Stopping breastfeeding advice
Show your support
Hi! No judgment but why are you wanting to stop? It's very normal for her to still need her mum for comfort and to be cluster feeding at that age. I know it's super hard and feels never ending but you will get time to yourself soon (my little one is 12 months on Tuesday and we have ebf since birth ☺️)
@Jenny Smith it’s ok! Tbh we haven’t had many issues breast feeding I just feel like I want to have my body back and be able to involve my partner a bit more (I never really wanted to breastfeed in the first place it just worked so I carried on) but maybe I’m stopping too early on I don’t know 🫣🥺 we’ve got a night away in a few months time and I just worry so much about leaving her as she can’t cope without me at all but maybe things will change by then! Xx
It’s very early she’s still cluster feeding and is going to need you for comfort - you smell of milk. At only 7 weeks old I wouldn’t even begin to think about leaving her with anyone else just yet. Mine is 7m and I still haven’t! 😳
@Clarice it’s more because her grandparents want to spend time with her & my partner if I wanted to pop to the shop for 20 minutes which is quite a normal thing to want to be able to do. It’s not that I want to leave her for days on end…
Keep going with the bottle because I have heard that consistency is key with that (I don't have any experience with bottles personally but I have mum friends that have said this) breastfeeding is so amazing for your little one and I know the usual response is to support mum in stopping if that's what she has asked but statistically most mums stop before they truly want to and what they needed was just some extra support and encouragement with it so I would love to offer that! 7 weeks is still early days and it feels so draining on you and so unfair but you will feel like you again soon and your body will feel less like just walking boobs 😂 babies change so rapidly I would try not to worry or predict how they will be in a few months when you plan to leave them, they could settle by then ☺️ keep up the good work mamma!!
You can certainly leave her with somebody else if you're comfortable! I breastfed & it didn't stop me because I pumped & had my partner give a bottle daily. Are you pumping? I'd give it at least 3 months before you decide to stop... just so you know she's over the cluster feeding and you've given it a good chance. You'll have to wean her off by gradually increasing bottle feeds anyway. Cold turkey doesn't work & causes mastitis which is NOT pleasant
@Jenny Smith thank you lovely ❤️❤️ I do think sometimes I’m rushing it and feel guilty it’s a weird feeling I want to stop but I also don’t? I’m just unsure what’s the best for both of us it just feels impossible and I worry I’ll never be able to 🤣🤣🤣 but as you say it’s still very early days!! Xx
@Beanz I don’t pump no as I didn’t want an oversupply as my boobs seem to get soooo full so easily and I felt like pumping and feeding was constant! I like breastfeeding her but couldn’t be bothered to spend all the rest of my time pumping too 🤣🤣 yeah I was trying to do it gradually she’s been having a bottle or 2 a day so far but I just find it hard to add it in as she seems to breast feed most of the day it’s hard to find a time she’s hungry enough to want the bottle haha, maybe I am stopping too early for her needs! I’d never go cold turkey I feel like my boobs would explode genuinely 🥴🤣x
That’s fine - she won’t need milk in that time x
Instead of pumping maybe you could try a manual haaka pump? It's basically a collector that you can put on your other breast when feeding. My baby is also 7 weeks and I've been able to collect some milk this way and my partner is able to give her a bottle about once a week so I can have some alone time. It might be easier to for your baby to adjust to having breast milk in bottles and then slowly adding in formula bottles as well. Hope this helps x
She takes a bottle fine it’s just trying to wean her off of the breast all together that’s the problem 😫😫 I just don’t want to do it anymore but she screams at the top of her lungs until she gets me whether she’s had a bottle or not. Just not sure how to replace the comfort aspect for her 🥴xx
When we had babied join our nursery, we had momma bring in either a scarf or shirt that they had slept in to help with bottle feeding/sleeping (as they bedshare). It won’t be immediate, but it definitely helped!