I'm just curious as to how long you bf for and why did you stop? So far bf'ing is going great for us but I am going back to work at the end of August (I'm a teacher). I am planning on pumping but I am not sure how that is going to work out since I don't get that much free time during the school day. I would like Taylor to get bm for as long as possible but I also don't want to feel guilty if I stop bf'ing. TIA
Re: For those who breastfed but aren't anymore ??
m/c 1/2/08 and 3/12/08
Eve Amelia- Born 2/24/09. 6lb 9.9oz
Natalie Ruth - Born 6/13/11 7lb 6.6oz
I EBF Sophia for her first 3 months and then we started adding formula in over a few weeks until she was totally FF. My reason was that I was sick of being tied down with BF and being back at work, it was really hard to find time to pump.
She is doing great being FF for the past 6 months!
I EBFed until DD was 3 months. We began to supplement w/ formula at 3 months. At 4 months, I quit BFing entirely.
I stopped because it simply wasn't feasible to pump at my job. On Mondays, I am in court all day long and don't even have time for a lunch break. At the end of the day, I would be so painfully engorged! Throughout the rest of the week, I could pump in my office but I had a new job and felt awkward putting a little sign up on my door to warn people that I was pumping! Every day when I got home from work, I would have to immediately pump to relieve the engorgement. I wanted to play with DD after a long day at work and I felt chained to the pump! Every night I would have to slave away to make sure I pumped enough for the following day.
I loved BFing...but I couldn't do it the way I wanted to. I felt guilty for about a month after I quit. But I was also so very happy. I didn't feel chained to the pump and formula was so much more convenient for me.
Oh! I also had to quit BFing because I had a substantial stash built up in my freezer but then Hurricane Gustav hit and we were without power for a week. My entire freezer stash went bad and I had no backup for the days that I didn't produce enough milk.
I EBF up until this week. DD wasn't gaining weight (only 3 ounces from 6-7 months) and my supply was shrinking. I am a teacher and found that pumping at work was isolating but not unbearable. When I went back to work in January, I pumped before school, recess, and lunch (I teach 2nd grade). Around the middle of March I dropped the before school session because I was tired of stressing about ounces. I would also get up around 3 am to pump before DD woke up in the morning so all in all pumping was beginning to wear me down. Part of me feels guilty that I didn't try to keep BF morning or nights but I know that I would be constantly worrying about her intake so FF seems best right now. I loved BF and am glad I did it, but FF has been nice to involve DH more in her morning and nightly routines.