Possibly flameworthy...

lililand

Flame away if you must but i need to get this out. I started off breastfeeding but the pain was getting worse and worse ( not from poor latching,she had a perfect latch) and by the endof a month i was crying every feeding it hurt so badly. So i switched to pumping, however that has ended in me only being able to pump, at most, 2oz. from both breast, and the amount decreases everyday. At night, if i sleep through, i no longer get engorged, and would still only get a total of maybe 4oz from both. So i am thinking about just stopping. It is so frustrating attempting to up my supply and having it continue to fail. I feel soo guilty about this, but i really dont know what else to do. I hate this. Sorry vent over.

blissfully_caffeinated

No flames here. Breast feeding is HARD. Seriously hard. There are some things you can do to try to up your supply (take Fenugreek, power pumping, pumping every 2 hours - even at night, massaging your breast while you pump, etc). Whatever happens just know that you tried. That's all anyone can ask.

Do you know why your nips were so sore? Maybe you could try breast feeding again and see if the pain is gone. I totally feel you on how much it can hurt. I used to bawl every time I tried to breast feed or pump. Luckily, I figured out why (thrush) and was able to fix it. That's not always the case though. Sometimes nipples will always hurt and nobody knows why. I'm sorry you're having such a rough time.

KKWISC

Do what is best for baby and for mommy. My lactation consultant said that sometimes bf'ing is like National Geographic and it just works and sometimes it doesn't. Have you talked to a LC yet? They may have some advise for you if you want to give it another go.

Breast is the best, but if your miserable in pain I'm sure your not being the best mom you can be. Do what is best for you guys.  GL

katenney

I've been having to pump as well as suppliment with formula and I know that I have to stop in a few weeks because I have to go back on medication... so NO FLAMES here! One of my nurses at the hospital said it best.. you need to feed your baby, whether it's breast milk or formula, you give your baby the best you can. So if you switch over, don't feel guilty.

crittermama

BFing is hard work. I quit after 5 weeks with DD1 and I agonized over it. In the end, it was best for both of us. I became a better mommy because I wasn't so wrapped up in how much I hated bf'ing and how it just wasn't working for us. In the long run, I don't feel like she's any worse for the wear because of it. Now, I love bf'ing with DD2. It's a completely different experience this time around. 

Do what is best for you and your baby. If you're really interested in keeping at it, try seeing a LC. If not, you know you tried and your baby got your milk for a month...it's better than nothing. 

DeeandBrad

Don't every feel bad or especially let others make you feel bad for not BF. You gave it a great try.  If you truly want to continue BF maybe talk to a LC to get help if you feel like you are done than stop.  I know BF is the best in a perfect world everyone that wanted to BF would be able to but it is not.  I would have loved to BF both of my babies but after three weeks of BF both of them I never produced enough milk.  They both continued to loss weight and I knew no matter how much I wanted to BF it was not the best for my LOs. 

I was also not being the mom I wanted to be because I was so overwhelmed with pumping constantly (to try to increase supply), taking supplements, and making myself sick worrying about my LOs not getting enough food.  Stopping was the hardest discussion I made.  I cried for a long time (both times I stopped) just thinking about it because I felt like I failed as a mom, but then I slowly realized it was the best thing I could have done for them and me.  I was so much happier and my LOs were too.  They started gaining weight and actually seemed satisfied with the formula. 

My DD is a very healthy 16 month old and DS is a happy healthy 6 week old.  

Good Luck to you.  Make the best discussion for you and your family and don't ever let others make you feel bad or guilt yourself either. 

lililand

Thank you so much ladies, you really made me feel better about this. Thanks again

sassafras007

I get maybe an oz when I pump. DD was early and BF was really hard for us...

I supplement with formula, breastfeed when I can, and pump...it works for me...

Honestly, if my DH would not push me to do it I would have quit already...

I am doing Fenugreek and milk thisle and it seems to help my supply.

themrs830

No flames from me either- I exclusively formula feed and have since DD was just a day old! I only made it one day before my nipples were cracked and bleeding and even with a "perfect" latch, it felt like someone was trying to rip them off with a hot poker everytime DD ate!

When I decided to switch, the nurse was really supportive and said having a baby is a big enough of an adjustment and all that's important is that babies are fed and loved. That helped ease my guilt a little bit.

