Breastfeeding Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing/First Few Days How Much/How Long to Feed? Bottles & Supplementing Special Problems Nursing in Public Weaning
Weaning
Q: My baby doesn't want to nurse....is she weaning herself?
A: No, absolutely not. With the exception of a few rare circumstances, a baby under the age of one will never wean on their own. There are many reasons your baby may not want to nurse. She may be teething, have an ear infection, or thrush, all leading to pain when nursing. If you are feeling stressed, she may sense that. If she has bitten you in the past, and you reacted strongly, she may remember that and is worried about it.
She may be going on a "nursing strike" which sometimes occurs for 1-4 days. If your baby is on a nursing strike, continue to offer the breast as much as possible, and be creative. A good time to try and sneak in the breast is when the baby is sleeping. Simply lie down beside your sleeping baby and put the nipple into her mouth. She may latch on and start nursing even in her sleep. Be patient, and the nursing strike will end.
Around the age of 7-10 months, babies are excited by their new skills of crawling, rolling over, playing with toys and babbling. They are easily distracted by people, siblings, pets, noises, lights, pretty much anything, and may seem to spend more time swiveling their head from side to side, pulling off the breast, trying to look at everything. A mobile baby may crawl up to nurse, then back down to the floor to play, then back up for more milk, which is often frustrating for mom.. If this describes your little nursling, you may try breastfeeding her in a darkened, quiet room so she is not distracted. Play some soft music, or a fan, and you may find that she will nurse longer.
For more information on nursing strikes, and other reasons why baby is not nursing, please refer to the websites on the "links" page.