What to do when your baby goes on a ‘nursing strike?’
Nurse the baby as he is asleep, just awakening, or is very drowsy. As we drift to sleep or awaken, we are in a more primitive state of mind and since breastfeeding is a survival behavior for babies, sometimes they revert to feeding well at this time.
Nurse in a quiet, darkened room free of distractions.
Lay in bed to play with the baby while you are topless, with no pressure to nurse. Just the open invitation if the baby searches for the breast.
Vary nursing positions. Nurse when in motion. Nursing in a sling or cloth carrier can be useful.
Try not to stress about it. The baby will pick up on stress.
Play calming music, lower lights in the house, go skin to skin as much as possible.
Give the baby extra attention and skin to skin contact when you're with him. Hold the baby in a sling or baby carrier between attempts to nurse to increase bonding.
Take a warm bath together with lots of skin to skin snuggling and no pressure to nurse.
Stimulate your let-down and get your milk flowing before offering the breast so the baby gets an immediate reward.
