Don't know what to do :(

[Manda]

I breast fed Abi for 10 weeks then at 10 weeks started to give her formula and breast fed, i nearly gave up breast altogether then wehn i returned to Australia i went back to mainly breast feeding and just giving Abi a bottle before bed or if we were going out. I'm pondering on giving up breast feeding as sometimes it gets me down, yesterday i gave her boob in the morning and after her bath in the evening the rest were bottles but today i feel guilty and think i should breast feed, we're returning to the uk in 6 weeks and i'll be returning to work so would be easier to bottle feed as i can't express- can only get 20 mls lol.

Help! i just dont know what to do

What would you do?

Manda x

 

[*saulino*]

Hi

if your returning back to work maybe 2-3 weeks before going back stop breastfeeding altogether and just bottlefeed that way you both will be comfortable with it before you return back to work.
katrina

 

[beanie]

If you were enjoying the breastfeeding I would say give formula during the day when at work and perhaps breastfeed in the morning or at night but if it is getting you down I would stop the breastfeeding and continue on formula. You don't say why it is getting you down, if you want to continue the breastfeeding and there is a practical problem there is the NCT line in the UK you could call, but I don't know what is there in Oz. You have given Abi the best start you could have done, stop feeling guilty and give yourself a pat on the back .

 

[Manda]

Been thinking about it and maybe it's not the breast feeding but everything else thats going on at the minute, i also read another post this morning which has brought things back into my mind from the pregnancy and i cant get rid of them when i was 11 1/2 weeks i had a really big bleed and passed a lot of tissue i was convinced i passed the baby as there was a tear shape and inside was what looked like a spring which had been stretched which i'm convinced was the umbilical cord and then atached to that was what i thought was the baby. i went to hospital and they thought i'd miscarried too then they scanned me and baby was fine jumping around, when i asked why i'd bled they said it could have been twins and i lost one or it could have been part of the placenta they sent it off to be tested and when they gave me the results just said dont worry about it but didn't tell me what it was, i haven't really thought about it since but then today i read the post about someone passing there baby and didn't know what to do with it and it's just messed my head up i keep thinking about having another baby like Abi. And to top it all off it's almost a year to the day that it happened

Sorry gone completely off the original topic but needed to put it in writing or speak to someone. Still don't feel much better though.

 

[beanie]

Am sorry hun, that must have been a horrible experience and the anniversary must bring it all back. I don't know what it is like to go through something like that but can imagine it must be horrible not having the answers you need. Could you not get in touch with your doctor and find out for sure, would that help?

In relation to the breastfeeding, perhaps it would be best to leave the decision for a while, I would hate for you to decide to stop only to wish you hadn't later on. Perhaps leave it until you are back in the UK and re-assess how you are feeling about it. Take care of yourself hun xx

 

[Urchin]

In relation to the breastfeeding, perhaps it would be best to leave the decision for a while, I would hate for you to decide to stop only to wish you hadn't later on. Perhaps leave it until you are back in the UK and re-assess how you are feeling about it. Take care of yourself hun xx

Yeah thats what I was going to say, if you are feeling emotional now I would wait till you're feeling more stable then decide.

Are you comfortable breastfeeding? Is there anything about it you don't like?

 

[Duds]

I know excatly how you feel Manda. I gave up breast feeding a month ago. I really wasnt particually enjoying it as I was so restricted to what I could do but the main reason I gave up was because I had to for numerous health reasons.
I kept saying "ill give up tomorrow" but never really could, eventually my milk dried up anyway so I didnt have a choice & I felt quite guilty that id stopped. Its a strange feeling but it does pass.
I felt more sad of the fact i didnt have any milk to feed her & I would never be able to go back & that part of my life is gone therefore she wouldnt be so reliant on me.
I do still wish I'd did it a bit longer than 10weeks but it did make things so much easier and theres no way i could do it and work.

Hope this helps
x

 

[Manda]

Thanks for your replies i'm feeling heeps better now and have decided to carry on with breast feeding, i had a weird few days though