Breastfeeding?

Question

i am breastfeeding my son, and I just wanted to know how many moms out there went for 6 months or 3 months or what ever time frame of breastfeeding. I feel really guilty for thinking about switching to formula, I don't think I will for some time because I don't want to cheat my son out of the good stuff, but I just wanted to know how many moms deal with this to?

Answer 1

Wow, do I remember that feeling. My daughter is turning 2 in a couple of weeks and we nursed for 19 1/2 months. Sounds like a crazy long time, I know. When we first started my plan was 3 months, then it was 6, then 9, then 12. And on and on.

The longer you nurse the baby, the less time they actually nurse. Does that make sense? Meaning: at 6 months you start solids, so that slows the nursing down some, between 9 months and 12 they eat even more. After 12 months or so, it was really just nap time and bed time nursing. We both enjoyed the time together, so I figured why stop. She self weaned at 19 months.

Now that I've summed up my life here's my answer. DO NOT FEEL GUILTY!!! No matter what you do, if it is best for you it will be best for the baby. If you hate bf and are just plain tired of it...switch to formula. You'll be a much better mommy if you aren't upset every time you have to feed the baby. If you enjoy bf and are just having a hard time right now, hold on, it gets easier. Sometimes when they are growing you will feel like you are nursing constantly, but that only lasts usually a week at a time, through the growth spurt.

Do what is best for both of you and screw what everyone else thinks and says. If you nurse for a long time (like I did), plenty of people will have something to say about it...if you quit bf and go to formula they will have something to say. No matter what, it is none of their business.

Take care, and enjoy your time with the new baby. Don't worry about the food so much. Either way he'll grow up happy and healthy because he has a mommy who cares so much about him.

Answer 2

I think about it every day. As of yesterday, I made it to 8 months so far. My first four days were horrible. I was sore and full. I used the Advent hand pump to relieve some of the milk pressure. That helped a lot. The first two weeks were hard, especially since this is the first time I am breastfeeding. Many times I would go online, do research and say 'oh that's what I'm doing wrong! Take time to see why you are having your problems and they might go away.

After the first two months, things got easier. I said that if I made it through 6 months, I could do the year. It had ups and downs, but we're doing good. Learning about hind and fore milk, increasing milk supply, how to prevent/soothe sore nipples, and breast pumps has all been part of the experience.

When my daughter was 3 months, old I went back to work and my husband stayed home. I learned the hard way that I have to make time to pump every 2 hours if I am going to keep my supply up. I got busy at school doing my schedule and wound up lowering my supply, using my freezer supply up, and getting my period back.

I'm happy to say that my daughter is getting her milk each day (so what if I don't have the neatest classroom), my freezer supply is building up again, and my period is late! For now, I'm fine with breast feeding and I'm sure there will be days when I can't wait until she is a year or more old and I can do it at night or something, but then I think about how wonderful she is growing and how healthy she has been and will be because of what I'm doing. Who knows, all I do know is that EVERYONE can do it or at least attempt it.

If your milk supply is low, pump a little extra while the baby is sleeping. If she doesn't take the breast anymore, but can take the bottle, continue to pump. Listen to your baby drink and suck. That reassured me that she was eating enough. I also liked seeing drips of milk come out of her mouth. Being paranoid or anxious is all part of being a mother. From what everyone tells me, this is just the beginning.

Answer 3

I lasted about 3 months for a couple of reasons:

1) bottom line, I never made enough milk. I could eat all day, drink water until I was bloated and I only made 1 1/2-2 oz every 6 hours or so.

2) My son was a lazy eater: he would get hungry, eat until he wasn't hungry and fall asleep. Half an hour later, he'd be hungry again. I got NO sleep in the first two months because it would take me an hour and a half to empty that 1 1/2-2 oz from my breasts because he kept falling asleep, and then I'd get a 20 minute combat-nap before he started crying from hunger.

3) I felt like a milk-cow, rather than a woman or even a mother.

4) The kicker was when I went to visit my grandmother and LOOKED so worn out her first words to me were, "Oh, you poor thing. Give me the baby. Go take a shower. Get some sleep. I'll take care of him. Go. Now." This was after 2 1/2 months. She gave him formula and he sucked down 6 oz. in less than 10 minutes and slept for 3 hours.

I stayed with her for a week, pumping and trying to increase my milk production, but by the time he was 3 months old I had switched to formula as much for his health as for my sanity. I liked being able to sleep for more than 20 minutes.

