Babies are notorious for fooling their moms into thinking they’re weaning. Beginning at around three to five months or later, some babies abruptly refuse to nurse. Known as a “nursing strike,” periods during which babies stop breastfeeding for several days can be caused by any number of factors, all temporary and surmountable:

• A cold or stuffy nose, which inhibits breathing while nursing

• An ear infection, which causes pressure or pain while sucking and swallowing

• Discomfort from teething, a cold sore, or an infection (such as thrush)

• A fever or a heat wave that makes bodily closeness less appealing

• Fear that Mom may yell as she did last time he tested those new chompers on her

• A newfound preference for bottles (if your child is given frequent bottles, he may like the faster milk flow, have nipple confusion, or be reacting to a reduction in Mother’s milk supply)

• Overuse of a pacifier, which may meet some of his sucking needs but leave him uninterested in the breast

• A major disruption in routine, such as moving or your returning to work after a maternity leave

• An unusually long separation from Mom (a business trip or a weekend away)

• Reduced milk supply - if you’ve been stressed out, your supply may be reduced

• A change in the taste of Mom’s milk, caused by the resumption of your periods, spicy or unusual foods, a vitamin or drug, or a new pregnancy

• A new deodorant, soap, or perfume applied on or near the breasts

• Strong let-down - the milk may be letting down too quickly for Baby’s liking, which may make him frustrated and refuse to latch on

• Poor nursing habits - at around four months, when a baby begins to realize life is happening around him while he nurses, he may be squirmy or position himself awkwardly at the breast

• Too much to do - busy six- to nine-month-olds are easily distracted and often opt to “snack” at the breast over settling down for a full meal

• And sometimes for no perceptible reason at all!

Nursing strikes can be trying to say the least. Mothers feel understandably anxious, rejected, and panicky about whether their babies are starving themselves. It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that a baby who doesn’t want to nurse is weaning himself. But if the refusal to nurse is sudden, it’s not a sign of readiness to wean. A baby who is itching to wean will almost always do so gradually, over a period of weeks, months, or even years. And it is highly unlikely that a baby under a year old will self-wean.

If your baby is on strike, now is a good time to reaffirm your commitment to breastfeeding. With patience and support, you can overcome the setback within five or six days: Offer the breast frequently and give your baby lots of skin-to-skin contact. If you suspect strong letdown is the culprit, try expressing some milk before feeding; Visit the pediatrician to rule out any medical causes (such as an ear infection or thrush); Express your milk by hand or pump as often as your baby had been nursing, which will help prevent plugged ducts or engorgement, and will provide your baby with the milk he needs; Don’t be tempted to supplement (baby won’t starve himself-really!) and do keep him nourished by offering expressed milk in a cup, a spoon, or an eyedropper (if you must use a bottle as a last resort, opt for a slow-flow nipple); Relax-it’ll help maintain or build up your milk supply and calm your baby; Try nursing when your baby is sleepy and in an environment free from distraction (a quiet, dimly lit room); Vary your nursing position; Try nursing in a rocking chair or while walking around, as the movement may be soothing to your baby; And see your lactation consultant or contact La Leche League for advice and support.

Keep in mind that your nursing relationship will evolve over the months. It’s natural for babies to have hungry phases and less hungry phases just as you do. And breastfeeding patterns change as babies move into various developmental stages (remember back when your now grinning, kicking, busybody of a nurser barely opened an eye when at the breast?).

Reprinted With Permission from Author: Alisa Ikeda

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When I initially began to read up on the pro’s & con’s of breastfeeding I initally found an article very interesting. I found it on the national cancer institute website, it stated that breastfeeding for an extended period of time (for example a year or longer) slightly reduces the risk of contracting postmenopausal breast cancer. 

Then after doing more research I found that studies had been conducted at the University of California, Berkley, by Marilyn Kwan;  The meta-analysis from these studies was published in the 2004 Public Health Report (the official journal of the US Public Health Service). The data that was collect suggest that children who are breastfed for 6 months or more had a 24 percent reduced chance of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and a 15 percent reduced chance of developing acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). These are the who most common forms of childhood leukemia & could all be reduced by nursing!  Those who breastfed for less then 6 months also had lowered rates of developing either leukemia.   Granted these are all still studies and nothing has been 100% proven yet, but I feel it is possible that protection from cancer will become one of the greatest benefits of breastfeeding that we will see!

Let me also remind you that our friends over at Comfy Kangaroo, makers of the Nursing Tank, are holding a contest for the mother of the year.  Where the winner will receive $2500.00! $1250.00 for themselves and $1250.00 to be donated to the breast cancer research foundation of their choice!

Teething can start to occur when your baby starts to near the 6th week of his or her life.  Yes it is rare to start that early, most babies usually start to teeth around the end of the 5th month,  this is not the time to become discouraged from nursing. During these months the baby is starting to grow more rapidly, you will notice that him or her will start to have their own personality, this is a vital time to be giving your infant nutrients from breast feeding. Some teeth can be “cut” over night, others can sometimes take weeks or month to push through.  When your baby is “cutting” their first set of teeth there is a possibility that he or she will nibble or bite on you as they feed.

There are a few tricks that mothers have used to try and avoid this problem all together, one of which is to have a good cold teething toy on hand & if you feel a nibble begin try and do the switch-a-roo with the teething toy, this could take a little practice at first. When perfected the coldness of the toy should numb the hurting gums of the baby enough so when he or she feels content you can begin to nurse again.

The other trick is to attempt to nurse when the baby seems ready to fall asleep.  Usually a sleepy baby will nurse without any fuss, the baby’s sleeping like trance will basically put the child onto “feeding auto-pilot”.

No matter what do not give up! Nursing is so healthy for your growing child!

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Many bra manufacturers have since built on Maidenform’s designs, aiming to improve fashionable and functionality of nursing bras.

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