question for those who didn't BF (kinda long)

dpraseutsinh · October 2012

what was your reason?

i'm not here to judge anyone, everyone is different, everyone's situations are different, and sometimes it just doesn't work out or it's just not comfortable to you.

i originally wanted to BF for 6 months. too many problems just got in the way: my milk supply was low, LO had jaundice which caused her to be put on photo therapy and i was not able to BF (i bottle fed her breast milk, but then she got used to the bottle), she ended up hating/getting frustrated at the breast after that. i decided that after 6 weeks, i will be quitting BFing. too many tears have been shed, i get frustrated, LO gets frustrated and she seems a lot happier being fed formula.

please don't judge/preach to me, i understand BM is WAY better, but in the end, my LO and i are much less stressed and happier. just because i will no longer try to BF doesn't mean i don't love my daughter any less.

mindymaske · October 2012

I EP'd for the first 5 weeks. I was not comfortable with having baby eat from my breast. It didn't feel natural to me (even though i know it is) I also didn't like not knowing how much LO was eating so I preferred pumping. I gave up pumping because LO was super gassy and fussy with my breast milk, low supply, and time consuming. We are both happier with similac Smile

KrystalD7 · October 2012

So why are you posting this then? To make yourself feel better? I do feel for ya hun, it's an emotional decision and time for sure. But you tried your best, and I assure you that your kiddo will be just fine, regardless. Keep your head up!

FWIW I couldn't BF, I have inverted nipples. It was horrible trying to get her to latch. I made the decision to pump exculsively, and while it was a PITA, I was happy with it. I didn't pump for as long as I wanted to, but I was having a serious bout with PPD because of previous problems and the added stress of this. It was the best decision to me and my DD. This time around, I feel more prepaired mentally for what I am in for, and I hope to either BF, or pump for longer.

Good luck!

lovebug33 · October 2012

I had a very difficult time getting pg., and a lot of anxiety while I was pg. DD may be our only baby. I had heard horror stories of people who tried bf and hated it and their child. I didn't want that to be me. I wanted to enjoy every minute with my DD when she was small and not be worried about bf and if it would work or not. Then, I had a traumatic birth experience and if she hadn't been able to latch, I would have lost. I thank God every day that he put in my mind not to bf because I was diagnosed with an infection three weeks after that would have been very dangerous for DD if I was bf, so I am so happy!

alake · November 2012

I am a mom of three:

Summer (6) got formula from day 1. She wouldn't latch.

Leah (5) nursed for a few weeks and then my milk tanked. I don't judge anyone for not nursing. It isn't for everyone.

Eryn 9 weeks gets a bottle of breast milk maybe once or twice a week. I plan on going until at least December, but will go longer if I am still enjoying it. I had purchased formula and bottles in case Eryn was going to be like her sisters. I have been using the bottles but have yet to give her formula.

juliane2004 · November 2012

I'm lazy?

I knew it would be a TON of work, and I felt formula would be just fine.

For me, BM is healthy and that's the only pro I can think of.

But FF has way more pros:
- less stress for me
- anyone can feed baby
- easy to see how much baby gets
- can be strict with formula type (i.e. hypoallergenic), instead of worry about what I'm eating
- I believe FF babies sleep better because it's digested more slowly
- no leaking forever
- no mastitis, or clogged duct, etc
- no need to wake baby to eat after 1-2 hours (or whatever) because MY boobs are engorged
- doesn't affect my diabetes
- it's still good for them (has iron, etc)

tamararachel2 · November 2012

With DS1, I FF right from the start. I was in my last year of college and I was bartending at night so there was no way I could BF. With DS2 I wanted to give it a try. DS2 also had to be put on photo therapy but I was still able to latch him on as I would hold him while in the bili blanket. I BF for 3 weeks and I just wasn't producing enough. DS2 would constantly be at the boob. He was never satisfied and when we realized I just wasn't producing what he needed, I said "I'm done!" It's a lot less frustrating and we actually get sleep at night!!

jelina · November 2012

KrystalD7:
So why are you posting this then? To make yourself feel better? I do feel for ya hun, it's an emotional decision and time for sure. But you tried your best, and I assure you that your kiddo will be just fine, regardless. Keep your head up!
FWIW I couldn't BF, I have inverted nipples. It was horrible trying to get her to latch. I made the decision to pump exculsively, and while it was a PITA, I was happy with it. I didn't pump for as long as I wanted to, but I was having a serious bout with PPD because of previous problems and the added stress of this. It was the best decision to me and my DD. This time around, I feel more prepaired mentally for what I am in for, and I hope to either BF, or pump for longer.
Good luck!