I had a lot of women criticize my choice, but I think I made the right one: I was happier, I started losing the weight (40 pounds!!!!) that I had gained during the time I did nothing but sit on my butt and breastfeed, he was on a regular feeding schedule and actually eating. And oddly enough, while he had colds, he is now 4 years old and has never had anything more serious--no ear infections, no flu, nothing like that--than the occasional stomach bug.

Answer 4

I think every Bf mother out there feels this way once in awhile at least I do. I have a 5 mo. old who I only BF but with going back to work it's really hard to continue and I think about giving him ofrmula when i'm away but I know that will only hurt me adn my supply so we haven't. What stpos me is the guilt I feel from my daughter I tried toBF her and I was told by a Dr. that b/c of her jaundice I shuld switch to formula for a little while. And was young when I had her so I didn't know very much about th subject so i listened to the Dr. and went to formula well I lost my supply and I feel guilty about it all the time even though she's 5 now but thats what stops me from giving up when it seems inpossible!

Answer 5

You should never feel guilty for how you feed you baby, you must do whats best for yourself and what fits in with your lifestyle and if you did feel it was time to stop and switch then you should feel proud of the time you have given breast milk to him, even if only for a day the benefits are great and do him the world of good. I breast fed my daughter who is now 5 for 18 months, in the earlier months I had a few occassions when feeling really tired and weepy I thought about changing I was really lucky as I had an amazing infant feeding advisor and rather than push me into breast feeding or formula feeding she was just there to listen and guide me through the tougher times, usually the tougher weeks were related to a growth spurt with the little one, before we knew it a yr had passed, I only ever wanted to make it to a yr but by then it just came so natural to myself and my daughter that I didnt want to stop right then so we carried on for another 6 months. My friend also was breast feeding at the same time, her little one was also the same age as my daughter, she got to 5 months and decided she had had enough and wanted to switch to formula, that was her choice and I fully supported her decision as you must always do what you feel is right for yourself, your baby will do well on either formula or breast milk and the fact he has already had breastmilk has given him so much you should really be proud and stop feeling guilty

Take care and whatever choice you make everything will be ok

Answer 6

My son is 11 months old, yes sometimes I have a bad day and breastfeeding is just one more thing to irritate me, but I fully plan to go the full 2 years recommended by the World Health Organization, and as long thereafter as my son needs it.

Why don't you tell us more specifically what it is about breastfeeding that you are having a hard time with, maybe we can help.

Answer 7

Every single day I deal with feeling that way. My first was only BF for 4 1/2 months. My second is now 9 months adn we are goign strong but every day I have little thoughts about switching. I think what keeps me personally going is 11 years of guilt in between for havgin given up so early with my daughter with no real cause other than I didn't want bothered to work through a bad few days. As long as it's what's best for you two then keep it up, you can do it! :) If you end up swicthing, then don't beat yourself up about it either. You haev to do what's right for YOU TWO.
Here. he's still up 3 or 4 times a night to nurse, but every time I just have to tell myself, tomorrow is another day! We can start all over after a few hours rest.

Answer 8

I know exactly how you feel! I have three children, and I didn't breastfeed my other two, so with this one, I was determined to! My daughter is now 7 (almost 8) weeks old, and it has been very difficult to say the least.

I too have struggled with the idea of switching to the bottle, then I read in a baby book....why not do both? There is no reason why a baby can't have a formula bottle, and also breastfeed. We breastfeed exclusively at night, we just thinks its easier, and she gets one formula bottle a day, but the book I read said you could do more of a 50/50 split. The breastmilk will also help the formula digest.

Don't stress yourself out, and don't make yourself feel guilty. This is your baby, and you won't hurt him!!

Answer 9

I b/f for 4 months and quit b/c it was always so painful! I went to like 3 lactation consultants and they all said that he was latching correctly, but he had a really strong sucking reflex. He just wouldn't chill and relax...I felt like he was eating me up!!! So I quit for my own sanity and pumped for 2 months then moved him to formula around 6 months. I did feel guilty, but he's 20 months now and healthy, happy, bright. So, basically, you will feel guilty but eventually we've gotta let ourselves off the hook! We can't all be super-breastfeeders and as long as you're doing what's best for you and your child, then it's the right decision. Good luck! I know it's a tough, guilt-ridden decision to make!

Answer 10

My firstborn went about 6 months, he just didn't seem into it, and I was a first-timer and listened to my mom (who didn't seem to want to "miss out" on feeding the baby and therefore discouraged breastfeeding). With my second we went a full 9 months, then she started to wean herself, but we kept it up until a year when she could drink regular milk.

Everyone is different, listen to yourself and your baby, and nobody else. My mom's generation was brought up to think that formula was better, but we know that's not the case now.