feel like im not pt of the bf'n club!

[angela98661]

So I recently went back to full time. I was working pt time just weekends now I recently started back to full time 40 hrs plus! So it started out fine. All breast milk. Then I didn't have enough breaks at work. 2 10 minutes and one half in 9 hrs. I end up getting 2.5 to 3.5 during my tens from both breasts double pumping (electric from the lactina selective pump so obviously it's a great pump wic let me rent). And 5 oz when I'm on my half.

Here is my problem. I pump before or after morning feed. LO eats on demand when I'm with her. And does a few night feedings still and I Co sleep. (don't judge please!) I only pump twice a day while I'm home.

My husband will feed her breast milk and only use formula if no bottles are left. She'll run out. But MIL and friend. keep using the emergency formula I have feed her with. Cuz it keeps her full longer. Happened a few times after.I explained only if all my breast milk.is gone use it. Which I'm lucky to get a good amount of. Well my friend was giving her this.....
One breastmilk bottle then formula bottle. And said to keep her full longer other excuse was this....."i knew she would go through her breast milk too fast since breastmilk is watery. And she wouldnt get full" So i explained not to do that since i left her 4 four oz bottles and she only drank two breastmilk bottles. Wth is so hard with that.

Mother in law is worst. She will only
Formula feed baby. Excuse last time. She never seems satisified from breastmilk. Hubby told her off but she said breastmilk isnt filling.

I almost feel like just my parents should watch her or hubby since they would rarely use formula since they use all her breastmilk! But their not always available. And i work with the restruant business with no set schedule so i cant be picky with my schedule/hrs!!!

Sorry i had to vent....i feel like im not cool enough for the breast feeding club because LO is not 100% breastfed or breastmilk fed.... :/
Im trying

 

[sheldonsmommy]

Pumping at work is so much more complicated than just straight up nursing, it takes a lot of effort!

You are lucky to have so many people to watch lo, but they really should be respecting your wishes. Breastmilk is hard to make at work and the most nutritious option, I don't see why they wouldn't want to use that first. Maybe hide the formula if you have enough bm for that day so they can't be tempted to go against your wishes? Or just have a serious talk with them about how much it means to you.

 

[cait]

I agree with sheldomsmummy - you're definitely part of the club. I have so much respect for people who manage to express all the time, esp at work - I'm not sure I could manage it.

Your babysitters should definitely be respecting your wishes, I'd be so annoyed at them. I hope you get the chance for a serious chat that managed to get through to them how you feel. Good luck.

 

[impatient1]

I would sit them down and explain how important it is to you and that you expect them to respect your wishes on how you will feed your child. They are entitled to their opinions but this is your decision.

 

[angela98661]

Thanks ladies luckily i made my schedule around my parents and hubby this week talked to my boss who is PRO breastfeeding. He lets me use a private area and the work fridge to store my milk. I love my boss right now. But the serious talk ive had with them always sounds like this....

"Shes not full long enough for just plain b/m, 'or' she eats so much she'll run outta bottles"

 

[impatient1]

I would just tell them then that beat milk isn't as heavy so yes she may eat more often which is perfectly fine and if she does run out then you can supplement with formula.

Glad you were able to make it work without them this week.

 

[misspriss]

I hate to hear this. You are doing great pumping! Is there any way you can put the formula somewhere they don't have access to it? Or only leave a small amount where they can?

Honestly, if I were in your situation, I'd hide it, and tell them to call me for it's location when they are all out of breastmilk.

I'll be honest, I had to do that with the disposable diapers we had on hand for "emergencies" when the cloth were dirty. I know it's not the same thing, but I was beginning to suspect they would just use disposables all day until they knew I was about to come home. I was down to counting the disposables diapers and checking the dirty cloth pail to make sure. I talked to them about it until I was blue in the face and everyone was pissed off, so I just hid them and left one out at a time. It works better that way, no temptation to use them.

Perhaps you can get a note from your child's doctor or something saying to use breastmilk first and foremost?

And no judging on the cosleeping, we do it still!

 

[angela98661]

I wish i could make my own schedule every week :/ but impossible. And my mother in law is pro formula once told me my breastmilk didnt have all the right nutritians. So i showed her a pamphet....she stopped saying that. I think my MIL doesnt wanna feed lo as often because its more work.

 

[Lizzybee]

I wish i could make my own schedule every week :/ but impossible. And my mother in law is pro formula once told me my breastmilk didnt have all the right nutritians. So i showed her a pamphet....she stopped saying that. I think my MIL doesnt wanna feed lo as often because its more work.

Not the right nutrients? What a load of rubbish. Why would we produce it then? I would make her look into the ingredients of formula, in UK one type has fish eyes in! Also tell them you don't spend your breaks pumping for them to waste it. I can't see why they won't tbh because you have to mess around making up formula!

 

[Willo]

I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this. It is hard enough for you to be juggling shifts and pumping for your lo without having to deal with others not respecting your parenting.
Your mil sounds very similar to mine. She also felt that breast milk was not enough and feeding my son was an awful drain on me. Luckily she does not mind my kids ever so I only have to listen to her comments.
The reason your mil gave, I think, is a cop out. The reality is she does not have any belief that breast milk is good for a baby and still thinks formula is superior. She is giving the formula because she wants to do it that way.
Do you think that sitting her down and explaining why you want your lo to have breastmilk will just be falling on deaf ears? If so can you just be blunt with her and say that you want lo to have the breast milk first and foremost and if you come home, or your hubby, and see that they have not been given then you will be forced to find someone else to look after your lo.

 

[LaraSue]

Thanks ladies luckily i made my schedule around my parents and hubby this week talked to my boss who is PRO breastfeeding. He lets me use a private area and the work fridge to store my milk. I love my boss right now. But the serious talk ive had with them always sounds like this....

"Shes not full long enough for just plain b/m, 'or' she eats so much she'll run outta bottles"

I see you're in the US, and this isn't a perk, it's actually law. Work HAS to let you have time off to pump, and they're required to provide you a private area to do so, other than a bathroom, and a place to store the milk. There have been people who have successfully sued their place of employment for not providing this.

That being said, hang in there! I agree with hiding the formula. Why don't they want to use it? That makes absolutely no sense...

 

[Mapleroo]

Ugh posts like this make me so glad we don't live anywhere near family! (Although my MIL BF all 9 of her kids including a set of twins so I likely wouldn't have this specific issue lol).
I totally agree with the other posters regarding pumping. Pumping is awful and so much harder than BF. I did it for a few weeks with my last baby and wasn't long before it overwhelmed me and I threw in the towel. I think what your doing is great and I hope things can get sorted with your MIL.