nursing strike??

[deepsea]

Hi ladies
I have 7 month identical twin baby girls. I have been BFing since day 0 without any problem. We introduced the solids by the beginning of the 7. Month. They are happy to try new tastes and eating very well. But both of them lost their interest to boobs and it is getting worse everyday. Specially one of them, almost stopped. This morning she woke up happy, we chat on the crib and she was happy to have BF position (I always feed by lying on parents bed, so if we go there they know feeding is going to start) but she sucked only 2 mins. I forced her little bit, if I put the boob to her mouth she drinks a little but then stops again. Anyway she won the fight and I pumped up more than 100cc, I offered it on the bottle and she refused.

I really want to keep BFing and I am really afraid of her stopping. On the other hand I don't know what to do if LO1 stops but LO2 keeps sucking!!

Is this nursing strike? What am I suppose to do? Please help me:(

[Erin M]

Are they taking a lot of solids?  You might try cutting back a little on the solids as it could be affecting her milk intake. 

There is some good information here:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=89418.0

I would just keep offering as you can, and pump when she refuses to keep up supply (although you have another one to keep up your supply so it's probably not as much of a worry.  Also, when you give a bottle, I'd make sure that there is a slower flowing nipple on the bottle so she has to work hard to get the milk out of the bottle too and just doesn't prefer the faster flow.

[deepsea]

thank you for reply Erin,

today it is better than yesterday. both of them sucked around 10 mins. not perfect but good enough l think.

l was pumping my breasts around 2am every night in order to keep freeze stock for twins and help my supply. since l will be back to work in a month l stopped it 10 days ago. so my boobs are more loaded in the morning. is this can be a reason to strike?

on the other hand they were very keen on solids. l had been giving fruits in the morning, vegetables on the noon time and cereal at the afternoon and most of the days they had eaten all meals very well. but they have started to reject bottled mother milk at the BT, probably they were still full by the BT. so l have changed the order: now giving fruit or vegetable in the morning, cereal every noon and just yoghurt at the afternoon.. it is better for 2 days. do you think still l am giving to much solids ??

one more question, they drink only front milk but l prefer them to drink last part of the milk since it is more nutritive. shall l pump before BFing in order to let them drink last part of the milk?

thanx again..

[Erin M]

I'd say that is still a lot of solids for 7 months -- if it's interfering with their milk intake I'd say that you should cut back -- I don't think I did 3 meals with any of mine until closer to 8 months.  Some babies take really quickly to solids and would happily eat them all day at the expense of their milk!

Oversupply in the morning could definitely be bothering her, especially if you have a very fast let down.  You can pump or hand express a bit before latching until your supply settles down.

What makes you think they are only getting the front milk?  10 minutes would be enough at their age to get both fore and hind milk - if they last well between feeds and aren't very fussy they could be getting both.  

[deepsea]

hi ErinM,

l had cut back one of the meals but no major change noticed. today I will be giving only cereal by noon time. everything is getting worse and worse.

10 days ago they both were STTN but yesterday night l woke up maybe 20 times. they woke up really angry and not easy to settle them back. but they suck without problem when they woke up at the night. One of them chronic EW by now. she wakes up 5:31am. it is not changing a minute..

this morning the one I had been thinking on nursing strike sucked 10 mins but other one just 5 mins. it is impossible to make them drink more. after they finish sucking l pumped more than 100cc which makes me think they get only front milk. they are OK on the day time but they are fussy at BT and night.

l feel totally lost. it is definitely the worst interval of my motherhood. specially they are being rejected me makes me feeling desperate:(

[Fiver]

Big hugs.  It really is tough when it feel like they're rejecting you

[Erin M]

Yes, definitely hard.  You sound like you're doing so well, please don't feel like it's something you have done that are causing them to not want to nurse.  All those times being up, it sounds a lot like some sort of discomfort to me.  Any possibilities of teething?  Is it possible that something they ate is bothering them? 

[deepsea]

Hi everyone,

The cutting back the solids solved most of my problems. Since their appetite is good, they have been giving nice reactions to new tastes. My mother and my sister were exaggerated giving new solids and the solids they liked and they had stopped drinking milk because they fill their stomach is full!!
 Now they suck much better, since they drink more milk, they sleep better and being less fussy.

Thanx for support to everyone, specially to you Erin, you saved me 2nd time..

[Erin M]

Excellent news! 
Glad I could help!