Ended my breastfeeding journey

Hey firstly hope your okay that sounds pretty traumatic!! So I have been combi feeding , pumping, boob and formula due to her not latching and I agree even though I LOVE to bf her sometimes she was that distressed and so was I when I gave her the bottle she was instantly calm and I just thought why am I putting myself trough this! I have come to the end of my bf journey over last couple of days she is 5 weeks old. Don’t be hard on yourself , also your milk supply will regulate very soon if you do want to stick at it xx

My babys lip tied and they aren't doing anything for it but she literally can't latch (we still try a couple times a day) but it was having such a bad effect on my mental health that I now pump and give her that, my supply is not what I thought it was so she has the option of formula to top her up, once shes had the bottle shes calm and settles easier (she was getting so much air on the brests that shes spend all night crying or groaning in pain, it was heart breaking and I felt responsible.
If you want to pump what you can and see if over time it builds but don't pressure yourself for her to feed from the brest. Your doing amazing mama!! Deciding to give her formula and trusting your gut was the right thing, your one strong mama xx

I could have written this. We had the exact same experience. It's so awful seeing your baby so upset because they are hungry. We now offer her a bottle every 3 hours and I breastfeed inbetween if she fancies it as well as once in the morning and evening. It's working well but I'm so glad we have the bottle because even though she feeds from me she never seems at all full from it and it's so stressful to not know what she's getting.

This sounds traumatic I hope you’re doing okay! We have a similar situation where my boy has a tongue tie and he physically can’t latch on. He really wants to latch on and tries so hard but he screams and screams and gets so distressed that he can’t. I have been expressing my milk for him since coming home from hospital, he has been taking this well in bottles but now that he’s cluster feeding my supply can’t keep up and I just don’t have enough milk for him so we are having to feed him formula too as a top up. It’s so mentally and physically draining. I love feeding him my milk and so proud of my body for producing it, but it is so heart breaking not having enough to satisfy him and not being able to bf him.
You could try expressing if you wanted to, you might find that your supply begins to increase as you continue to express. You are doing amazing, you’ve got this 🫶🏻

thank you! It’s been a rollercoaster that’s for sure. What do you use to express? I try manual last night, but I couldn’t get anything! I just feel like there’s nothing in there for her.

it’s one of those things like she’s latching on and sucking but what’s she actually getting. And for her to scream like she did then take a bottle I assume she wasn’t getting anything.
How much do you feed your LO with in bottles?

I struggle to manually express too I don’t usually get anything. I did use the bellababy wearable pumps but I ended up with mastitis and decided to get the Medela swing maxi pump as it’s more powerful so should properly drain my breasts when used, I find it much better than the Bella baby one x

thanks. I bought the momcozy ones, but I don’t really understand why it won’t work.

My daughter is 4 weeks old and 10lb and we offer her 4oz bottles 8 times a day, though she often has about 3oz. I breastfeed anytime she gets hungry between the 3 hour bottle feeds, and also try to do it once first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I think it's kind of a comfort thing for her now but she does get milk and will get the benefits of it even with just a bit of feeding everyday. I think it's working okay!

Unfortunately we have been readmitted to hospital. Community midwife calculated her weight loss at 13%. So she’s getting some bottles and I’m being pumped with the hospital pump to see if I have any milk in there to give her. Hopefully getting out tomorrow but I know we are in the right place

Sorry to hear this. I know it can be really upsetting to find out there has been a weight loss. Hopefully it'll all be sorted out soon xx

My first two babies didnt get breast milk as my supple didnt come and i obly lasted afew days so well done you for trying for so long dont beat tourself up not all women can make milk for whatever reason and like you said shes like a diffrent baby so you did the right thing. I wld add that this time round my 3rd baby 12 yrs later Ive managed to make milk still cant breadtfeed as even thos baby wont latch so im pumping. If you want to try and give your baby your milk then keep trying to pump every 2 to 4 hrs and your milk might come in but at the end of the day youve got to do what keeps your baby and you happy and fed thats all that really matters xXx