Yesterday we were talking about the breastfeeding strike, a situation in which the baby who until now had been breastfeeding normally abruptly stops doing so.
Today we want to delve into how to overcome a breastfeeding strike, emphasizing how the mother feels in the face of this unforeseen circumstance and how much stress and anxiety she can generate.
It's hard for your baby to reject your chest. Some moms feel it as an abandonment, a betrayal, something really very painful. And in many cases the guilt appears, to wonder if we have done something wrong so that suddenly our son doesn't want to suck anymore.
The mother must be assured that the baby is not rejecting her as a person or in her motherly role and that her milk is still equally good. It is necessary to explain that these bumps occur in some lactations but can be resolved with patience and a lot of contact between the mother and the baby, in addition to trying to find the cause to be able to solve it.
It is very possible that the mother should express milk, to prevent breast congestion or, worse still, a mastitis, in addition to maintaining production.
If the strike is due, for example, to a disease, it will probably resolve itself. When the baby no longer has pain or discomfort, he will surely want to breastfeed again. For this it is important not to introduce bottles that discourage breastfeeding; if it is necessary to supplement, it can be done with a glass, a spoon or a relator.
It is important not to despair and have all the patience we are capable of. If we are really motivated to continue breastfeeding, once we have found the cause that produced the bump sure we can overcome it.
While the baby still does not want to breastfeed, it is very advisable that the baby and his mother are in continuous contact, better if it is skin to skin.
Do not press the baby to breastfeed, simply offer the breast often, to have easy access to it.
Carrying the child in a baby carrier is a good way to maintain that contact throughout the day and have quick access to the chest.
A suggestion that usually works well is to try to breastfeed in a quiet place for the baby, where there are no noises or other people who can alter that moment.
Breastfeeding strikes sometimes occur at a time when the mother was assessing inducing weaning. Or perhaps I had not valued it but before the emergence of this crisis, she feels tired and is not motivated to continue forward.
If the mother does not wish to continue breastfeeding, she can take advantage of the strike to put an end to it, although it must be considered that although it was the child who initiated the process, she will need not only an alternative to breastfeeding but also more pampering , more arms and more patience to compensate for everything breastfeeding provided.
And you have gone through a situation of these characteristics? If so, how have you done to overcome breastfeeding strike?
