Feeding has been so expensive

Wish someone would have warned me how EXPENSIVE feeding is, I’m so fed up.

First I breastfed, got sore nipples so had to buy nipple shields, nipple cream and breast pads. Fine. Then he wouldn’t wean off the shields but I was producing a lot, so I had to buy a pump. Cool. Most mums have one. And also a bunch of expensive bottles I might add. Oh and a steriliser because apparently they’re so much more efficient. Then my pump wasn’t doing the job properly (lost its efficiency) and I couldn’t keep up with baby’s cluster feeding, so had to buy infant feed to top up. Kept that up for a while but it became too expensive, so had to move on to powdered formula, oh but it takes an hour to make, so ofc it’s much easier to buy a formula prep machine! Buy wait, now I need cold sterilising pods because steam sterilisation won’t get the job done apparently.

Honestly, I am just exhausted of running around having to buy things that keep causing issues later on down the line. I feel like I’m being sold temporary fixes for everything and they all end up being crap and causing me more stress because I have to learn how everything works all over again. I really regret my entire feeding journey and wish I would have persevered with feeding my LO boob. This entire process has made me absolutely miserable.

in our community

Wdy think of this for a toddler to learn word construction?

I'm open to anything else to start teaching him to read and write. He's 3!

Do men really enjoy fellatio?

Been together more than 10 years, but it's been a while since he even seemed remotely interested in me getting on my knees, or vice versa so to speak. I think it was once last year. Must be something I am doing wrong 🤔. Generally everything else in that department is great and we have two young kids with no extra support, so it's quite surprising we can't keep our hands off each other but may need to try new things. It's basically 2 positions each time with some foreplay.

Vanilla extract

Has anyone used alcohol free vanilla in their babies formal to help them drink?
I’m 100% sure my baby refuses her bottles as she doesn’t like the taste of it!

Just anxious to try it, don’t want her to get used to it and then refuse bottles again after two weeks of using (correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve read you use it for 2 weeks max)

TIA 🙂

Naps

How is everyone doing for naps?

Little one is 9 months old and will have 2 half hour naps and one solid 1 hour - 2 hour nap a day

Then settles for night around 9pm. Wakes for a feed around 3:30 then sleeps until 6-7

Car seat crying

My 6 month old PANICS the second I put him in a car seat and screams, cries, chokes and recently even projectile vomited on a 14 minute drive. It’s gotten to the point I don’t even bring him out unless it’s to a doctors appointment. I’m a stay at home mom with no family in my state and it has been very isolating. We’ve tried 3 different car seats with no improvement. Has anyone had a baby who hated the car seat? Any advice? This started at 3 months. I will add it does seem worse when he’s tired. He does cry on every trip though. He only contact naps and co sleeps so he reaches for me and will not sleep in the car seat.

Sex post C section

Hi ladies I’m 4 weeks 5 days postpartum and I had a C section. I’m not bleeding properly anymore just some brownish discharge stuff that starts on and off. I’d like to do the deed with my partner; is it okay to do so or shall I wait the full 6 weeks. I feel up for it but also worried because the advice is 6-8 weeks.