to nurse, but drank a bottle. The
next morning he nursed while sleepy, but refused again all day. Since then,
he will nurse only when sleepy or just on awakening, but this morning "woke
up" more fully while nursing and pulled off and refused to start again. I
evaluated him today and noticed some erupting teeth, but no other medical
problem (no ear infection, etc.) He came to the appt with dad who sounded
supportive of the mom's desire to keep breastfeeding but seemed to think
maybe baby just wants to wean.
I'm not the mom's dr, but I suggested she stop the antibiotic, and suggested
nursing while sleepy, nursing while walking, co-bathing, using non-standard
positions, skin to skin without pushing baby to nurse. Dad stated he was
sure mom wouldn't be comfortable with co-bathing (?) but that would try
everything else. I gave her the local LLL leader's phone number also.
Anybody have any other ideas?
Jennifer Tieman
Family Physician
Mom to 4, including nursling Caroline Rose 5/31/03
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