That, and the drunk look DD gets when her belly is full It helps me to know she's healthy, happy and gaining weight

Good luck and welcome to team formula!

squishles10

I nearly quit too and felt horrible even thinking about it. I got a nipple shield and it changed everything. If you haven't tried one, they're cheap and easy to use and solved my problem immediately. If it doesn't work or you are just over it, don't feel bad. You're not the first, not the last, and plenty of healthy, well adjusted adults were formula fed way worse formula than is available now. Its not what you feed your child that defines you as a good mom. Good luck however it ends up for you.

BelleIsa

No flames here!  I find breastfeeding really hard and still very painful despite several LC telling he DD's latch is good.  It STILL feels painful when she first latches on, and I can only feed her every 4 hours otherwise it feels like my nipples are on fire.

I'm giving it until she's 6 weeks old, if it's not pain-free by then, I'm switching to pumping or formula.  

I'm not being the best mom I can be if I dread every feed and cry through them...

DuckLover

No flames from me!  My plan from the get go was to BF, but then DS was in the NICU for 13 days so he was bottle fed and given a pacifer so by the time i got him home and tried to BF he wouldnt latch at all and screamed everytime i put him by my boob.  But, i was pumping so he was still getting BM.  The first time i got him to latch i HATED it.  It hurt like helll and i was NOT happy.  Then we tried a couple other times and i still hated it. I cried.  We were at a friends house and shes part of the BF mafia so he got hungry so she offered to help me so he latched and i put on a happy face.  I kept pumping and out of nowhere my supply just starting getting lower and lower.  I did everything i could and saw 2 LCs.  I still pump but my nips are SO sore now from pumping and trying to up my supply by pumping every 2 hours.  BTW-DS is eating 4oz so hes only getting about an ounce of BM and 3 oz formula.  My friend kept making me feel bad for having to give him formula and at a point i let it get to me and i felt like a bad mom bc i couldnt BF.  She kept saying if it were her she woulda been at every feed in the NICU nursing her baby but what she doesnt understand is that i couldnt bc they needed to monitor how much he was eating.  Then i talked to my BFF and felt SO much better. 

Dont ever feel guilty for stopping to BF.  You TRIED your best. 

shaena1407

No flames from this house!  I switched to pumping during the 1st week because DS was premie and had a hard time latching.  Pumping wasn't bad at first (because that was all I had ever done to feed him), but after a few weeks, it was horrible.  It hurt, my supply kept dropping, and I wasn't motivated AT ALL to get up in the middle of the night to pump while DH would feed DS.  I was so stressed and hating pumping so much that I wasn't enjoying this time in our lives.  Once we switched to formula, we all got happier and less stressed.

No matter what you decide, don't let yourself feel guilty.  You should be enjoying this time in your life (it wont last that long), not stressing out about how you're feeding your child.  

Kelly-renee

Did a LC tell you her latch was perfect?  I had one tell me that, but I felt all the signs that it wasn't a good latch, it felt like LO was biting and pinching me, and I had a white line along my nipple and it looked like a tube of lipstick.  I spent lots of time shirtless, healing up, and working on getting a good latch and it has improved tons.

AbJams

No flames here, no way. There isn't a night that goes by that I don't think about quitting. It is hard. What is keeping me going is that my mom has been a terrific coach, and nursing her makes me feel better when I'm having some awesome hormonal sadness for no reason. I, quite frankly, will NEVER judge another woman for not breastfeeding her child again.

DaisyFull

squishles10:

I nearly quit too and felt horrible even thinking about it. I got a nipple shield and it changed everything. If you haven't tried one, they're cheap and easy to use and solved my problem immediately. If it doesn't work or you are just over it, don't feel bad. You're not the first, not the last, and plenty of healthy, well adjusted adults were formula fed way worse formula than is available now. Its not what you feed your child that defines you as a good mom. Good luck however it ends up for you.

This, right here, is the best line I've ever read on the subject:

Its not what you feed your child that defines you as a good mom. 

Do what's best for you and LO, and everything else will be just fine. *hugs* 

g8trkim

No one will flame you. BF is really hard. I wanted to give up so many times. You may want to try Fenugreek or talk to your doc about pills to up your supply. Or just switch to formula. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I think you should be proud of yourself.

lililand

Thank you all soo much, you really made this easier

soko987

If anyone were to flame you for this, then they might as well go out and get "Douche" tattooed across their forehead. Seriously, girl, don't worry about it. Breastfeeding SUCKED.