Nursing and pumping moms please help!?

Question

this has happened before and it'll last a couple of days and then she will go back to eating like a horse!

Answer 1

My daughter did the same thing off and on when I returned to work.  There would be times (days) when she would go on bottle strikes and refuse the bottle.  Eventually we figured out that sometimes she was refusing because she was teething; other times she just wasn't that hungry.  If I suspected she was teething then I would tell my nanny to use a little bit of the daytime orajel right before giving her the bottle and this worked most of the time.  Other successful strategies that we used included spooning the milk to her or using a straw.  When she got to be 6 months, we used a sippy cup.  Other times, we would just wait it out a few days and then she would get her appetite right back.  I would just watch her weight and call your pediatrician if this continues to be a problem.  Good luck to you and your baby - I know it can be heartbreaking!

Answer 2

it could be that the baby got use to the formula && doesnt want to drink breast milk no more...  

Answer 3

She might prefer the breast then the bottle at times. I know when I was breastfeeding my youngest son and I was working. I did pump but didn't get enough milk so he took the bottle of formula during the daycare he in. The first thing he wanted when we got home was the breast nothing else since I was still breastfeeding when I was at home.

Answer 4

just give it time, could be something doesnt taste right with the milk or if you took medication it could taste different,

Answer 5

Did you eat something strong flavored like pesto or garlic or curry recently that you normally don't?  It can flavor your milk and maybe the baby doesn't like it.  Or is your baby getting a tooth?

Answer 6

Was it just today? Might she possibly be ill?

Answer 7

You wouldn't wake a 4 month old to nurse during the night, respect them if they choose to change their nursing/bottle pattern during the day.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkc...

If baby is taking significantly less expressed milk than the average, it could be that baby is reverse-cycling, where baby takes just enough milk to "take the edge off" his hunger, then waits for mom to return to get the bulk of his calories. Baby will typically nurse more often and/or longer than usual once mom returns. Some mothers encourage reverse cycling so they won't need to pump as much milk. Reverse cycling is common for breastfed babies, especially those just starting out with the bottle.

If your baby is reverse cycling, here are a few tips:

    * Be patient. Try not to stress about it. Consider it a compliment - baby prefers you!

    * Use small amounts of expressed milk per bottle so there is less waste.

    * If you're worrying that baby can't go that long without more milk, keep in mind that some babies sleep through the night for 8 hours or so without mom needing to worry that baby is not eating during that time period. Keep an eye on wet diapers and weight gain to assure yourself that baby is getting enough milk.

    * Ensure that baby has ample chance to nurse when you're together.

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/17feed_ba...

2. But getting the baby to take a bottle surely won't hurt.

Not necessarily true. Some babies do fine with both. The occasional bottle, when breastfeeding is going well, will not hurt. But if the baby is getting several bottles a day on a regular basis, and, in addition, your milk supply decreases because the baby is nursing less, it is quite possible that the baby will start refusing the breast, even if he is older than 6 months of age.

3. Babies need to drink milk when the mother is not at home.

Not true. Three or four good nursings during a 24 hour period plus a variety of solid foods gives the baby all he needs nutritionally, and thus he does not need any other type of milk when you are at your outside job. Of course, solid foods can be mixed with expressed milk or other milk, but this is not necessary.

http://mother-2-mother.com/normal.htm#br...

Normal Breastfeeding Patterns After Eight Weeks:

The following suggestions are "average" recommendations - keep in mind there is no "one size fits all" for nursing frequency. Some babies have predictable patterns, others nurse on irregular pattern. Some mom/baby pairs can go longer than others between nursing sessions depending on mom's storage capacity. A mom with larger storage capacity might note that her baby goes longer between feedings, and a mom with smaller storage capacity might note her baby nurses more often. (Remember, storage capacity is not related to breast size.) It is helpful to keep note of baby's weight gain and elimination patterns when "judging" whether or not baby is nursing enough

From eight weeks (2 months) to a year, here are suggested minimum number of times a breastfed baby should be nursing, in a 24 hr span:

From 2 - 4 months baby should nurse at least 6 times in 24 hr period

From 4 - 7 months baby should nurse at least 5 times in 24 hr period

From 7 - 12 months baby should nurse at least 4 times in 24 hr period

Growth spurts will likely occur at around 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, again at 6 months, at 9 months and again around a year. Increased nursing can also be the result of the approach of a new developmental stage, illness, teething, or a result of change or usual routine, or increased stress or activity at home

Some mothers become concerned if baby begins to nurse in very short sessions. Most breastfeeding experts advise that if the baby continues to have plenty of wet diapers, regular bowel movements, is gaining weight well and meeting developmental milestones, then baby is getting enough breastmilk. Even sessions as short as five minutes can be normal, as long as baby continues to grow and do well.

It is important to remember that breastmilk should be the baby's primary source of nutrition throughout the first year.