Nursing strike
Also called nursing strikes, breastfeeding strike, on strike, striking, semi strike
A nursing strike is when a baby who has been breastfeeding well suddenly refuses the breast. It's also called a breastfeeding strike, and parents say the baby has gone on strike.
How it's said
Do you guys think he's self weaning or is it a nursing strike?
I wouldn't call it a nursing strike so much as a 'feeling rotten and not wanting anything' strike.
My semi strike has been going on for a couple weeks...
Who says it
Not to be confused with
- Weaning from the breast usually happens gradually. A nursing strike is sudden, and La Leche League notes it can be mistaken for a baby wanting to stop.
Where it came from
Strike is the labor word for refusing to work, here used for a baby who refuses the breast. La Leche League, the breastfeeding support group, uses nursing strike in its UK and Canadian guides, and the UK charity NCT gives breastfeeding strike as the other name.
Both La Leche League guides set a strike apart from weaning, which they describe as gradual. Writers enjoy the labor image: a 2016 Romper headline promised there's no picket line involved.