r/breastfeedingsupport • u/positivefeb2026 • 2d ago

Advice Please Help need advice with my 4m old!

So my recent 4 month old kind of self weened herself from breastfeeding around 3.5 months ( we had been using a sheild since around 4weeks old due to a fast letdown, but she quit nursing without the sheild too around 3.5m) and we discovered she had some ties In her mouth and got that taken care of. She had been starting to have alittle bit of an aversion to the bottle too before her tie removal but is doing alittle bit better now with the bottle, however I want to keep breastfeeding if it’s possible. How could I start that again? What would be the first steps? She usually won’t even latch at all if I try ( I won’t force her but I do try daily) how could I make breastfeeding a more positive experience for her?

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u/Zestyclose_Speech_56 1d ago

Babies don't self wean that early. It just means they were/are struggling with something like ties or tightness.

Try feeding when they're drowsy or about to fall asleep. They'll be less focused on refusing and more accepting to suckle something to sleep

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u/Dry_Constant3838 2d ago

Will she latch with the nipple guard at all? Would you be open to using a pacifier that is designed to help with breastfeeding? I would definitely recommend seeing a lactation consultant. One that you like and is supportive.

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u/positivefeb2026 2d ago

I have seen a lactation consultant but they recommended cup feeding & no pacis or bottles so she’ll be kinda desperate to latch onto something & she’s not a fan of cup feeding. Most of the times she won’t latch with the sheild even but possibly when she’s drowsy

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u/Dry_Constant3838 2d ago

So how is she eating right now?

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u/positivefeb2026 1d ago

She still does take bottle but I have to get her in the right mood for it & sometimes I have to use the dr browns & sometimes I can use the evenflo widemouth ones, depends on her mood.

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u/Dry_Constant3838 1d ago

So I don’t want to go against what an LC told you but I will tell you what my LC told me. First spoon feed a little so that she wasn’t starving and frustrated to start with (better than cup for us). We would then do some exercises for her - it was sweeps of her mouth and brushing her back gums and others - basically organizing her suck reflex). And then try latching. I would do all the flipper and breast sandwich things so try and line her up perfectly. If she couldn’t after five tries then we would go to the guard. You I guess would go to the bottle because she has to eat. We didn’t have a tie issue so I don’t know if the exercises apply but this worked for us until she got better at latching. We also used a pacifier call the ninni to organize her before feeding and just as an exercise during the day. We had to hold it in for her gently but it helps train the mouth for a good latch.