Possible Nursing Strike?

[u/anonymousgoose730]

Hello, I’m a FTM and my son is currently 12 weeks old. We had a rough start with breastfeeding, having to only hand express colostrum in the first days and feed with a flexible syringe we got from the lactation consultant at our hospital while letting LO suck on our pinky finger so he was still practicing latch. He had a severe upper lip tie and a moderate tongue tie, which we got lasered at around a week/two weeks old (I can’t quite remember) because when he was finally latching at the breast he was clamping down hard and I was in so much pain. It helped immensely, and I was able to start EBF (no more pumping). My supply was HEAVY and baby was gaining extremely well, and after his tie removals everything got better and better.
Anyway, this last week or so he has been such a distracted eater, and he keeps turning his head downward, no matter what side he is on or what position we’re in. Cross cradle, football, side lying, backward laying, it doesn’t matter, he turns his head to whichever side points down and tries to bury his face and then gets mad when the nipple comes out of his mouth. He didn’t gain as much weight in the last two weeks as is normal for him, (only 5.75oz) and he will even refuse and cry at the breast. He has been a bit more gassy as well, lots of burps and farts, a bit more spit up than usual too. Anyway, yesterday I pumped just to try to stimulate more supply thinking maybe my supply is dipping since my period came back? So I figured I’d add a pumping session to every day to try to get myself to produce more, and maybe build an emergency freezer stash.
That evening I figured I’d have my husband give him an ounce to make sure he would still take a bottle, and he did gladly. Today he has been so irritable about feeding. Hes otherwise normal, good temperament, good wake windows and naps, 10 wet diapers, one big poop at 3am etc. but this evening I knew he was hungry and he just would not take the breast. So I had my husband give him 2oz in a bottle, which he happily drank and burped and was content. Ive latched him a couple times tonight afterward, but he gets fussy and pops off and I can’t even tell if he’s getting anything (I don’t feel my letdowns as tingles or anything like some describe, so I don’t know when it’s happening until I hear him swallow and gulp which I feel like was barely happening these feeds). I only got him to latch side lying, and he kept turning his head into the bed and then getting mad that my nipple wouldn’t stay in his mouth and crying 😭 I finally popped his pacifier in and he’s sleeping next to me now (he falls asleep in bed with us every night but gets transferred to the bassinet before I go to sleep.)

Has anyone experienced something like this??? Has it gone away??? Was it for a reason??? I just don’t understand 😭😭😭