Babies usually have large appetites. Growing takes a lot of energy, and babies generally grow very quickly! This means that newborns, in particular, require a substantial amount of nutritious energy. So when your baby won’t breastfeed, you might find their lack of appetite somewhat alarming.
Many parents will immediately worry that they’re doing something wrong or that their baby must be ill. But the reality is that there are several reasons why your baby won’t nurse. Often, these nursing strikes resolve themselves relatively quickly. In other cases, you can talk to your pediatrician about how to coax your newborn’s appetite back to normal.
When Your Newborn Baby Won’t Breastfeed
Some parents have an immediate experience with babies who won’t breastfeed. That’s because some babies will show a reluctance to nurse almost immediately. There are several factors that may cause this behavior, each with its own remedy.
Some of the most common causes include the following:
A quick or eventful birth: A fast birth or a birth that required medical intervention can leave your baby feeling sore and tired. In these cases, it’s not unusual for newborns to be reluctant to nurse. Typically, once they recover a little, your baby will feed normally.
Use of anesthesia: Depending on the type of anesthesia used, it’s also possible your newborn is just a little groggy or too sleepy to eat. Your newborn’s appetite will usually return once the anesthesia has run its course.
Your baby can’t latch on to the breast: In order to feed successfully, your baby needs to latch on to the nipple. This can be difficult or challenging if you happen to have flat or inverted nipples. In these cases, try using a breast pump to get your nipples ready for feeding.
Separation: After your baby is born, your provider will try to give you some together. However, in some cases a longer separation after birth is unavoidable. Sometimes, for example, the baby or mother just needs a little extra medical care. And when this occurs, your baby may be more reluctant to breastfeed. Usually, this reluctance will pass quickly–and it’s a good opportunity to simply enjoy skin-on-skin bonding time instead.
You haven’t started producing milk yet: Not everyone will produce milk at the same rate. Some new parents are a little slower to get going than others. If there’s a delay in milk production, your newborn may experience a little frustration when they try to nurse. This frustration can become associated with the breast, making your newborn a little hesitant to attempt nursing in the future.
Usually, when your baby won’t nurse, the solution is to first try a little patience. That’s especially true if your pediatrician determines there are no underlying issues.
When Your Older Baby Won’t Breastfeed
In other cases, it can feel like your baby will stop breastfeeding out of the blue. Maybe everything’s going great and you’ve finally settled into a nursing routine–and suddenly, your newborn doesn’t seem interested. This is called a “nursing strike,” and it can be the result of a few different factors. The most common causes of a nursing strike include the following:
Stress or illness: Sometimes your baby just doesn’t feel good. If their nose is full of mucus from a cold, for example, they may not want to eat. Likewise, if your newborn is stressed out by something, their appetite may be suppressed. If your baby is running a fever of 100.4 or higher, talk to your provider or take them to an urgent care.
Too much milk too fast: Sometimes, the flow of your milk changes. When your milk flow becomes too fast, your baby may not be able to handle it all. This can lead to an unpleasant nursing experience, and your baby may stop breastfeeding as a result.
The taste of your milk has changed: Such changes could be due to several factors. Your diet can influence the taste of your milk. So too can your menstrual cycle. If the milk sours, so to speak, your newborn may appear less interested.
A mouth infection: Mouth infections are not uncommon in infants and babies, especially when they are teething. These infections can make feeding painful. You can talk to your pediatrician about the best way to treat them.
While these nursing strikes are relatively common, they can also be a sign of an underlying condition. So if you have any concerns at all–or if your baby stops making more than six wet diapers a day, talk to your pediatrician about newborn care at Children’s Healthcare Associates.
How Can I Get my Baby to Start Breastfeeding Again?
Whether your newborn’s nursing strike starts at birth or comes out of nowhere a few weeks later, there are a couple of things you can do to coax your baby to start breastfeeding again.
Tips for Handling a Nursing Strike
First and foremost, it’s very important not to panic. Any attempt to force your newborn will likely backfire. When your baby won’t breastfeed, it’s important to let them take the lead. However, in some cases, your baby won’t breastfeed because there’s something wrong. So it can often be important to discover–and treat--these root causes. Talk to your pediatrician about why your baby may not be feeding and what you can do about it.
You can also try alternative feeding methods: bottle feeding can give babies something easy to latch on to, for example, and may be more comfortable. Just be sure to arrange for plenty of skin-to-skin contact time if you switch to bottle feeding.
Finally, you can also talk to a breastfeeding counselor. This is someone who has considerable expertise in helping babies to feed and nurse.
To get personalized answers about your newborn and the best ways to cope with a nursing strike, contact the pediatricians at Children’s Healthcare Associates to schedule an appointment today.