murdo
Hi, my 8 month old daughter has had a vomiting bug over the weekend as have my husband and I. She only has 3 breastfeeds a day but i offered her regularly while she was sick and she took an extra 2 or so over those 2 days. The vomiting was Saturday night only.
As of last night shes started to refuse her bed time feed. Last night was terrible with her biting (with 2 teeth) multiple times and i assumed my volume was down. I did cry out as it HURT. She then got upset and would cry. I hand expressed 30 or so mls and syringed it to her. I tried to offer again a short time after but she refused outright. Tonight she took 2 sucks and refused. She has settled fine but my biggest concern is that a very active 8 month old who's crawling, pulling to stand and petite to say the least, needs more than 2 feeds a day. Ive decided to express this feed and put it on her breakfast but if she doesn't come back to the breast should i make sure she has a certain calcium intake or anything? Thanks
This fussiness at the breast could be related to the viral illness she’s had, a reponse to you having a lowered supply (from being unwell yourself, perhpas a short term period of refusal which if you continue to feed through she’s just as likely to return to her usual pattern of feeding, or even early indications that she is weaning herself.
At 8 months she still needs around 4 breast feeds or more a day and 3 solid meals. Check she is still having plenty of wet nappies, her mouth is moist and she’s brigh and alert. Sometimes they’ll accept breastfeeds when they are sleepy and then don’t fuss as much. Could you offer her expressed milk in a sipper cup if she’s refusing to feed from you? Offering her milky solids is another solution, but be careful they’re not always sweet. If you’re keen to continue breastfeeding her, and there are clear benefits to you both if you do, offer her breastfeeds before her solids for a few days as well and think about cutting back on the volume of solids she’s having, so this encourages her to be hungrier and more likely to accept the breast.
When she bites take her off and say “no biting” gently but firmly. Take her to your doctor if you are concerned about her overall intake and your early childhood nurse to have her growth plotted.
Cheers
Jane