Breast Feeding - Mum Guilt / Vent. Can anyone relate?
I think I just need somewhere to vent… my little one was born 9 days ago and we were trying to exclusively breastfeed but have had a difficult time. The first couple of days went okay but baby got fussier and wouldn’t settle unless on the boob / in arms and so couldn’t put him down. Day 3 we decided to give him a bottle at night so we could get a few hours sleep which worked but by day 5 baby just seemed distressed after every breast feed and still hungry. So on day 6 spoke to the midwife and agreed to formula / pump to give me a break as my nipples were quite sore and cracked.
This has been working for us, I was pumping and hopeful that I would get my supply up but the opposite seems to be happening and now producing less then ever (about 10ml after 15 minute on each boob using the MAM pump). I’m pumping every 2/3 hours when baby feeds but it’s getting quite exhausting and I feel awful during the night when dad is feeding him a bottle and I’m being useless just pumping nothing next to him .
The rationale side of me is saying to just stop and go to formula as baby is happy with it but can’t help but feel intense guilt for doing this. I’m also worried that if i stop and the little milk I have vanished completely I’ll really regret it.
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I'm exactly the same, doing combi feeding and at first it went great, I was super optimistic after my 4.5oz pump, then unfortunately got clogged breast duct and it all went down hill.
I'm currently breastfeeding early hours in the morning and then formula feeding during the day, trying to express while the baby has formula to keep up with the supply in-between. However in the last week it has dropped down to 2oz and it just not enough, I'm honestly lost and don't know what to do as I don't want there to stop having breast milk. If you find anything at all please let me know x
Go back to bfeeding on the boob & top up with formula at end of the feed if you think babe is still hungry. Check out kellymom, first droplets, la leche league for more literature/advice, esp on cluster feeding which it sounds like ur babe was doing! See if your area has a lactation expert. If your uk dont listen to the generic midwives. Theyre all bonkers & their advice is contradictory. Good luck!
Are you still putting baby on the breast before the bottles or planning to pump and bottlefeed long term? If you want to breastfeed I would focus on the latch as you've had sore nipple in past and put baby to the breast every feed before the bottle top up and then continue pumping for supply. Eventually you would be able to reduce the amount of formula but may need to seek professional breastfeeding support. At the same time this is an immense amount of work as you are having to feed, pump and sterilise and there is no shame or guilt in saying enough is enough and bottle feeding formula. There is a sort of grief for many women at stopping breastfeeding though and only you know how you would feel. With my first I expressed as long as I could and saved the milk in the freezer and when I switched to formula I gave him the frozen milk as ice pops when he was teething and got a lot of comfort from him having that little bit of formula at an older age.
Breastmilk at an older age I meant not formula
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