breastfeeding should I stop?! experiences?!

It is a very emotional roller coaster, but at the end of the day your baby needs a healthy mumma too, fed is best 💗

I'm struggling too. 10 days post partum and I'm now combi feeding. Feel so guilty but need to do what is best for me and my baby x

You shouldn’t feel feverish.. that’s a sign of mastitis. You need to look into that. Maybe stop pumping as there really is no need. Just pop baby on the breast and it will signal your body how much it needs.

But to answer your question in the post: In my opinion there is no formula which is like breast milk. Your body is so amazing that it makes milk for your baby uniquely to the situation. If your baby is ill, then your body produces milk which helps baby get over the illness. No formula will do this.

I know I am going to get chastised for it but fed is not best. Fed is the minimum and if you choose formula that is fine. Babies thrive on formula of course, but there is no debate about that breast milk is best. That’s what nature has put in place and no industry is going to be able to copy that.

Agree with Katrin. My supply dropped due to stress day 5 after spending 6 hours in triage with post partum placenta issues. I caved when bb was hysterical at 2/3am because he couldn’t get any milk. He has since switched to formula (Aptamil) in a mam bottle, expressed boob in a mam and direct boob before a formula feed.

I was getting 2-3 hours whilst breastfeeding and now I’m getting 5-6. I feel like a new women and it’s changed our first week experience for the better.

A happy baby is a fed baby - however that comes. You are also important tho, if you aren’t 100% you can’t give baby 100%. Go easy on yourself. There is no blue Peter badge now or in 6 months time for having breastfed so do what is right for both you and baby.

I am so much more sane I’ve made the call to do a hybrid x

@Rachel katrin said breast is best tho. is the mam bottle a replication of boob? so u don't ever pump??? when do u do boob? when do u do formula?!

On paper breast is best, however if that comes at the expense of your mental health or physical well-being … is it?

The teets on the mam bottle are reported as the closest to a nipple and from my experience this week, my son has had no issue latching either the bottle teet or my boob. I pump in the evenings if I’m going to leave dad with baby and I fancy some sleep or tv time. I have been doing formula throughout the day and at night. There’s no right or wrong. I pick which method in the moment. If I’m at home I’m more likely to use boob, if we go out I take bottle supplies. There’s nothing stopping me from using boob tho, you have the choice. That’s the beauty of going for a hybrid approach. You get to decide.

You have to do what is right for you. My baby is fed both breast and bottle because of weight loss. Bottle does relieve pressure and means Dad can support with overnight feeds too meaning we both get more sleep and feel more human. It wasn't the original plan but its working for us.

Formula wise they all have the main key ingredients so get whichever is easiest to find at shops near you. We went with cow and gate purely because this is what the hospital provided.

I’m the same as you, my little boy is 3 weeks old and still having issues with latching / feeling full from breastfeeding so I’m currently combi feeding with Aptamil advance to try and get some rest but can’t help but feel guilty about it too as there’s so much pressure to breast feed! I’ve been toying with the decision to switch to pure formula for a while now but the guilt eats away at me so I’m trying to persevere for now even if it is at the cost of my own mental health at times! Another thing putting me off full formula is the time it takes to make a bottle during the night feeds - 40 mins before you start and with a crying baby it’s not good despite trying to work out when he will wake up! I’ve told myself to try until he is 6 weeks old and reassess the situation at that time.

The best advice I got about breastfeeding is never give up on a bad day, as you'll always look back on the experience with negative feelings.

Breastfeeding is hardwork and it has to work for both mother and baby.

For the latching issues are you using a lanolin based nipple cream? It takes a while for your nipples to toughen up and be able to deal with the demands of feeding.

The lack of sleep is brutal. But baby isn't just sucking for feeding it is also for comfort. Being close to you is baby's favourite place to be. But if you've got someone who can help do skin to skin with baby (in another room) then it might give you enough of a break to get some sleep.

I'm currently exclusively breastfeeding my 3rd baby and the first 3 months of establishing feeding is amongst the hardest things I think my body has ever gone through. From the exhaustion of pregnancy to the exhaustion of labour & delivery and then straight into the exhaustion of breastfeeding it is harrowing mentally & physically.

You can do it.

