Thread: Nursing strike

My 14 month old caught a cold 5 days ago and stopped nursing abruptly because she was so congested. Yesterday we took her to the dr and found out she has an ear infection and she is now on antibiotics for the ear. I have been pumping to keep up my supply, but my concern is her lack of interest in nursing. She will actively refuse if I try to offer, and as of today she is no longer even signing milk to me.

Do any of you have experience with nursing strikes? Advice? Most of the things I have found pertain to nursing strikes in younger babies.

I'd just keep up what your doing and if after a week or two she still isn't interested maybe she's just done and you can wean out pumping so that you don't have to deal with engorgement issues.
She may want to nurse again once she's feeling better, she may not. Either way you did a great job and you should be one proud mama. I know its sad when they wean.

I'm truly stunned that she just up and quit like that. I guess when the girl makes up her mind she's determined. I still think your plan to actively coax her back until Christmas is a good idea. She might just surprise you again and start nursing.

between the congestion and the pain from swallowing with a bad ear infection it just may hurt too much to nurse. when you think she's less congested and the ear is better, I'd try nursing when she's sleepy, maybe you can coax her back to it?

This morning she signed milk and let me cuddle her in a nursing position with only mild protesting if she thought she was getting too close to actually nursing. So that's an improvement, but I'm still not sure she's actually going to nurse again. I just do not get it, and I want her to nurse so badly. I didn't realize how attached I was to the idea of nursing until age 2, and I just never saw this coming. Today it's been a week