do you mind me asking?

bostoartteacher · April 2011

i am curious about a couple things...my friends and my mom and i were talking about this and i wanted to ask you all too...

when you exclusively pump, what made you decide? if you love, it, why?

same with formula feeders.....what made you make the switch or start from the start with formula?

thanks

ps. this is NOT some political debate, just a general research question!

Hyfagal · April 2011

E would not latch on to my boob. The moment I put her to the boob she fell asleep and nothing could wake her up. I had every nurse on the floor come in every 2-3 hours and try everything from sugar water on my nips to cold wash rags on her back. We had to start supplementing with formula before I was released from the hospital.

I still tried nursing at home but she was not having it. She'd starve rather than eat from my boob. I tried pumping but couldn't keep up with her needs and it made me extremely nauseous so we switched to formula full time.

Molluskwrangler · April 2011

I EP. In the hospital Molly had super low blood sugar and was too lethargic to latch. I had to pump and give her a bottle or she was off to the NICU, it was very scary.

She would nurse here and there and while her latch was great once we got her blood sugar under control she was used to not having to work so hard for it and it just became a nightmare for both of us to keep up with the nursing.

She nurses here and there now. I would have to pump anyway because I make about 2x the milk that she eats.

I don't love it, I actually hate it, but I figure I'm making this much milk I should give it to her instead of going to formula.

AmandaJordan1985 · April 2011

When DS was born he was having a hard time latching properly and my supply wasn't coming in quick enough. He was losing weight quickly, became jaundiced and I had to supplement with formula. I truly, truly dreaded BFing and would actually cry when I had to. I made the decision based on what was best for BOTH of us. I did get about 4 days in which i'm happy about but so far, it has worked out better FFing.

rimjob · April 2011

I decided to EP because when I nursed she would fall asleep so she was never getting full and I would have to nurse every hour. The EPing resulted in over supply which meant that she was now choking on the geiser of milk that came out. I decided to FF after 3 months of EPing because I got to the point where I was so stressed out and felt so isolated that I was becoming a huge wreck. FF was a difficult decision for me but it has ended up being the best one I could make and she has thankfully had no problems adjusting and I am a much happier person

MarSamWhitney · April 2011

I had planned to at least attempt to breast feed, event though I did not have much faith in myself. My breasts are incredibly sensative to any touch, so i know this would be very hard for me. I gave birth early in a whirlwind, and was asked shortly after if I wanted to try to breast feed. In the exhaustion and chaos of what happened to me, I said no, and she was formula fed from the get go.

In retrospect, I should have had a better plan in place and it least tried. Of course i know breast milk is best. Although, do I feel guilty that I formula feed? No.

EDIT: oddly enough, everyone and their mother was telling me how much my breasts were going to hurt, and all the leakage I would experience, not sure if they were trying to pressure me, or what. I never leaked, nor did they hurt. Not sure why my boobs are so wacky!

stylez6 · April 2011

I loved breastfeeding and was all set to do it for a while. Eli even latched on pretty easily...but at some point he had adverse reactions to my milk. I changed my diet to the point of frustration...basically I couldn't eat anything, he just kept spitting up all of my milk. So since I felt so bad I just gave up and switched to formula which he has done well with.

insertclevername · April 2011

LO had a small tongue tie which led to some latch issues and would constantly fall asleep while nursing. I tried everything to keep him awake on the breast even resorting to wet cloths and light pinches but nothing would keep him awake.

By the end of week 1 he had lost over 10% of his body weight and the LCs were concerned. I started supplementing with formula, trying to continue breastfeeding and pumping 8x/day. At the end of the first month I stopped trying to breastfeed because it was just awful no matter what I tried and the LCs were out of suggestions.

I also have a low supply even after Reglan and every other galactogogue under the sun. At this point I am down to pumping 3x/day and I only get 9oz but I promised LO I would go to 6 months even if at the end I am only pumping 3oz a day.

moocow12 · April 2011

I had some complications following my c-section and did not get the opportunity to try breastfeeding right away. I had to wait until almost 2 days following my surgery to meet my daughter.

Long story short after 5 weeks of trying to nurse it was apparent my milk would just never come in. I tried pumping as well, but literally would only get drops. So not really much of a decision. She got formula from the get go.

pooman · April 2011

I got a horrible staph infection in the hospital (MRSA) and wasn't even allowed to hold DD for a little bit. When I could breastfeed I was in the middle of some bad PPblues. I began associating my daughter with the pain and frustration that breast feeding was causing me. Add to that the fact that I am a very low producer and she was losing weight/not making wet diapers and you've got the perfect storm.

Still I felt like a huge failure and cried myself to sleep every night for weeks because I also have to supplement. Amazing what mommy guilt and hormones can do to you.

ETA: Like NY Mama I am a very low producer. I pump 6-7 times a day for 30 minutes at a time and at my best (Like once every few days) get 6 ounces total, but average more like 3-4 ounces a pump. That's taking Domperidone and tons of supplements. But also like NY Mama I am committed to making it to 6 months - no matter how much I want to cut my nipples off at this point.

jessakris · April 2011

I BF in the beginning and switched to formula at around 6 weeks.

Quite simply, I switched because I hated every minute of bf'ing. It made me anxious and miserable. I kind of wish I had stuck it out longer, but I honetly don't think the outcome would have been very different. I have issues with anxiety anyway, and we hit some really hard times just after that which would have made it that much more difficult.

I will try again with the next LO, though.

jkjacq71 · April 2011

I loved breastfeeding but ended up with a bad MRSA infection about 6 weeks pp. Two weeks of iv antibiotics wiped me out, I could have still fed her but she had a bad reaction to them so I tried pumping/dumping to keep my supply up but it just diminished. I was completely bummed. She does really well on formula now after trying 3 or 4 different types (we ended up with Good Start w/probiotics) to see what gave her the least amount of gas/constipation.

