My 11 week old started a nursing strike almost two weeks ago. She will nurse decently in her sleep and when she's falling asleep but you can forget it when she's alert and awake. Went to the doc and they say she's got a sore throat but other than that she looks great.
Five days later, she's still striking, she's lost 2 oz., and her throat is still sore. Her output is down but not terrible. She's pooping once a day and having like 4 little wet diapers. They're not all as heavy as my test diaper that I poured 3 tbsp of water in.
My local LLL is at a loss I feel. I nursed my 1st baby to 19 months.
I told the pediatrican on Friday about the strike and the 2 oz. weight loss and she didn't seem worried. She casually mentioned we could try some zantac but that it was prolly just a virus. She hasn't had ANY other symptoms of a virus. Just the sore throat.
It's Sunday today and I just feel at a loss. I've been trying to syringe feed her when she won't nurse at all. But the most she'll take that way is 1 oz. And pumping for 15 minutes after every feeding. I'll admit I wasn't good about pumping when she 1st started striking. I had OALD on one side and too much milk. So at the suggestion of a leader, I considered a down regulated supply to help make the nursing experience more pleasurable. I think I overdid that. And didn't pump seriously until a few days ago. Now, my let down takes several minutes. Let me emphasize that I'm not trying to blame anyone. Just giving the backstory.
Now I'm afraid I'm dealing with low supply AND the nursing strike and slow letdown. When I can get her to latch in her sleep, she will fall asleep the rest of the way before my letdown. I am trying to pump to get the letdown and then latch her, but it's very tricky to pump, wake her up just enough to latch but not too much that she's awake enough to fight all at the same time my milk finally letsdown.
I've got a msg into my WIC office, a lactation nurse at the hospital I gave birth at, and I'm calling the pedi tomorrow. I feel like they didn't take me seriously since she hadn't lost much. And I THINK I have a reputation there for being a hyper mom.
I don't know where to begin. Should I just give in and let my husband give her a bottle of expressed milk? So I can at least know she's getting fed? She acts so happy and content. She doesn't act like a hungry baby. Tomorrow I'm on my own with a toddler and this baby.
And what will the pedi say? If they tell me to begin supplementing, how will they know how much?
I need ANY advice, encouragement you've got! I've looked all over here and I couldn't find where anyone's baby striked this long and what worked.
Has anyone given in and given a bottle and eventually got baby back to breast??
Also she began sucking her thumb at the same time. Sheesh!!