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Breastfeeding Guidance

When your baby loses interest in breastfeeding

When your baby loses interest in breastfeeding

There are many reasons why your baby suddenly may lose interest in breastfeeding:

  • Your baby is distracted. Sometimes it’s because a baby’s development has reached a point where she can physically move about and do things she couldn’t do before. This new ability may be so exciting that she’s easily distracted from the task at hand.
  • Your baby has a cold. If your baby has contracted a cold or virus, she simply may have lost her appetite. Congestion also can inhibit your baby’s ability to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding tips

Your baby may just need encouragement to start breastfeeding again. Here are some tips:

  • Look for fewer distractions. Try breastfeeding in a darkened, quiet room.
  • Nurse when she's less active. Nurse your baby when she’s sleepy, which will minimize distractions and help her breastfeed.
  • Change the experience. If you usually sit down while you breastfeed, try walking around with your baby and giving her plenty of relaxing strokes.
  • Use different breastfeeding positions.
  • Enlist others. Express your milk with an electric pump to keep your milk supply up while your baby is “on strike.” Other family members can feed her with a cup or bottle.

It may be weaning time

"Breastfeeding strikes," which can happen from 3 to 8 months, usually last 2 to 4 days. If your repeated efforts to get your baby re-interested in breastfeeding don’t succeed, it may be that she’s ready to give up nursing. To continue to provide your baby with the benefits of breastmilk, use a breastpump and feed her breastmilk in a bottle.

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