Stopping exclusively pumping

Breastfeeding is not worth harming your mental health!

You have done incredibly well to exclusively pump for 6 months 👏 I managed 8 weeks and it was really hard and so time consuming. Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’ve given him a great start and I’m sure he will be absolutely fine ❤️

The guilt will go away. I felt the same when I stopped pumping after 2months so you did much better than me 🤦‍♀️ I felt really bad for like a week but once I stopped it just felt like the weight lifted of my shoulders, because pumping honestly feels like another job to do 😩and now I can just concentrate on playing with her and taking her places in this nice weather and not having to worry that i need to pump 🤷‍♀️ you are doing great!

You have done amazing, I gave up trying to breastfeed/pump after 12 days as I felt like it was all I was doing and when he needed formula aswell anyway due to my supply I decided to prioritise spending time with him rather than attached to a pump. I felt bad sometimes but know I 100% made the right decision, at the end of the day he is fed, happy and healthy and I am too which I definitely wasn't whilst trying to pump all day and night.
You do what's right for you, just remember to look after you and not just your baby ❤️ x

I exclusively pumped for almost 3 months and honestly stopping is the best thing I could’ve done, I felt guilty too but mentally it was definitely the right thing to do. Baby girl is just as fine and fed is best 😘 xx

Happy mum = Happy Baby! You should absolutely not feel bad or guilty for considering a swap to formula! The fact you’ve managed this long with pumping is amazing! And they say a minimum of 6 months if you can manage it will give their immunity a boost but it’s not the end of the world if you can’t/don’t want to anymore! I’m weaning off the breast on to formula now so by 6 months I will only be feeding at night on the boob and only if she’s not sleeping through, she does 2 bottles in the day, plus 2 breast feeds in the day then 2 breastfeeds at night xx

My son is five months and I’ve moved from EP to mixed at four months, he now gets about 70% formula. I don’t have a pumping schedule but pump about four times a day only just to give him a top up with the nutrients from my milk. I had aimed to EP for six months but he needed more than I could give and also I found it too much. I think you should feel super proud for all the hard work you have put in for him!

I am currently weaning off exclusive pumping. My little boy is 8 months but he was premature and in NICU after birth so there was a lot of pressure to express at first. I feel so guilty that I’m now stopping but it has taken a real toll on my mental and physical health and I know that my little one would much rather have a well mummy and drink formula. Everyone I’ve spoken to about it has told me how amazing/surprising it is that I have managed to express for this long. It’s hard so be proud of yourself for the amazing start you’ve given your little one and do what is best for you both now xx

I am in the EXACT same boat. So conflicted too!

6 months is honestly amazing. I’m not sure I can even make it to 6 weeks! It’s so time consuming and I just can’t keep up with the demand and defo don’t know how I will when she increases her milk

Thanks a lot to you all. Crying while reading all those words. Being a mum is a hard everyday job.

Exclusive pumping is the hardest feeding method in my opinion and I take my hat off to you for sticking it out so long!
Baby is 6 months now so his digestive system will have matured to be better at handling formula than when he was a delicate NB (your yummy milk will have helped with that!)
You’ve given him a brilliant kick start for life.
At this age he’ll be sampling solids soon and getting into those anyway.

I also read somewhere apparently just 50ml of BM a day is enough for a baby to get the benefits like for his immune system and stuff! So you could just pump once or twice a day and give him a tiny bit, knowing he’s getting the goodness he needs from you still?
I honestly think you’ve done an amazing job and you should be PROUD of where you’re at, not selfish at all ♥️
If I grew up and found out my mum did for me what you’ve done for your babe, I would be so proud and grateful and I would feel so loved 💕 Truly.