Still celebrating Breastfeeding Week 2019 (1st to 7th August)…

Q: Thanks ma’am for always being there. Please, my 9 months doesn’t like to take breast milk again, though she takes solid very well. But I’m not too comfortable with that. Any side effects? Please I’ll await your prompt response.A: Breast milk is the best milk and food for baby from birth till 6 months. From 6 months, breast feeding is meant to be continued but other complementary foods should be added as breast milk is no longer sufficient to take care of baby’s nutritional needs. So, it’s a good thing that your baby is taking solids, however, the fact that she appears to have stopped breast feeding doesn’t mean is weaning herself. This situation may be due to a breast feeding strike 😀 Can you beat that? A strike…from your loving baby who you’ve given up so much for? 😀 Don’t worry…it’s nothing personal 😀

Breastfeeding strikes usually happen in children between 6 and 9 months and can be due to the fact that at this stage they have discovered the world and so cannot seem to give their full attention to breast feeding any more 😀 The ills of 24 hour TV et al….sigh! Other causes of this strike may be:

• A cold which stops baby from breathing well while feeding or an ear infection which hurts when she sucks

• A change in your perfume to a scent your baby doe not like

• A decrease in the volume of your breast milk due to the introduction of complementary feeds• A change in the taste of your breast milk…may be due to the return of periods• Infection of your breast duct (mastitis) causing the breast milk from that breast to be kinda salty (who wants salty breast milk? Eeew!)

• Teething

• Long separation from mother

In the meantime, express the breast milk to prevent having a blocked duct. Then try feeding your baby when he’s sleepy…he may be less willing to fight then 🙂 Breast feeding in a dark, quiet room may also be helpful in limiting the distractions that your baby may have. Try different nursing positions and try to pay more attention to baby…keep her especially close. Remember that the solids he’s taking are great but he also needs the breast milk.

A paediatrician will help confirm if there’s an ear infection. If you’ve just changed your cream or perfume, you may want to switch back to what you were using earlier to see if it helps.

All the best!