Teething and wont BF! HELP

[monkeygirl39]

My 8month DS two bottom teeth have popped up over the past 10 days and now he wont BF at all!!!

His last feed was monday before night sleep...so it's been 48hrs with no BF!! Apart from me being sore, I'm also sad at him refusing!
I've expressed 100ml at a time (pain stakingly!) and tried giving it in a sippy cup, he takes bout 40ml. I offer him everytime it is his usual feed time. He wont suck on anything cold, but sometimes take a rusk.

What else can I do and how am I going to get him BF agin?? I'm thinking i might have to try him on a formula bottle before night sleep?

What have other people done??

[Sarahlou]

Hi there - you poor things! Wow his little gums must really be causing him grief - sounds like you are doing a great job at getting something into him. I tried Bonjela (or any teething gel would do) a few minutes before a feed which seemed to numb the gums enough for DD to feed. Good news is that the pain doesn't last long!

I have never tried it, but our local maternity hosp sells a 'miracle' teething gel that all mums seem to rave about. Not sure what it's called but it's so popular that it's apparently limited to one tube per customer and not commonly available from ordinary pharmacies - maybe your local hosp has something similar available? I've always found Bonjela works well enough but I don't think it's overly strong.

Good luck!

[monkeygirl39]

Still no luck since Monday night!!!!!!!! Expressing is taking for ever!! He wont take formula.....and I don't blame him it's yuck!

Is it ok for 8 month old to cut down to 3 feeds morning/lunch/before bed and only have 100-140ml at each feed. Think that's bout my express milk limit!! And I was thinking of putting food/meals before Breastmilk.???

Anyone.........?????????

[Sarahlou]

It's usually suggested that milk remain the main nourishment for your baby until 12 months - however, he's gotta eat something if he's refusing milk! I would still try to push the breastfeeds as much as possible and I do think offering food before a feed will discourage the milk that is so important for his development and immune system. Im saying that, you have obviously gotta do what is going to work for him (and you!) so maybe some nutritious snacks during the day if he's refusing a breastfeed or still hungry after the bottle of EBM. From memory my DD stopped breastfeeding during the day if we were out or doing something interesting at around 9/10 months cos she didn't want to stop what she was doing so it just became snacks on the run - I think they make up the milk consumption later in the day in that scenario anyway.

Have you contacted ABA - they might have some suggestions abou how to manage breast refusal.

I wonder too, whether he has worked out that it is way easier getting milk out of the bottle than the breast and is being a bit lazy - which may explain why he is still refusing. If you have tried a teething gel (I have heard of some people trying baby panadol before a feed too although I haven't tried it personally) and he is still refusing the breast it may now be a habit that you'll have to try and break.

If you are wanting to keep your supply up, maybe you could express extra ie even when he doesn't want a feed as expressing doesn't produce the quantity of milk that the sucking action of a baby does.

I would definately still offer the breast before brekkie and lunch so that he doesn't fill up on food first.

[monkeygirl39]

Thanks Sarahlou!

Basically ABA and MCHN said to keep offering as I usually would and if I have to express and give a bottle it's better than nothing. So that's what I'm doing but I can only give him enough milk for a 150ml morning and a 200ml night if I express through out the day (I got an electric pump and it woirks heaps better than my manual).
I'm finding that time consuming already and am gonna be in trouble if I'm out coz I'm just not gonna be able to express and keep it safe.
I'm hoping to last til Xmas- even if he is only getting 1 bottle of 200mls.

[MamaBleech]

Might be some helpful info here and here.

Hope you get it sorted soon.