Really enjoying formula feeding :-) or :-/ ?!! Long, but you may relate!

[cupcaker]

Long story short, I breastfed for 6 weeks and it was absolute hell. There are many ins and outs with what went on, but no point explaining. It was a doctor who finally convinced me to consider formula. After those 6 weeks, I gave him a mix of breast milk and formula milk for a further 2 weeks, trying to still claw at the 'goodness' of breastmilk. At 8 weeks + (he's now 10 weeks) I am formula feeding only, and I absolutely, well and truely, love it .

+I feel like a giant weight has been lifted. The problems I had with breastfeeding left me in constant tears, anxiety and pain.

+ My beautiful son switched right over without batting and eyelid. Bless the boy, as long as he's fed he's happy!

+I enjoy my son even more than ever...like...REALLY enjoy him. There is no longer anything making me anxious, worried and distracted from enjoying him

+I can feed and cuddle him close, bond, and enjoy it, without the undertone of "this is dreadful".

+ Routine is establishing really well (particularly evenings which used to leave me in tears at feeding time..a horrible cluster feeding nightmare of his distress and my pain)

+Family members adore feeding him and being involved. He gets to bond with others.

+ His nights just get better and better (I know this may come with age too though). He has a feed and goes right back to sleep satisfied and happy. He is sleeping more and more in between.

+ linking to above, I'm not woken from a sleepy slumber to feed by a toe curling experience!

+A day out doesn't have to be 'planned' so much and I can be more spontanious with where I take him and what we do. No worrying about expressing enough milk to take, or considering places to breast feed comfortably.

+ I don't have to sit with a machine pumping my boobs anymore...whilst also on tenterhooks incase family members 'pop by' and walk in on me doing it (a bit cringey).

+ I'm not leaking (or panicking about leaking) all the time.

+ Gadgets, gizmos and shortcuts (for formula feeding) help me out EVEN MORE (perfect prep machine, liquid formula, formula portion dispenser pots etc) ..I enjoy using them, and also love my little routines of getting stuff sterilized and organised too.

It still breaks my heart a little when I do see reminders of breast is best, info about how breastmilk helps prevent babies getting poorly etc etc. I didn't maintain 'the best' for my baby???. But, I'm not sure I'd be such a happy, and therefore not such a good, mother if I hadn't taken the swap. I look at my son and he is absolutely awesome. A happy, beautiful, amazing and perfect little chap... I try to take comfort from this...I can't be doing bad and, I once read the quote "love comes from the heart not from the breast" on somebodies sig on here. TOO TRUE. I couldn't love this fellow any more than I do.

 

[VmrsbabcockV]

Thanks so much for posting this. It brought up a lot of good points and helps a teeny bit foe me...I just switched to ff two days ago...I am still very upset I couldn't bf longer...but he is also like your lo so much happier, full, and content.

 

[Bun87]

I think there is so much pressure to breastfeed, i know i felt it! I have low milk supply so we ended up combi feeding. I have never cried and beaten myself up so much in my life, it wasn't healthy. My little boy needs a sane and happy mummy! Thank you for sharing the positives which I think people ssometimes forget

 

[sue_88]

You gave your baby that precious 6-8weeks of breast milk.

Those first few feeds of colostrum are like natures little exquisit drug for babies, lining their gut & providing those antibodies - you did that, you've given him that.

Ignore the 'breast is best' how about 'Mummy knows best!'

Happy mum, happy baby, enjoyable life

 

[Kage76]

i can totally relate to this- the last day i pumped was one of the hardest of my life - but underneath the grief of what i lost was a joy of what I gained. I felt emancipated. I could finally put down the pump and pick up my baby. such a great feeling.

 

[Sinead82]

Thanks for posting, I think we are under far too much pressure to breast feed at the expense of a positive experience for both mum and baby. I switched to formula at 2 weeks and have never looked back. I don't think I could bonded as well with lo or enjoyed her as much if I had continued to bf. I dreaded every feed and felt like a prisoner in my own home.

It makes me so sad to hear of mums who are miserable and really struggling because of bf - you never get this time with your baby back. In the end I decided that the many positives you listed above against the pain and exhaustion of bf meant that ff was best for us.

 

[aliss]

There's a lot of prons & cons true. I actually hated formula just because he had so many intolerances but I can't deny that the freedom was very nice. Today was the 1st time I left him alone for a feed (bottle refuser) at 7 months! Whereas #1, dad did equal the work.

 

[tristansmum]

Breast is not always best. Best is a happy mummy and baby.
I ff my first from a week old. Long story of bleeding nipples, baby blues and emcs. I hated feeding him. My heart would sink when I heard him cry... That's not healthy. Ff was the best decision I ever made.

This time I'm combi feeding.. mainly bf but a few bottles of formula but I'm slowly increasing it. I'm proud I've done 4 weeks but there is no way I'm bf for months. I plan to have weaned off in the next month. I want to go on the injection as def don't want more babies. Also I need to get back to normal and be able to go out with out sitting in the car park bf... It's not fair on my toddler.

Totally agree with all your points. Well done all us mummies for feeding our babies and caring for then so well... Breast or bottle.

 

[Katerz]

Until I completely switched to ff at 4 weeks all I felt like I did was express express express (LO wouldn't latch, add on to that flat nipples and large boobs bfing was a bit of a nightmare). I felt sad that i couldn't BF anymore but also a bit relieved that some of the pressure was taken off of me and hubby could help with feeding more. There is too much pressure put on ladies to BF in an ideal world it would be the easiest thing for everyone to do, sadly that is not the case.

Xxx