Hayden Goes on a Nursing Strike

I guess the title says it all!!

New Years Day, I tried nursing Hayden first thing in the morning, as usual, and she wouldn't.  I gave her some breakfast and we got going on our hike.  When we got to the destination, I tried again and she wouldn't.  She just screamed and arched her back like I was torturing her!!  What in the world??!  I didn't understand why she was acting like this and by that time, it was getting painful for me.  Every time I tried to nurse her for the rest of the day, she did the same thing.  I was incredibly frustrated and a little offended, I won't lie.  I hadn't done anything different- no change in laundry detergent, lotion, body wash or deodorant.  She already had her 1 yr molars so I knew it wasn't teething.  I started getting a little concerned that she hadn't had any liquids for the day.  I pumped when we got home and thankfully, she took the milk in a bottle.  Imagine that- the girl that hardly took a bottle one month ago was taking it like a champ now!  Things got really interesting during the night since she usually wakes up a couple times and won't go back down without nursing.  I tried and she refused again, just cried.  I snuggled her next to me and when she settled down, I put her back in bed.  Matt helped the next time she woke up.

I did get her to nurse the next morning for a bit but then she was back to striking all day long!  I just pumped when I normally would be feeding her and gave it to her in a bottle.   Let me tell you, that Medela pump has been one of the BEST purchases we made!!  I don't use it often but I couldn't have survived without that thing!  I posted about the situation on Facebook and several people suggested just switching her to formula in a bottle, but I'm thinking #1, she's NEVER had formula, why start now?  and #2, I don't want to transition her to a bottle at 1 year and then have to wean her off of that later.  Some also said maybe she was ready to wean, but I knew better.  I read an article that said a nursing strike usually only lasts 2-4 days so I figured we'd ride it out.  I'm not at the point where I'm done with nursing and really, I didn't think she was either so I just plugged along.  I took away all other forms of solid foods and only offered breastmilk.  Eventually, after two days of protesting, she was back to nursing like nothing ever happened!!  Lil' stinker!

{milky chin}

I figure when it's actually time to wean, I will have wished I just ran with it now, but hopefully we can keep nursing for a few more months, at least long enough to get us through cold & flu season!