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Baby refuses to breastfeed

Hi, I am a young mother 24 years old. I have a four month year old baby. I have been breast feeding him just fine until a few weeks ago. He has refused my milk and I hate these factory products for my baby. How do I get him to go back to breast milk? Is it okay for him to take boiled cow milk or am I hurting my child? Please help. 

Replies

  • Hi Mona... definitely no cows milk... babies should not have that until they are a year old. 

    Is he taking a bottle ok? If he's taking a bottle but not the breast & you want him to nurse more perhaps try & work out what the draw to the bottle is? Are you using a nipple that is fast flow (so he's getting more milk quicker and with less effort than if he was breast feeding). I would recommend switching to a nipple that mimics the flow of breast feeding so that he has to work a little bit & also strengthen his sucking. 

    You could also try using a nipple shield when you breastfeed if he has gotten used to the feel of the artificial nipple. Perhaps you could also express a little & syringe a tiny bit very slowly into his mouth while he is at the breast to give him a taste and encourage him to suck for more. 

    if you try everything and nothing works... don't beat yourself up! you are trying he best you can! If you rally don't want to do formula then you could always express your milk & give him that. But please don't be too hard on yourself even if that doesn't work... the MOST important thing is that your baby is fed.. whether that's breast milk or formula... from the breast or the bottle really is ok! 

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