After the baby arrives, new mothers can experience different inconveniences. Some are better known than others. This is the case with constipation, hemorrhoids or even urinary leakage. Women who have chosen to breastfeed may also face a little-talked-about inconvenience: breastfeeding strike.
This expression refers to a baby who has been breastfed without problem and who now rejects the breast suddenly and transiently, according to lactation consultant Marion Guerin. This can happen on one breast or on both at the same time. The breastfeeding strike is manifested in particular by crying. The baby also arches back. This temporary refusal to breastfeed can be misinterpreted by mothers and mistaken for natural weaning. However, these two phenomena are quite different.
Suckling strike and natural weaning: what are the differences?
"It is the speed of onset that distinguishes the two. A natural weaning is often gradual while the sucking strike occurs more clearly. The age of the child is also to be taken into account. A natural weaning. is rather rare before 2 years, where it is often about induced weaning ", specifies Marion Guerin.
What are the causes of breastfeeding strike?
The two lactation consultants, Aubrey Richardson-Biais and Marion Guerin, say there are several reasons a baby may go on strike. This sudden refusal of the breast can be caused by many factors, such as:
- A child's illness
- Postural pain
- A change of mother's perfume
- A fear or constraint during a previous feeding
- A strong ejection reflex which caused false routes
- Mastitis, which is inflammation of the breasts, which makes milk taste more salty
- Less availability of the mother (moving, family conflicts)
- Otitis
- Teething
- Oral thrush, a mild infection that can occur during teething or during a fungal infection of the maternal breast
The baby can also take a major interest in what is going on around him and become distracted. The other common causes are hormonal, namely return of menstruation or pregnancy. In some cases, the exact cause of the breastfeeding strike is not identified. "When a breastfed baby suddenly refuses it, it is best to contact an IBCLC (International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners) certified lactation consultant to jointly investigate the cause of the breastfeeding strike and find solutions," advises Aubrey Richardson-Biais.
How to cope with the breastfeeding strike?
When a baby refuses the breast, it is important for mothers to be supported by those around them, because they can be frustrated or helpless in the face of this distressing and destabilizing situation. They can seek the advice of a lactation consultant who can inform them about the existence of the breastfeeding strike and reassure them about the duration of this behavior, which is temporary. Support associations between mothers can also help them.
"If the baby's strike lasts for several hours or several days, the mother is advised to express her milk to avoid engorgement and to maintain the milk secretion", advise the two lactation consultants. Marion Guerin points out that mothers must remove the cause of this refusal to feed, if the latter has been identified.
Aubrey Richardson-Biais advises moms not to put pressure on themselves. To make the baby want to come back to the breast, he must be "give the breast often and quietly and wear practical clothes for breastfeeding", she advocates. According to Marion Guerin, the period of half-sleep is the most favorable for breastfeeding.
Another piece of advice so that baby stops going on strike: practice skin to skin or babywearing. "Skin-to-skin naps or shared baths are sweet moments for mom and baby to get together and come together for a feed", explains the lactation consultant.
According to Aubrey Richardson-Biais, breastfeeding strike can, in rare cases, be caused by sensory disturbances. In this case, she advises the mother to write in a notebook or journal when these disorders occur. This allows you to know at what time of the day, in what place or thanks to what noise your baby sucks best. Other techniques may also be suggested by a lactation consultant to get the baby back to the breast.
thanks to Marion Guerin and Aubrey Richardson-Bias, lactation consultants
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