Expressing

[Robyner]

I'm feeling a bit alone and wondering if anyone is doing this.

I'm just expressing now. I started off combi feeding in hospital but got my supply up to give ebm. I now only give ready made cartons of formula when we go out, as its the right temperature. She's putting on the right amount of weight and generally feeding regularly.


Just finding it tough, as I have to go on machine at least 8 times a day for supply and can't always do that. It's hard to fit in anything else and I'm struggling to enjoy cuddles etc as there's so much to do.


She's nealy 6 weeks now. Considering switching to formula but feeling sad, guilty and mixed up

 

[Sarah3]

I started expressing from day 1 with LO because of his tongue tie, he couldnt latch on. I found it so difficult to keep up though, you spend the entire day pumping milk out and for me it felt like i never got to enjoy my baby, and it was so tiring, and i felt like i was nothing more than a glorified food dispenser. I got quite down about it, especially with all my hormones flying about.

So then i started combination feeding, and then a few weeks later made the decision to exclusively formula feed. I think he was about 6 weeks at the time, and i cried for a week, and the guilt was amazing, i thought i was going to be hurting my baby somehow, or i was being selfish, etc. Never felt guilt like it.

Not that im saying you should switch over to formula - im just saying that you shouldnt feel pressured into any feeding method, you need to do whats right for you and your family.
If what youre doing now is making you unhappy then you can change it, your LO will benefit much more from a happy mum who can spend more time with him IMO.

Perhaps go back to combination feeding with more formula? - im sure the breastfeeding lady i spoke to said the best time to express was in the night, sort of early hours of the morning (i cant remember the time scale im afraid) because your body produces a hormone then that helps keep your supply going. So perhaps instead of doing loads throughout the day, you could express for every other feed and then make sure you express during the night?

Hope i havent babbled too much

 

[BevG]

tweetyfoo exclusively expressed, pm her for hints and tips hun. i combi fed my DD but it was only successful cos i wanted to bf really and would offer boob first no matter what. pumping is hard, i dunno if id be able to manage it but be proud of yourself for doing it as your doing what you can to give baby the best start in life for however long you manage it

 

[Geekachublog]

I've just posted pretty much the same thing, my LO is only two and half weeks old but it's starting to really affect me emotionally and mentally.
It's DRAINING any life out of me trying to keep up.

 

[knopk@]

Have you considered trying to get her back on the breast? It must be sould destroying to express that much. There are different things ouy there to try including SNS so she gets used to BFing. But i dont know why she couldnt BF

 

[Robyner]

It just didn't work for me, simples. My Lo was taken away from me at birth as we were both ill. And yes I tried, boy did I try! But coupled with that and having totally flat nipples, it just didn't happen. Believe me I was devastated and the guilt was insurmountable. But people including good friends saying I don't know why she can't/won't do it certainly didn't help my emotional state. Supposed to be the most natural thing in the world and when it works, I expect it's easy for people not to understand and simply say, have you tried?.....

 

[Geekachublog]

My flat nipples are my problem too, and mentally not being able to BF is torturous... It makes you feel like a failure as a woman and a mother... Well, it makes me feel that way anyway.
But my boy seems happy to be having formula as well as breast milk, so I'm expressing between 2-4 times per day, just to keep supply going and also formula feeding for the rest, just to try to help me a little as it's tiring expressing 8 times per day.