Yo, formula feeders...

jlee1106 · January 2010

Would you mind telling me what made you decide (assuming it was planned) NOT to BF?

Thanks.

Aliliv · January 2010

hmmm...... Well, my decision was partially planned. I always said (and say) that if it works out to BF great, but I am not going to beat myself up over it. So, with #1 tried for about 5 weeks, low supply, guilt, shame, pain, later - I FF. #2- decided not going through it again, so if she takes to it easily and everything is fine for me - then BF it is. Well, with her she ended up NICU and because for the first 2 days she was literally limp at my breast, I thought it would be best that as long as she eats anything - formula is fine. This one - I have not decided as of yet. Leaning towards no, but thinking I should at least try.

Chief_Carters_Lady · January 2010

Wasn't planned...Two days after we got home from the hospital, my supply was gone..tried to pump, went and saw the LC, nothing..

maui24 · January 2010

DS wouldn't latch properly.

I wasn't producing more than 4-8 oz per day no matter what I did.

My boobs were infected, cracked, and in pain.

I was an emotional trainwreck (having anxiety and crying practically non-stop) due to the above plus having a hungry unhappy baby, and the societal pressure of everyone making me feel like a failure for not BFing.

I threw in the towel somewhere around 5 week PP and I've never looked back. It was the best decision I could have made for him and for me. It was so horrible I don't know if I will ever try it again.

EDIT. I should add too that I saw a lactation consultant twice which did nothing. All she did was shame me for having given him a bottle once or twice when he was screaming hungry and I had no breastmilk to give him. She then proceeded to tell me these 2 bottles I had given him over a 2 week time span were what screwed everything up for me. Can you tell I am bitter? LOL

papillonlover · January 2010

I didn't want to up every hour, I didn't want myself exposed to all of my houseguests and wanted some much needed liquor. Call me selfish.

MrsSandro · January 2010

I supplement with formula because well I have a very low supply. So rather than starve my baby I feed her formula. Really I supplement with breastmilk because she requires much more than I ever was able to produce. (tried EVERYthing)

monicalynn1979 · January 2010

It wasn't planned, but DD wouldn't latch with help from many LC and my supply tanked when I tried to pump. That said, I am very happy with FF. DD has never been sick and I enjoy the freedom it gives me.

sgrl · January 2010

MrsSandro:
I supplement with formula because well I have a very low supply. So rather than starve my baby I feed her formula. Really I supplement with breastmilk because she requires much more than I ever was able to produce. (tried EVERYthing)

This exactly.

sgrl · January 2010

maui24:

EDIT. I should add too that I saw a lactation consultant twice which did nothing. All she did was shame me for having given him a bottle once or twice when he was screaming hungry and I had no breastmilk to give him. She then proceeded to tell me these 2 bottles I had given him over a 2 week time span were what screwed everything up for me. Can you tell I am bitter? LOL

That makes me so angry for you. Angry

KristinB! · January 2010

It wasn't planned. I tried for a couple weeks but DS wasn't gaining enough weight which meant I had a low supply. We started supplementing with formula and I BF until he was about 3 months old. Now we are just using the remainder of my frozen breast milk to supplement in his bottles.

maui24 · January 2010

sgrl:
maui24:

EDIT. I should add too that I saw a lactation consultant twice which did nothing. All she did was shame me for having given him a bottle once or twice when he was screaming hungry and I had no breastmilk to give him. She then proceeded to tell me these 2 bottles I had given him over a 2 week time span were what screwed everything up for me. Can you tell I am bitter? LOL

That makes me so angry for you.

Thank you...I wish I could say I was angry at the time, but the sad thing is I believed her. Made me feel like c.r.a.p. Now I can obviously see it was wrong, but I just wish I had known this before. It could have saved me so much personal anguish!!

MrsSandro · January 2010

sgrl:
maui24:

EDIT. I should add too that I saw a lactation consultant twice which did nothing. All she did was shame me for having given him a bottle once or twice when he was screaming hungry and I had no breastmilk to give him. She then proceeded to tell me these 2 bottles I had given him over a 2 week time span were what screwed everything up for me. Can you tell I am bitter? LOL

That makes me so angry for you.

Yeah people like that should have their professional titles taken away. They are so not realistic. What where you supposed to do? Let the baby cry. That to me is worse than any CIO scenario. Formula was created for a reason. Why not use it? Stupid LC.

AutumnBride929 · January 2010

I didn't decide not to; I wanted to BF so badly but my supply never established itself. It was rough. I surrendered to my broken boobs last month.

rinny627 · January 2010

So my child could eat.

married4love · January 2010

Tried and failed with #1, NICU baby, etc.

Didn't want to deal with all the issues again and just went with what we knew for #2.

mernamom · January 2010

I tried to BF with my first DC but didn't have enough supply. I supplemented with formula til 3 months when I had so little BM I gave up. Tried again with my second child, on day 4 I still had no milk, my son was screaming from hunger and they told me if he lost another ounce of weight he would have to be hospitalized. I started supplementing with him and again just never was able to build up a supply of BM even with a pump. With this third DC I decided that I just couldn't go through the stress and anxiety of trying it again when I felt like the odds of it working this time when it didn't the first two were slim. (I also suffer from PPD) I was much more relaxed once the decision was made and I feel it was the right one for us.

ladysingstheblues · January 2010

We EBF for 8 weeks. Then I got tired of it.

mrsblt · January 2010

I couldn't get DS to latch after NICU stay. I EP'ed for 4 months. Now he's getting mixed bottles of BM & Formula while I use up my freezer stash. I've stopped pumping (had to go back to work) and he'll be FF only after the freezer stash is gone.

