Is there a time of day that your baby is more willing to feed? Often babies who are refusing the breast will aspect it when they are sleepy, either just going to sleep or just waking up, or when they are actually in light sleep.
If there is a time when the baby is happier to take the breast try to imitate those conditions for the other feeds, for example if he’s will to feed at night make the room cool and dark before trying to feed.
Lots of cuddling and skin-to-skin contact can help. Do you have a sling? Sometimes babies are willing to feed in a sling – I think it is something to do with the closeness and the movement together.
If your baby isn’t taking much milk form the breast then hand expression or pumping can keep your milk supply. Most mothers find that they have to
express at least eight times a day. Recent research has shown that the peak of most milk is somewhere between two and four hours for most mothers and if they gap between pumping is longer, say five or six hours they will get far less milk. When pumping keep pumping for two minutes after the milk has stopped flowing. Often mothers have more success with a hospital grade pump than with a small handheld one. The Medela agent in Hong Kong will rent these. (Meridian Hong Kong Limited – Tel: 2328 2662 - Email :
contact@meridianhk.com.hk – Web site:
http://www.meridianhk.com.hk/)
There is an article on the LLLLI web site called
My Baby Is Suddenly Refusing to Nurse. Does That Mean It's Time to Wean? http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/strike.html
and a number of mothers’ stories from their international magazine,
New Beginnings, at
http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBstrikes.html
Best wishes,
SARAH