40 minutes??? how

I combi fed my 1st from day 3. My nipples were so sore and I was in hospital for 5 days after a traumatic birth. The midwife found me in a terrible state and helped me decide to add in some formula. When we got home I used nipple shields and it was perfect. Still did a bottle of formula at bedtime and we got a slightly longer stretch of sleep and I fed the rest of the time. I pumped whilst dad fed him the bottle and built up a little freezer stash.
At 8 weeks he was a good weight but at 12 weeks he hadn't gained any so I was told to feed, then pump and top up with formula. We did this for a few weeks and it killed me. I was exhausted and started to really resent breastfeeding. We went to a cranial osteopath and babies latch got better which helped but I decided to add in more formula but still give some breastfeeds.
At around 4 months he stopped wanting to feed from me. My periods came back and dropped my supply and so I just carried on pumping and gave him bottles instead.

He had some breastmilk each day until 6 months and then I stopped.
You have to do what is right for you and your family. Dont worry about social pressure or what is deemed as best or most natural. If you go into any school classroom you'll find a mix of children who were bottle or breastfed, thriving and doing great!
Yes breastmilk has the added benefit of passing immunity and other goodness which is why I kept going until 6 months but this time round I'm not going to let my mental health suffer as much!
Breastfeeding is really hard! It's sold as this beautiful and natural thing that is shown to be so easy but that's not the reality for everyone and that's ok! You are doing a fantastic job and whatever you decide to do is perfect! X

I went through huge struggles for probably the first 3mo with breastfeeding, one problem after another and each time I got help, from laleche, midwives, health visitors or forums. It was HARD. Everything else came secondary. Household was a mess, I looked a state I was exhausted mentally and emotionally, it was all on me.
I wasn’t a happy mummy but I kept persevering because I was told better days would come.
They did come and breastfeeding was much easier.
If you really do want to continue then continue! Get the support, prioritise breastfeeding over anything else but also know that it is absolutely ok for baby to have a bottle.
I didn’t give a bottle until 7/8wks and if I had given the odd one in those early days it would have just allowed me to get some sleep. Everything is better after a little sleep.
(You can use pumped milk you don’t have to use formula, I say that because formula can bring a whole load of new issues)
Lastly, join the breastfeeding groups on here!

what issues can forumla bring ??

If you get through the first 3 weeks, honestly you will not look back. The first 2 weeks are HELL. I always say you can only breastfeed if you really want to breastfeed as its so hard and off putting in the beginning. This is my 3rd baby first was formula fed & second breast and my baby is a week now and im just about finding it slightly easier and not thinking about formula every day lol. Breast is definitely best it’s just a fact but there is nothing wrong with formula. Making bottles, washing bottles, taking all the stuff out and all that put me off formula feeding xx

everything you are saying is so true. I am also in my third baby. All are exclusively breastfed and it did not come easy with any of them. I had Orem babies that needed to learn how to cope with my boob, how to suck properly and draw milk out and lastly I had a tongue tie baby. I also feel that you only breastfeed if you really want to as you have to push through some really hard stuff at the beginning. But it is so worth it. My third is now 5 weeks and breastfeeding now is easy. I wouldn’t want to get up and make bottles and sterilise and think about how I am going to feed the baby when out and about or suddenly have to go A&E (happened the other week to me). I am glad I can just whip out the boob. Also, if you consider the cost of living crisis currently, it saves so much money. And not to forget it lowers our risk for breast cancer.

how long does baby sleep after breast

I don’t keep tap anymore as I feed on demand but last night baby slept from 7pm until 11:30pm and then to 3am and then was up for 1hr doing silly buggers and then slept until 7am. So she does about 3 hours during the night and about 2.5/3hrs during the day. That’s absolutely normal though and not an issue for me.

We don’t have a prep machine and not sure about getting one as nhs don’t recommend so after boiling kettle, letting it cool down then cooling the bottle down..

you can prep them and put them in the fridge for 24 hours, its on the NHS website. Must be stressful waiting for it to cool with a screaming baby

where have you read this please? Everything I’ve read including nhs and on back of formula says they should be made up as and when needed and used within two hours! If I can store in the fridge that would be a huge help!

When a baby goes from breast milk to formula they can experience struggles in the transition. They can experience gastrointestinal issues, allergies, colic etc.
Going from breastmilk to not only a different milk (formula) but also a different way of feeding (bottle) is a big transition and it isn’t necessarily a smooth one. With that being said baby could have absolutely no issues, it’s just something to keep in mind x