Rach21 · April 2011

G wouldn't latch after his first BFing in the hospital, no matter what I tried. I pumped for 3 months exclusively, but he had such horrible acid reflux and it wasn't getting any better. On my mom's advice, she suggested I give him just formula for one week and it was like he was a different kid. Happy. No longer screaming through his feedings. Able to keep his milk down for more than 10 seconds after a feeding. Able to gain more than 2 lbs in a month. Now he only spits up if he plays the "I want to reach for my toes" game after a bottle...

We tried to do both formula and BFing (to diminish the stuff I had saved in the freezer) but it was a no-go. Every time he had a BF bottle, the spitting up/screaming would return. I wish I could have breastfed longer, but it's been SOOOO much better for my DS to feed him formula. (FWIW, I'm lactose intolerant so maybe my breastmilk was missing something he needed to help him digest it. IDK)

LordValuemart · April 2011

I FF, but the choice wasn't made by me, around 6 weeks my supply diminished to just a couple squirts every time I tried to pump/nurse, I tried for almost 2 months to get my supply back up to no avail, we had to supplement from the get go in the hospital because of latching trouble, I think due in part to the fact that for some reason instead of bringing him to me to breast feed from the get go because of blood sugar issues, the nursery ladies fed him formula.

SparkleTart · April 2011

I started BFing at the hospital right after he was born. He didn't have an awesome latch and we had issues, but it seemed okay. When we got home, my milk came in with a vengeance, and he did not want to feed of my breasts because I was super engorged, clogged, cracked, and bleeding. I started pumping and bottle feeding. When he was 6 days old, we went to the cardiologist because of a murmur. We went right to the hospital and he had surgery the next day. He was on an IV for the next 3 days. Luckily, the LC at the hospital was nice enough to stop by and see me a couple of times and they lent me the hospital grade pump which I believe saved my boobs

By the time we got home and he was eating again, he had no interest in the boob. I told myself I would pump for 6 weeks, then 3 months, and now I tell myself a year. He's 5 months old at this point, he'll take my milk, DH loves feeding him too. It's part of my routine and I'm making enough. Unless my supply tanks, I see no reason to not pump for the next 7 months or longer.

Gr8ful_m0m · April 2011

I also exclusively FF. I EP'd for about 12 weeks- and then I couldnt stand it anymore.

My LO was 5 weeks early- and was not able to eat at all when she was born. She was tube fed for about two weeks before she had the strength to suck from a bottle- so from the very beginning BF'ing was tough. The tube- feed really spoiled her. She realized she didn't have to work AT ALL and she was instantly satisfied. Needless to say- this made it VERY difficult to get her to latch and take a whole feeding from the breast.

I had also been on a lot of painkillers in the hospital before she was born (GIANT kidney stone left me in the hospital for two weeks prior to delivery) and I was going through MAJOR withdrawal. Trying to breastfeed a baby while your body feels like it wants to come out of your skin in impossible.

So- I EP's and then one day just got so frustrated I stopped- I was pumping less than 2 oz. a session, and I would just cry. It was horrible. We have made the switch to formula and even though there will always be guilt- we are a MUCH happier family now.

Crystal318 · April 2011

I did not plan on BF whatsoever but when LO was born there were major complications and he was critical. The doc said BM could help his brain development and help save his life so of course I did it! He was fed though a tube for the first few weeks of life so when it came time to try to get him to latch on he could never quite get the hang of it. I EP for a little over four months. I stopped because I broke my foot and had people driving me to/from work, having to carry my purse, pump stuff, cooler for milk, etc. At night my FI would have to bring the pump stuff upstairs and get a cooler ready to store the milk...and so on. It just because really stressful. I decided that I helped get LO through the critical phase and I felt that he was thriving very well. I found a formula that he loved and he has been on it ever since. I felt guilty when I stopped but I feel so much better now. We are all MUCH happier!

bostoartteacher · April 2011

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your honesty and learned a lot about, well....a lot!

Thanks!

imeltice · April 2011

DS has a hear defect, that wasn't diagnosed until three weeks old. We were given the go ahead to keep breastfeeding but he still never gained weight. Now we have to do high calorie, which means if I would have continued to pump and do breastmilk I would have had to add a bunch of formula to every bottle anyway. Add the stress of a baby with an unrepaired heart defect, and my supply tanked pretty quickly. I really think if they would have had to fix him right away we would still be breastfeeding because we rocked at it.

Kitiara5512 · April 2011

C was given formula at the hospital because he was in NICU for several days after he was born and I did not get to see him until after a few feedings. There wasnt anyone there who could really take the time in NICU to help me BF and he refused to stay latched on because he couldnt get fed fast enough. We went to the womens clinic after we both got out (we had issues that resulted in c-section and I was released after C was) and it took over an hour there to get him to have even a half oz, so we realized it would be better for him if I pumped and fed him in a bottle and that way he could be fed and DH could also bond. However, I got sick again and could not pump during that time and wound up swollen, chapped, and bleeding from both nipples and the supply dried up during that time too, and he had trouble digesting too, so between the two issues we wound up on alimentium formula. I think I would have tried pumping longer if I hadnt come back to work a week after that. I envy Canadian moms because of the government okayed (and paid) almost one year maternity leave.

theprincessPAT · April 2011

DD was 8 weeks early. I tried pumping and was able to build a little bit of a milk supply. However, as she continued to grow she needed more than I could pump and no matter what I tried I couldn't keep up. I was miserable trying to feed her and pump, too. I was pumping because she was too little to get how to nurse in the beginning and then it was tough to have the time to nurse, actually feed her, and pump. Not to mention we were having to supplement my milk anyway because she needs the higher calories.

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