I am so much less stressed out now that I'm not working & pumping. I actually get to enjoy my son in the evening.

caitlet425 · January 2010

maui24:

DS wouldn't latch properly.

I wasn't producing more than 4-8 oz per day no matter what I did.

My boobs were infected, cracked, and in pain.

I was an emotional trainwreck (having anxiety and crying practically non-stop) due to the above plus having a hungry unhappy baby, and the societal pressure of everyone making me feel like a failure for not BFing.

I threw in the towel somewhere around 5 week PP and I've never looked back. It was the best decision I could have made for him and for me. It was so horrible I don't know if I will ever try it again.

EDIT. I should add too that I saw a lactation consultant twice which did nothing. All she did was shame me for having given him a bottle once or twice when he was screaming hungry and I had no breastmilk to give him. She then proceeded to tell me these 2 bottles I had given him over a 2 week time span were what screwed everything up for me. Can you tell I am bitter? LOL

Ummm...I think you're my twin...this literally is the EXACT same scenario for me.

maui24 · January 2010

caitlet425:
maui24:

DS wouldn't latch properly.

I wasn't producing more than 4-8 oz per day no matter what I did.

My boobs were infected, cracked, and in pain.

I was an emotional trainwreck (having anxiety and crying practically non-stop) due to the above plus having a hungry unhappy baby, and the societal pressure of everyone making me feel like a failure for not BFing.

I threw in the towel somewhere around 5 week PP and I've never looked back. It was the best decision I could have made for him and for me. It was so horrible I don't know if I will ever try it again.

EDIT. I should add too that I saw a lactation consultant twice which did nothing. All she did was shame me for having given him a bottle once or twice when he was screaming hungry and I had no breastmilk to give him. She then proceeded to tell me these 2 bottles I had given him over a 2 week time span were what screwed everything up for me. Can you tell I am bitter? LOL

Ummm...I think you're my twin...this literally is the EXACT same scenario for me.

HA! Well, wasn't it just a blast?!?!

reannegummer · January 2010

DD had a difficult delivery and suffered severe head trauma and therefore wouldn't latch. She didn't even have the instinct to root. We tried and tried, with help from many LCs and I pumped for awhile and bottle fed her BM but she did so well on the bottle and still wouldn't latch (I tried constantly) and my supply never really got good from pumping. I finally switched to formula about 3 weeks in.

She is an amazing eater, growing like a weed, and has never been sick so I'm totally fine with the fact that I gave up trying to BF.

Stacy092306 · January 2010

MrsSandro:
I supplement with formula because well I have a very low supply. So rather than starve my baby I feed her formula. Really I supplement with breastmilk because she requires much more than I ever was able to produce. (tried EVERYthing)

Ditto this.

Stacy092306 · January 2010

MrsSandro:
I supplement with formula because well I have a very low supply. So rather than starve my baby I feed her formula. Really I supplement with breastmilk because she requires much more than I ever was able to produce. (tried EVERYthing)

Ditto this.

Suzy12345 · January 2010

maui24:
caitlet425:
maui24:

DS wouldn't latch properly.

I wasn't producing more than 4-8 oz per day no matter what I did.

My boobs were infected, cracked, and in pain.

I was an emotional trainwreck (having anxiety and crying practically non-stop) due to the above plus having a hungry unhappy baby, and the societal pressure of everyone making me feel like a failure for not BFing.

I threw in the towel somewhere around 5 week PP and I've never looked back. It was the best decision I could have made for him and for me. It was so horrible I don't know if I will ever try it again.

EDIT. I should add too that I saw a lactation consultant twice which did nothing. All she did was shame me for having given him a bottle once or twice when he was screaming hungry and I had no breastmilk to give him. She then proceeded to tell me these 2 bottles I had given him over a 2 week time span were what screwed everything up for me. Can you tell I am bitter? LOL

Ummm...I think you're my twin...this literally is the EXACT same scenario for me.

HA! Well, wasn't it just a blast?!?!

My story is pretty close to this too. I'm also not sure I want to go through it again. I'm almost reluctant to get pregnant again because it was so traumatic.

BlairWaldorf · January 2010

boob reduction 2 years ago.

I really didn't want to have to mess with the potential problems, pumping, worries, etc. Especially since I still have ZERO feeling in either breast.

So much easier just to FF.

SusieQ1982 · January 2010

Completely not planned. I definitely wanted to BF but my body didn't cooperate. My milk never came in unfortunately and I had to feed my son somehow.

I pumped until now and just planning to quit soon.

Mack924 · January 2010

I planned on EBF, but I couldn't produce enough, I would get enough to feed him even at one feeding, from either side. I tried everything, but he was loosing weight, so we started FF. I was sad, I really wish I could have EBF

Want a personalized experience?

Yo, formula feeders...

Re: Yo, formula feeders...

Choose Another Board

Search Boards