I also have inverted nipples and am able to BF with my 2nd. With my first I was completely unable to. DS didn't get it, I had chunks of raw skin hanging off of me and was severely bleeding. Just know if you wanted to try with #2 it can turn out way differently.

To OP, like I mentioned I have had 1 kid BFed and 1 FFed. DS didn't get BFing, I had an incredibly difficult recovery and don't think I would have been able to pump, then feed. I could barely stand for oh.... six weeks or so. It was really, really bad. I love my BFing relationship with DD but really miss the convenience of not having to whip out my boobs to feed and having to be a round the clock feeding mechanism. Just do what works for you. I think both of my kids will be just fine in the end.

CnAnA · November 2012

As long as you and your baby are happy and your baby is healthy and fed, don't let anybody give you crap.

We went to formula due to latch issues and my crappy supply. After 3 weeks I was only able to pump less than an oz at a time. My DD is "just perfect!" according to her pedi.

aji820 · November 2012

Sometimes BFing doesn't work out, plain and simple. I have inverted nipples. I BFed with a shield for 10 days and my nipples were wrecked. I got mastitis, decided to pump to allow my nipples to heal so I wouldn't get another infection, but couldn't pump enough for DS. Enter formula. I've been FF ever since. I had a ton of guilt over quitting BF (though I don't feel I had much of a choice), but at the end of the day, DS is fed, happy, and growing perfectly.

Every parenting decision could result in a "what if" so make the best decision you can and then have peace about it.

Vegasbb · November 2012

I'm still a new mom so I can't answer your original question, just wanted to share that I think your hospital was awful for not allowing you to BF. My LO had jaundice and needed phototherapy for 2 days. They brought the setup into my hospital room and instructed me to BF every 2 hours (pulled him out of tank), or offered that I could BF him under the top part of the light set up if I wore sunglasses. They told me they never bottlefeed jaudice babies because it makes the BF relationship so much harder.

Nicky820 · November 2012

My little guy was born with low blood sugar and they gave him formula right away, he was also tongue tied and I have very flat nipples and when my milk finally came in my supply was super low. We tried everything, had his tongue clipped in the hospital, I pumped and then tried to get him to latch 8-12 times a day, I went to visit lactation consultants, tried the nipple shield. He just wouldn't latch. I pumped for the first 3 weeks and gave him the little I pumped along with formula. Then my c-section opened and I had to start antibiotics so we went to only formula.My baby is happy and healthy, gaining weight. I tried my best and it didn't work out and I did have my guilt but in the end this it what worked for us, and I won't harbor anymore guilt about it.

downwardsunshine · November 2012

dpraseutsinh:
what was your reason?
i'm not here to judge anyone, everyone is different, everyone's situations are different, and sometimes it just doesn't work out or it's just not comfortable to you.
i originally wanted to BF for 6 months. too many problems just got in the way: my milk supply was low, LO had jaundice which caused her to be put on photo therapy and i was not able to BF (i bottle fed her breast milk, but then she got used to the bottle), she ended up hating/getting frustrated at the breast after that. i decided that after 6 weeks, i will be quitting BFing. too many tears have been shed, i get frustrated, LO gets frustrated and she seems a lot happier being fed formula.
please don't judge/preach to me, i understand BM is WAY better, but in the end, my LO and i are much less stressed and happier. just because i will no longer try to BF doesn't mean i don't love my daughter any less.

What pisses me off is that because of the boob nazis you feel the need to defend how you feed your child. It is nobody's business but yours. I pumped 8 times a day for 2 months before I had enough and switched to formula. I would dare anyone to say that I'm a bad mother because I thought spending time with my son would benefit him more than spending hours with a pump.

Make the decisions that are best for you and your lo!

question for those who didn't BF (kinda long)

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