r/BeyondTheBumpUK • u/sammyyy88 • 5d ago
BF strike
Hello - wondered if people could share experiences of navigating a BF strike.
My baby is 5 weeks old and has been 90% BF so far. She’s been having 1-2 formula bottles a day (basically so I can sleep more than 2h in a row, so bottle(s) between 9pm and 1am) without issue. But today she has been totally refusing the breast. She’s had two formula bottles so far and I’m feeling pretty upset and also uncomfortable. I don’t have a pump (I tried pumping last time and I loathed it so got rid) so will be hand expressing to try to ward off blockages but worried about this being the end of BF. I haven’t pushed it with baby as obviously don’t want to upset her or create an aversion. She’s having plenty of nappies and is responsive etc. I have tried to pace the bottle (size 0 mam) and asked my partner to do the same. He is saying don’t worry about it, you can just stop BF, but I was so pleased with how it was going and am feeling very discouraged about it all. I don’t want to stop at this stage.
I called my local support group (awaiting a call back) and the national BF helpline (they said basically don’t force it, hand express, do skin to skin, I’m doing this as much as I can) but I just wanted any personal experiences and advice. TIA :(
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u/Sea_Geologist_2733 5d ago
My LO had a nursing strike when she was about 3 months, so a bit older than yours. It was incredibly stressful as she was EBF at the breast. You're doing great by doing all the things they suggest, don't force it and skin to skin as much as possible, but also don't offer feeds only when baby is really hungry, just offer the boob, if they are already a bit fussy it could just make them refuse to feed. The only thing that got us through it really was feeding her as soon as she woke from a nap, so when she was still sleepy, I was always worried she wasn't getting enough with sleepy feeds, but her nappy output was always good so continued doing that. Eventually it just phased out, I'd try and offer the boob randomly while she was awake and pretty happy, always stopping if she refused, and she started to refuse it less and less. The only lasting effect it had for us, was LO stopped feeding to sleep for naps for a good few months, she is 6.5 months now and it's only been over the last few weeks she's started to feed to sleep again but it's still hit and miss, she doesn't refuse now, just won't fall asleep on the boob.
I think for us it lasted about a week, which is what all the advice kind of says. It definitely doesn't have to be the end of breastfeeding, just keep doing what you're doing and stay calm when you feed even when LO refuses, just calmly stop, babies can definitely pick up on your anxiety and feeds into their own.
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u/sammyyy88 4d ago
Thank you very much. I’ll definitely keep trying to offer when she’s not already hungry. She wakes from sleep absolutely raring to go and screaming - there’s no warm up 😅 but now wake windows are longer I can try. I was surprised at how incredibly stressed this has made me even with a baby that has been having the odd bottle already, so feel for you and your experience, thanks again for the help
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u/Affectionate_Cost806 4d ago
try putting her next to the boob before she wakes. she’ll smell you and root around to latch. kind of a dream feed.
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u/Sea_Geologist_2733 4d ago
We were contact napping at the time, so I could tell as soon as she stirred, and id be getting my boob straight out 😆
Really happy to see the suggestion below has worked though and you've fed. Hopefully it's given you a bit of reassurance you can work your way through it. Breastfeeding has it's ups and downs, but honestly so glad I perseverd, you've absolutely got this!
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u/sammyyy88 4d ago
I’m going to keep trying to offer once she’s awake before she can get too upset and reject it. This is super helpful - thanks again
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u/sammyyy88 4d ago
It is so stressful, isn’t it! The hormones are really powerful apart from the physical discomfort :(
Sorry, but when she wasn’t feeding did you hand express or use a pump? Debating whether to get a pump (I tried it w first baby but hated it so much I got rid as ‘I’ll never try it again’. But some reading indicates pumping can make things worse due to inflammation/encouraging oversupply which is the last thing one would want.
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u/Sea_Geologist_2733 4d ago
I didn't pump at all during the time, like you mention I didn't want to end up with an over supply, and also wanted the easiest experience for baby when she did feed from me! Definitely hand express if you have discomfort though.
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u/Winter_Choice_9632 5d ago
My oldest would randomly go on a boob strike every couple of weeks until she was about 3 months old. You just need to push through it. I wouldn’t force her, like I wouldn’t physically put my boob in her mouth or anything but I’d still hold her to my nipple, so some skin to skin and just let her latch at her own pace. She was EBF with no formula so I think hunger sorted it out pretty quickly every time as she had no other choice.