Hi hun
Sorry I couldn't answer you properly earlier. I was dashing off from work to pick up Sam.

How old is your baby now? Sam first started freaking out about BFing when he was 3 and a half months. Every feed I would try and feed him and he would just end up screaming. So then I would give him a bottle, express, steralise and start again. And I always had to have a bottle of water on hand in case I had to mix up some formula quickly. Of course this all started 2 days before we left to go on holiday so it was an interesting time all in all. Nothing like sitting in the back of the car expressing while you are on a game drive!!

Luckily, Sam always fed ok from me at night. He was waking at 2am and 5 am at that stage which was exhausting. But I had to stop changing his nappy at night cos it woke him up too much and then he'd refuse to feed.

Anyway, after two weeks of this I stopped trying to BF him in the day and moved totally onto bottles. I would express when I could and he was on about 2 bottles of formula and the rest breastmilk. Of course my supply has slowly been dwindling but to he honest its not the end of the world as I had to go back to work and my mom was going to have to feed him a bottle anyway. The last two days I have BF him twice a day, and the rest is formula. I have stopped expressing as I can last about 12 hours. So I BF him at 7am and 7pm. The expressing was a real pain. And then sometimes I would express before I'd go to bed, and then lo and behold he would wake up 3 hours later and of course I'd have no milk!

The joys! I am not sure that the gaviscon will help. Someone said it might be teething and that the bottle is easier on them. But I have been using a nipple shield the whole time so not sure about that.

So I really have no clue what triggered it.

I must be honest, life is a lot easier not having to plan outings around feeds. I wasn't that comfortable with BFing in public so at least with a bottle we can go out anytime and it doesn't matter where we'll be etc.

Good luck and I know this is easier said than done, but try not to get too stressed about it. I took it so personally! It was like I was being rejected! I felt much better once I decided just to use the bottle in the day so that each meal time wasn't a battle.

Bryony x

Thanks for this,

Very strange, Archie also 3 and a half months so the same age as Sam when he started going on strike!

He also has a tongue tie which maybe is affecting things, maybe he just can't be bothered anymore! He hasn't ever been a brilliant feeder slipping on and off but he was gaining weight so didn't want to have it snipped and not sure I do now at 4 months.

I rung up the NCT breastfeeding helpline and they said most babies will return to normal feeding but I'm really not convinced, you'd think I was pouring acid down his throat from the screams we get during feeding! Its horrible!

I'm like you and don't like feeding in public; theres no way I could attempt it now!

Does your milk just come in for the night feeds? He is also ok for the night feeds and similar to Sam, is waking more, every 2 hours since Saturday!! Am so tired and gutted as I wanted to get him to 6 months but today because I've been expressing and he has just been watching me pump or watching me sterilise and we've stayed in the entire day! Not great for either of us so I think formula feeding in the day and the odd expressing would be my best option!

Thanks so much again, you're an angel! x

Hey - sorry to G/C but just thought I'd post this link. Kellymom was really useful when i was BFing, hope its useful xx
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html

I'm having the same problem with Jensen, I'm having to give formula when he refuses the breast, I'm feeling quite rejected tbh

Thanks PP, will check that out.

BG, its so gutting isn't it?! Them first few weeks I was wanting to give up every feed but then we got to 8 weeks and I thought I want to make it to 6 months and now after all that initial stress stopping has been decided for me! What do you think you'll do? Archie was so unsettled in the night which is making feeding him formula today very tempting, I just want a happy, chubby baby now! x

I always manage to feed beautifully 1st thing in the morning and the 2ns feed of the day is usually ok too it's the afternoon and evening feeds which are worse. I always offer the breast first but have 4-5 oz of formula incase he refuses. I then offer him the breast again. I honestly think I'm going to end up mix feeding Jensen. I really thought I would get to choose when we stopped not him and also thought if we'd come this far it was supposed to be easy now x

Do you think he could be teething? I'm not sure how long to give it before making my decision as him rejecting me every feed is a bit gutting so I need to decide one way or the other. I walked round while feeding him today (and now my house looks suspicious as all the curtains are closed!!) and it worked for 5 minutes and then he got bored of that! Have you tried that? If someone had said I'd be able to walk and feed a few months ago I would have thought they were mad!! xx

My LO is exactly the same - his first feed of the day is fine, and usually the 2nd one is ok as well. However when we come to his feeds at 1pm, 4pm and his bedtime feed, its a big struggle ;o(
At first I put it down to teething (he has been showing signs for the last few weeks). He was pulling away from the breast, screaming and then going back on, then repeating the whole thing again. This would go on and on for about 5 mins before he would finally settle down and feed.
If I gave him expressed milk from a bottle he would take it without any problems, so I thought he was probably just being lazy!
I had a feeling he was not getting enough from me, and this was confirmed when I got him weighed and he had lost weight ;o( (Over the last 3 weeks, he had only put on 3ozs and then he lost it again)
Obvioulsy I dont want him to suffer, so even though I wanted to EBF until 6 months I have started to give him a bottle of formula for his last feed.
Im gonna express as much as can to try and keep my supply up and give him as much breast milk as possible, but I honestly dont think I will be able to supply enough ;o(
I guess we just feel rejected when our babies want more than what we can supply.
NTT xx

Jensen is too wriggly and heavy to feed walking around He could be teething but to be honest I have no idea as there are no obvious signs atm. He dribbles and chews his fists but that could also be developmental. Where's the instruction manual? x

Not that I want you ladies going through it but it makes me feel much better knowing I'm not the only one!

I will express but am wondering how practical that will be and will my supply dry up if we're out and I can't?! Hubby just cooked me a spicy curry .... because thats bound to lure him back :roll: !!! x