For people who used to breast feed?

[b4baby]

When did you decide to change over to formula feeding?
I struggled for the first 12 days breast feeding until it was too painful and I have since been exclusive expressing. However I now find my supply decreasing and daughters appetite increasing.
Just wondered when you swapped over to formula?

 

[ericacaca]

Hi there, I'm BF but moving onto FF gradually and baby is 6 months now. But all I'm going to say is go with your instincts. Don't try to compare yourself to other ladies. I really do feel for you sitting at a pump all the time when you could be spending those precious first moments with your newborn baby. If its stopping you from doing that then FF. Please, enjoy every moment you have with them. You'll thank yourself when they're older and thriving no matter what you chose to do.

xxx

 

[chell5544]

Hey I didn't last as long as you so well done just wanted to say I'm sure there are some combi feeders around as well they maybe able to give you some advice if you want to carry on expressing what you can. Maybe post in baby club.

But also wanted to say just do what you feel is right and good luck with whatever you choose

 

[babybirdangel]

I lasted less time then you. I did it for maybe 9 days. I had to pump, because my son was in the NICU for a week and I found everything so overwhelming. I wasn't producing enough milk for him so the nurses had to give him formula. If I had enough breast milk they would give it to him. If I didn't they would give him formula. When I got him home I did a few days of breast milk, then I decided to give him formula. So I started the next day with formula and went from there. At 3 weeks my little guy was drinking about 3 1/2 ounces to 4 ounces of formula.

 

[JMB1992]

Hi i breastfed until about 10 weeks then combination fed until 5 months. Now ff completely. I just introdued a top up of formula if she needed it and then gave 1 formula feed a day then gradually increased formula x

 

[meandu]

trying to combi feed at 12wks but lo wont accept bottle

 

[Excalibur]

Hiya hun,

I breastfed for 2 weeks and then switched to Formula as my little man just wasn't satisfied with how much he was getting, he was more or less constantly on the breast and wouldn't settle. Go with your instincts and what you think is best xx

 

[BethHx]

I swapped after getting mastisis twice and thrush. I just wasn't enjoying the experience.
I had a mega supply though so from day 5 i expressed and gave it her.
She wasn't gaining weight and constantly sick, i knew she was lactose intolerant just needed to prove and as breast milk is made up of alot of lactose i decided to switch her to formula.
I also just wanted my body back. I had the worst pregnancy ever.
I also needed to take medication that i couldn't take whilst bf. Each day i didn't take them i deteriorated and doctors told me i would end up in hospital if i didn't quit soon.
So i did the best for me and my daughter.
I still regret the decision sometimes and wish i did longer etc. Its only recently i have realised that formula is better for my daughter.
A happy baby is a happy mommy, vise versa.

Sorry I've rambled x

 

[MrsButterfly]

I bf for the first few days but lo was hospitalised with jaundice so I was too scared to not know how much milk he was taking when we got home. So I started to exclusively express for him. I kept that up till 4 weeks when I found myself feeling really down at the prospect of pumping and I couldn't keep up with his appetite pumping the number of times I was happy with doing. So I then moved on to eff and he's done fine on it.

Do what you feel happy with - I struggled with guilt when I stopped and worried I was selfish for stopping pumping but looking back now I know I made the right choice for me and lo x

 

[Numero_uno]

I did it for 7 weeks, I stopped because I couldn't enjoy going out with my lo and was constantly worrying about having to feed in public, the second I chose to go to ff I have been so much happier! It was hard making the decision to chnage cos I found bf easy, I never suffered cracked nipples, he was putting on a healthy weight, etc but I'm glad I changed.

 

[ourturnnext]

I've made the change from BF a couple of weeks ago, was going to combi-feed but she loved the formula so much I decided just to go fully FF.

I feel for you in struggling with bf, I never enjoyed it. I preferred pumping rather than feeding from the nipple. Are there any bf support groups you could go to? I was ready to give up after two weeks but started going to a group and found it so helpful, would never have got so far with bf if it wasnt for those.

BUT, that said, if you're ready to give up bf then go for it, you've done so well in getting this far and you'll know yourself when you're ready to switch x

 

[MrsStutler]

My son self-weaned at 9 months after I got pregnant with our second baby. My milk almost immediately left, I now produce a little bit of colostrum but that's it. He just didn't want me if he wasn't getting milk so we had to introduce formula.

 

[Kage76]

i pretty much combi fed (with a very small amount of BM) and i finally put down the pump at 6 weeks. Hurt like hell at the time but one of the best decisions i made.

 

[_Nell]

I'm an exclusive pumper, LO is 7 weeks. I feel a slave to the pump tbh but would rather LO had breastmilk than formula
It's a tough decision for me but LO has colic and even though i'm currntly weaned down to only a few pump sessions a day i often have that conflict where i'm pumping or due to and have a very upset baby i need to care for instead.

I'm pleased to have hacked pumping this far and will move to FF as soon as i can get my boobs to stop supply now!

 

[dizz]

I pumped until she was full-term equivalent (she was prem and couldn't latch - only way we'd get to go home and out of the utter hell-hole hospital ward was when she was feeding without her NG feeding tube) - she still couldn't latch and the breast pump was dying - so I swapped fully over then.

Have since found a completely missed tongue tie - however long I'd given her - she probably STILL wouldn't have been able to latch.

 

[Twinkie210]

I BF my son for a week, then switched to EPing and I am considering weaning off the pump at the end of the month (he will be 4 months old). I don't mind pumping, but since I work full time, I hate that part of my evenings with him are spent pumping, but I like that I am able to give him breast milk, so I am torn. I have nothing against formula, in fact little guy gets formula periodically, it is just a hard decision to make.