As a breastfeeding parent, you probably spend a lot of time monitoring how much and how often your baby is eating. You also probably notice pretty quickly when your baby is eating less frequently or drinking less milk than normal.


When your baby suddenly changes their nursing patterns it’s important to figure out why, and what you can do to fix it, right away. Read on to find out what a nursing strike is and what to do if your baby is having one.

How do you know if it is a nursing strike ?

So, what’s a nursing strike? A nursing strike — or “breastfeeding strike” — is defined as a period of time when a baby who has been nursing well suddenly refuses to breastfeed. They usually don’t start this behavior until they’re least 3 months old and more aware of the world around them.


Babies who are entering a nursing strike typically refuse the breast but seem unhappy, fussy and displeased by not nursing. While your baby probably sometimes becomes distracted at the breast, pulling away or rooting in the middle of a feed is not indicative of a nursing strike, rather they’re just distracted. It’s the refusal to nurse for any duration that indicates a nursing strike.


Sometimes, a nursing strike is mistaken for a sign that a baby is ready to wean. This is unlikely as babies rarely self-wean before 2 years of age, and when they do, they almost always do so by gradually reducing the duration and frequency of nursing sessions rather than stopping abruptly.

What can cause a nursing strike?

Babies can enter a nursing strike for a variety of reasons that are both physical and emotional. Some causes could be:

1congestion or an earache that makes nursing uncomfortable
2 A sore throat, or a cut or an ulcer in their mouth that makes nursing uncomfortable
3 an illness such as hand, foot, and mouth disease that impacts their mouth and makes nursing uncomfortable


Read more - https://www.healthline.com/health/breastfeeding/nursing-strike-2