I think that's very true, if you're happier then you are able to be the best mom, which means your LO will also be happy. I think it's the way the professionals are with new moms that make us believe we are really 'succeeding' if we BF and failing if we don't. Surely the real test of success is whether or not our babies are happy, content, gaining weight etc.. All of which my LO is doing on formula.

I've decided to stop giving myself a hard time over it, it's just one of those things- it wasn't right for us as a family and my Husband is happier too being able to share the feeding and give me some rest.

I will continue pumping, although I only get a small amount (1oz per hour) I still like being able to give my LO a bit of my milk as a top up if she's still a bit hungry.

Do whatever suits your situation I say!!!

dom killed my nipples off too, i found lansinoh a GODSEND for healing them! i could breastfeed him with it on and it helped ALOT! expensive though, expressing is a fab thing too, i did it for a few weeks before my antibiotics started messing up my supplies, which has made me feel guilty,i can get one good feed on an early morning....then im empty if i express i get under an oz and it has had me in tears alot - so i know that guilt you're feeling like you aren't doing the best, and you feel everyone will look down on you,but you have to do whats best by LO,they come first and if formula is the only way to get them to feed then so be it hun.

Ive heard many stories of HV's looking down on formula feeding moms, i haven't come by one yet though (although i was a BFer when meeting mine,ive yet to say whats happened) but they don't have to be with your baby 24hours a day, they get 20mins and sod off, so feel free to tell them to 'jog on' lol. In my area i think its just a typical thing to formula feed, when i had a breastfeed expert come see me she said one in 10 mothers in my area BF and she was proud to see me do it,when she came to check on me a few weeks later i told her my story on how my drugs were playing up (plus dom was puking my milk back up whilst on drugs) and she fully understood,so maybe if you tell them some background story they will understand (if i have rambled i apologise, dom is on my chest flapping around like kermit the frog so yea LOL)

thank you all for your replies! I think it may be an area thing sometimes. The MWs and HVs round here tend to be a bit snooty (not all but most!) as where we live is quite rural and I think a lot of mums round here are into being eco loving earthy types so automatically breastfeed.

So far all is going well with the combined formula and expressed milk feeds. (she has formula at each feed and if shes still hungry I give her my expressed milk as a top up (I can only express around 1 or 2oz at the mo so see it as a little snack for her!)

Hey hun. I expressed for my lo for a while and found that domperidne tablets from my doctor really boosted supply after 4 5 days ish. GL on your journey, you're doing an amazing thing pumping, it takes a lot of dedication.

I dont know why alot of ppl say how hard work pumping is and how u cant go anywere n how u need a double pump etc. I do evrything as normal i have a cheap manuel pump and i just pump when shes hungry im always one feed ahead. ( i think tho if ur going to exclusivly pump like im doing id pump every hour to start with tht is what got me an oversupply so i have lots of milk saved in the freezer ) no shes 8weeks old i dnt pump @ night hardly nw.. i just pump when she eats xx ur doing great if ur intrested in doing both google info on combi feeding xx and btw my nipples actualy bled to start with but it gets better ur doin great x

Kanga- tha domperidone is great isnt it i had tht tablets when i was 17 for sickness n i produced milk!! I wasnt pregnant or nothing*! Its amazin

Little tip - if u choose to pump for say 15mins do it for the full time even if the milk stops coming to stimulate abit more xx tht helps

I completely agree! Pumping for me is far easier and more convenient than breast feeding. I came to DREAD feeding her and felt so trapped. Talk about not being able to go anywhere.. Just as soon as I'd put my shirt back together she'd be crying for more and it took -forever- for her to eat.

With pumping I just sit down on the couch in front of my laptop when it's time to pump, stick em' on and browse the web for 5-10 minutes. Then I go and fill one or two bottles depending on how hungry I think she'll be, leave those out and bag the rest in the fridge.

The bottles I leave out can be left out for 4-10 hours depending on the room temperature (I never leave them longer than 4 though because I'm paranoid!). I didn't know this until the Public Health nurse was here and gave me a bunch of information on breast milk storage- made my life even easier! No warming bottles The milk in the fridge can stay there for 5 days, or I can freeze it for 6-12 months.

To make my life even EASIER, my husband can help with feeding (and does about 50/50) as can her grandparents. When my husband wants to take her somewhere or I want to go somewhere, I just leave him with the fresh bottles or some cold milk depending on how long I'll be gone. If I'm going to be gone more than 8 hours I'll bring my pump along, but I haven't needed to yet..

It would be more inconvenient if I was in the UK where the recommend sterilizing bottles every time you wash them.. I brought that up in the hospital thinking I would need to do that and the nurses just looked at me like I was crazy and told me hot water and soap would do just as well.

Thats intresting we sterlixe everything every single time and wash them we even have the microwave in our bedroom lol but its much easier i didnt know about leavin milk out till she was 4 weeks old coz in hosp they told me only leave out for an hour and fridge for 1day! I was throwin away more than 10ounces a day! And when ur babys only 2 weeks old thts a hell of alot to be throwing away lol but i know now lol xx