Nursing Strike, Day 2...

I have to share something. I need some support. First post here.

My daughter is 9 months 3 weeks old. She has nursed perfectly from birth. We did use some formula in the first few weeks because she was badly jaundiced. However by week 4 she was EBF. She has always easily taken a bottle of my milk, which has allowed me to work 2 Sunday’s a month while her daddy watches her. Otherwise Im home with her. Also, her father and I have had 4 overnights where my parents took her for the night to give us a break and some sleep. She always greeted me when I return with a smile and a demand for breastfeeding.

Sunday was one of the worst days ever for us. The last time my baby girl nursed was 8pm sat march 31. She is refusing to latch on. Goes to nurse then stops and cries. I’ve tried many many tricks (bottle to line belly then slipping nipple in, diff nursing positions and spots, putting milk on my nipple, squirting milk from my nipple to her mouth, in the dark, in the light, before nap after nap....) we are giving her a bottle each time because we dont want her to starve. That may make it worse. I’m then pumping a bottle out for the next feeding.

Last night (sunday) I tried giving her baby advil incase her gums hurt. But it did not help, maybe because it did not kick in yet. Last night she woke up her usual two times, refused to nurse and got a bottle. Today I planned a day of skin to skin and naked mommy with boobies out and ready.

However. To add to this joyful nursing strike...our tub/shower basically finally broke last night. Resulting in a basement flood. Its not as bad as some I’ve seem, but its definitely something we had to deal with. Today my FIL who is a plumber is coming over to try to fix it. Or at least stem the leaking till we can fully repair it. This has been an ongoing problem. Though him being here will limit my nakie time with baby.....

I’m in a very very bad place right now. Baby not nursing is killing me both physically and emotionally. In the past her strikes have been for like 2 nursing sessions then she’s happy to nuzzle up and suckle. And my absolute favorite relaxing thing is my tub time, and she enjoys with me too. Which I can’t do. I look at her and cry.

Please PLEASE share if your baby went on a nursing strike and you successfully got them to nurse again. I’m not ready to end breastfeeding her yet! (I will pump to keep her EBF if it comes down to it but I DO NOT pump well)

*edit: our favorite position is football hold, usually on a pillow, currently when I put her in any nursing position she turns in as if to nurse, then SCREAMS, tuns away, flails with her arms and ends up pinching my nipple with her hands. Then she starts to cry and scream.

*edit 2* Day 5 now...we discovered day 4 of the strike she has an ear infection, and a top tooth broke through the gums. But pumping is so hard, for so little milk. I need my latched on baby back.