9 Month Old Not Nursing

Teething "pain" begins even before you actually see the teeth erupting.

When teething, babies often seem to, "reject" nursing.
Both my kids did that, when teething.
But I still nursed on demand.
And made sure they did not get dehydrated.

Don't overdo the Tylenol, unless you know the exact dosage and frequency, for a baby that age.

Your baby also knaws on the sippy cup.
Try giving him a teething toy.
Or, my kids liked to chew on a frozen little washcloth... that I would dampen and put in the freezer.

Teething is temporary.

Or, he might be ill.
Does he have an ear ache? This can also affect nursing.

It definitely could be teething. When teeth are coming in it hurts for them to suck. You should try teething tablets, I know they helped my son. You also may want to look up some info on a "nursing strike". If he is eating solids he may be trying to tell you he wants more solids and less breastmillk. Don't get frustrated, the advice I've read from lactation consultants regarding nursing strikes is to only try to nurse for 10 minutes at a time. Usually these will pass within a few days. If it doesn't pass you may want to pump and feed from a bottle. You should definitely pump in between so that your supply doesn't decrease.

When my son was 6 months old he got a stuffy nose and he was teething, the combination was awful and he gave up nursing all together. So I just continued to pump and feed him that way. I know how frustrating it can be but don't give up and try not to get too frustrated. It's not you he is rejecting just the nursing!

Your poor son is most likely teething, gums can hurt for weeks before teeth erupt, it hurts him to suck. Pump your milk and offer him an open cup.

Sounds like teething. The other possibility is an ear infection. You should take him to the doctor and get his ears checked.

It is tremendously important that he doesn't get dehydrated. If he does, he'll go downhill fast and you'll end up in the ER frightened half to death. If you can't get him to nurse, put formula or pumped breastmilk in an eye dropper so that he'll get something in him.

Good luck - I hope he feels better soon!

Keep him on the tylenol around the clock and see if his nursing improves. Sounds like teething!

Sounds like teething. I don't follow a "schedule" for my baby. I try to nurse her, if she takes it that's great, if not, I wait a little longer. When your baby is good and hungry, he'll nurse. If all else fails, try lying down to nurse your baby. This is very soothing for my baby and sometimes the distractable baby nurses best in a quiet room, lying down with his mommy. Good luck!

I have found this to be due to new teeth emerging, give him tylenol as you did about 1/2 an hour before eating. Yes it CAN work that soon after you give it, really! Remember his body is tiny. He should be on solids as well, and he may tolerate those now instead of nursing, so use breastmilk in the cereal so that he gets some milk in him.
Usually they do this for a week or two before teeth emerge, then they will go back to nursing like crazy.

This could be a combination of things. Teething for one thing. He may also be more interested in solid foods than nursing anymore as well. Someone said to try a quiet room and laying down. That would be what I would try in your case. Once he is REALLY thirsty, he will go for a nursing session but otherwise he may not due to the pain/lack of interest that he is having. I ended up weaning my son at 9 months because he just wasn't that interested anymore. I took the feedings out one by one and played it by ear for a week or so. He was already sleeping through the night at that point, so all I had left was the morning feeding and the right before bed feeding. I distracted him from that morning feed with a sippy and breakfast when he got up. Before week 2 was over, we were done nursing. My daughter wasn't weaned until 13 months old, she was attached to it waaaay more than my son was! Its amazing how siblings can be so different!

my daughter did this and it was NOT teething! she was on a nursing strike for 5 days !! I cried..but we got through it, offer milk in sippy cup or bottle and pump to keep your supply up. Good luck!

Teething or an ear infection is my guess. Is it always the same side he's refusing? You can also look up "nursing strikes". Kellymom.com is a good resource.

Sounds like he's teething. The baby food helped because it soothed his gums. I'm sure he was attempting to chew on the spoon as he was being fed, right? Even if teeth are not visable, the gums should be increasingly bumpy. The cure? Get rid of the tylenol. Hyland's Homeopathic teething tablets or drops. You can find them at any grocery store, wal-mart, or pharmacy. They are all natural, totally safe, and the only side effect is it can make babies and children sleepy. I have used them for my last 2 children, and they are a godsend. Of course, teething rings and toys, cool washcloths and anything else he enjoys chewing on are going to help get your LO through this easier and quicker too.

Also, until your son is over this bout of teething (which can be a couple of days to several weeks depending on the child), try nursing on demand. It will most likely disrupt his schedule, but there is a much lower chance of him getting dehydrated or under-fed.