What I Learned During a 5 Day Nursing Strike

Those of you who follow me on facebook and saw my status yesterday, found out that Xiomara and I are finally past that horrible period of her not nursing. I was ecstatic yesterday when she latched on and nursed with just a slight hesitation. Each nursing session since then has gotten better and it is almost as if she has forgetten again that she didn't nurse for 5 whole days.


During those 5 days I learned a lot.

First, surround yourself with those who love you, will support you, and uplift you. One of my very best friends sent me beautiful flowers to cheer me up. Even though she herself only nursed her kids a little bit, she still supported me and understood how upset I was at the possibility of Xiomara weaning.

Secondly, research, research, and more research! I turned to my local lactation consultant for help. When she told me that most likely Xiomara was weaning, I turned to some really close online friends of mine. They pointed out several articles on how to get your baby back on the breast, one woman's story of a 40-day nursing strike, and how to survive a nursing strike. Without these articles and the knowledge of these friends, I'm not sure I would have made it! They are also the ones who told me to pump to keep a supply for Xiomara in case she did make it through this nursing strike.

Lastly, and this is just a personal one for me, don't take nursing for granted. Since breastfeeding has always come very naturally for me and I have had very few problems nursing any of my girls, I have often taken it for granted. Those 5 days were some of the longest and most emotional days of my life. All I could think about was wanting to enjoy and relish in her snuggled close to my body, getting the nurishment and attachment she needed, just one more time! I seriously don't think I will look at nursing ever the same again!

Have you ever gone through a nursing strike? How did you survive? How long did it last?