Anyone who breastfed before… is it worth it?

Oh I 100% get you it's so hard my LO is 4 weeks and she is cluster feeding arm which means she just wants to be on the boob all the time. I'm also having to give her top up bottles which means I'm having to pump too

It does get easier but from my experience, get baby to feed from a bottle too so you get a life as well. I was not able to leave the house for 9 months without my second son because he wouldn’t take a bottle and having him finally cut out of the boob was heartbreaking 💔
Also, there’s nothing wrong with formula if you feel like you need a break. You’ve suffered enough, give yourself some credit xx

Combi feed! I don't even pump I just put a haakkaa on the other boob as I'm feeding. I tend to get 3 or 4 Oz from it! Bottle it up! My partner does one of the feeds in the night and it means I get sleep!

My LO is 3 weeks old, I had GD and a c section those two combined meant my supply could come in late, so from birth we had to use formula. It eventually did come in but there wasn't enough, my health visitor gave me tips, said try to pump for 8 times a day but it just wasn't feasible for us as well as feeding her formula she won't sleep in her cot during the day only on me so I couldn't do it. Me and my partner the other day decided to stick to formula only, she takes a full bottle most times and doesn't have issues with it also means my partner can feed her too.

I bf my eldest 2 until about 8months. I couldnt express because it messed my supply up. The first 12 weeks are the hardest because babies cluster feed & have no routine for feeds in that time.

It depends on what people meant when they said easy tbh. When goin out you dont have to take bottles etc, just you - easy. Getting up in the night, dont have to go prepare formula just get your boob out - easy.

However, although baby does settle into a routine eventually (whatever that looks like) it takes its toll on you. You get tired more, thirsty more, hungry more. And because you have at least 1 child to look after as well, you probably forget to have a lunch or healthy snack, and you cant sleep as jobs need doin and children need to be cared for.

Having said all that, is it worth it? Yes absolutely! I love the feeling when breastfeeding and the bond it builds ❤️

Just remember, a fed baby is a happy baby. Do what is right for you! X

I formula fed my first and i am breastfeeding my new born. I'm actually really enjoying it the plus side for me is no washing, sterilising or making up bottles because im lazy 🤣 can literally just pick him up and feed lol

I BF my 1st and he was tongue tied so had to combi feed to get his weight up. It was very difficult to start with as we did minimal formula feedings but it was worth it. We went on to have 1.5yrs breastfeeding before he chose to stop. I'm planning on BF my 2nd too. Everyone's journey is different and it's how you choose to make it. Take some pressure off yourself, be open to combi feeding and you'll find you start to enjoy the BF side. Good luck with your journey.

I’m combi feeding my twins as they sleep for longer after a bottle of formula. Did the same with my first. 4 weeks is a good time to introduce a bottle as your supply should be in. I’d start with swapping one feed for bottle so you don’t get engorged as I guess you won’t want to express whilst they are having the bottle feed as that will defeat the purpose.

The lack of sleep is tough. We co sleep to make that manageable.

It does get easier I suppose as they get older and feed less frequently but it can take a while. I still feed my 3yo and that's just one feed a day now but it's taken literally years to get to that point. Some drop feeds and self wean sooner though.

Personally the benefits, both for my babies and me, outweigh the challenges.