HOW TO END A NURSING STRIKE

Top 11 Easy Ways To End A Nursing Strike

Your baby has been nursing well and happily, but suddenly he/she doesn’t want to anymore. The baby is most likely on a nursing strike.

A nursing strike doesn’t imply that your baby is ready to wean. We are going to talk about the natural home remedy which, can help your baby return to the regular nursing routine.

1. Express Your Milk

You have to do whatever it takes to keep up your milk supply, keep your breasts healthy by avoiding engorgement and mastitis. To solve this, you have to express your milk.

You can use a breast pump or hand express. Milk expressing has to be done according to your baby’s nursing schedule or after every 2-3 hours.

To prevent starvation, in the meantime, you need to bottle feed your baby.

2. Patience

First, you have to be calm and patient. If you panic and get stressed, your baby can sense that something is wrong; thus, all the emotions will get transferred to him.

If you try to breastfeed your baby by force, you are making a mistake, and things may turn out worse since the baby will start crying and can get scared of you. I suppose you spend more time laughing and cuddling together. The idea here is to make the baby feel loved, happy, and relaxed when doing that try to breastfeed and see if it works out.

3. Physical Problems

If you away from home, your baby is likely not having his routine and missing familiar faces. If dad is away, most likely, your baby is protesting. A piece of paper might have stuck in the mouth of your baby at the top of the inside. Ear Infection, since suckling makes it hurt more, your baby is likely to stop. Stuffy nose or difficulty in breathing, avoid any perfume or deodorant. Low milk supply, your baby may not be patient enough to continue suckling — sour throat or teething.

If you think your baby is refusing to nurse over something physical, it’s best to see a doctor for professional advice.

4. Pacifiers or Bottles

Experts suggest baby not to get bottles or pacifiers when learning to nurse correctly. The idea here is that his need to suck will help the process along. If you’re working with a baby who has {nipple confusion}, it’s best to avoid bottles, especially when you are with your baby until nursing is going well again. If the baby is not latching, you need to balance this with your baby’s need to suck.

5. Lots of Skin-to-Skin Contacts

You need to provide skin-to-skin contact with your baby. Body contact offers a relaxed, soothing environment to your baby, which is likely to help in starting to breastfeed again.

Research shows that body contact between baby and mother relieves stress and even puts at bay blood pressure to the mother.

6. Express a few Drops

Yes, it may sound not necessary, but it’s key to helping your baby get her breastfeeding routine back. Expressing a few drops and letting the milk on your nipple, provides an instant reward to your baby.

The swallowing process triggers sucking; this will keep your baby going. It provides a perfect platform for your baby to get back to the nursing routine.

7. Nursing Positions

Do you sometimes get bored doing something the same style? Maybe your baby is going through the same. So try nursing in a few different positions.

Laid-back, this one is the most important, it elicits your baby’s natural breastfeeding instincts.

Gravity is essential for keeping the baby in place.

8. Minimize Distractions

Did you know, your baby might stop nursing due to distractions? The baby will lack time to nurse since they will either be watching something entertaining to them or wanting to join in a play. It would be best if you nursed in a quiet and darkened room. Dim light will help minimize distractions and also allow your baby to have a chance to focus on breastfeeding entirely.

9. Asleep Nursing

Some babies tend to breastfeed more willingly when they are relaxed and in a sleepy state. For my baby, it used to be one of his favorites.

Nursing in the side-lying position might be helpful as this positioning allows less body contact. Once the baby is willing to take the breast for comfort, begin to work toward full breastfeeding.

10. Bath-Together

(Rebirthing) is a technique used to get babies to the breast? Re-birthing is essentially the laid-back breastfeeding in the bath. Mom gets into the bathtub, full of warm ( not hot) water with the baby. Place baby on your tummy, stroke, and whisper. Soothing may take time, but the baby may begin to work his way up to the breast, search it out and begin to nurture. It’s advisable to have a support person with you when doing this for the safety of your baby.

11. Nurse (In-Motion)

Find your sling or wrap, and put your baby in, go for a short walk whose main aim will be to breastfeed your baby while moving. The nursing in-motion method might do the magic to your baby’s nursing strike.

A Final Note

Mostly, nursing strikes can be resolved within a few hours, a day to two weeks. Be patient and don’t give up on your baby. If Different nursing positions, Skin-to-skin contact, Minimal distractions when nursing, Nursing in sleep, Bathing together, or Nursing in-motion doesn’t seem to work for your baby, you should consult a Lactation Consultant for professional advice on how to resolve the nursing strike. All the best dear mom.

If you have any other tips on the subject, please share them in the comment section.