I can't cope

[ZMD]

Its taken me allot of courage to write this and i don't really know how to put it so Im sorry in advance.

Im really strugglin with breastfeeding Tegan is starving hungry in the afternoon But for the last 3 days she's refusing to latch on & just screams for hours on and off! i was crying with her earlier. i really don't want to have to stop breastfeeding as i love it But it really seems like she's too hungry for Boob now! i gave her 6oz of expressed milk earlier and within an hour she was hungry again But wouldn't latch on! any suggestions? x

 

[flexilexi394]

sorry absolutely useless me writing anything, but youve given me awesome advice, wish i could return the favour. hope some one more useful comes along xxx

 

[Amy_J]

dont be too hard on yourself im sue youre doing a great job! i had to stop bf at 8 weeks due to a HUGE abcess (and i was secretly happy at the time as i found it so hard, physically exhausting and draining) my lo was similiar to yours he was always on my boob hungry , instead of just cutting off bf totally i combined formula and bf for a few days and gradually reeduced the bf until i totally stopped..i know maybe its not what u want to do but for me it was the best option at the time! you may find formula helps settle ur lo... my lo was feeding 40z every 3.5 hours at the time and slept from 11-8am whereas i was up every hour or two more or less with the bf!!! sorry if im not much help this is all new to me too!!!

 

[ZMD]

Thanks Hun i've been in tears on the phone to my mum tonight. i don't want to But Im thinking of switching to formula i feel like Im letting Tegan down though x

 

[ZMD]

dont be too hard on yourself im sue youre doing a great job! i had to stop bf at 8 weeks due to a HUGE abcess (and i was secretly happy at the time as i found it so hard, physically exhausting and draining) my lo was similiar to yours he was always on my boob hungry , instead of just cutting off bf totally i combined formula and bf for a few days and gradually reeduced the bf until i totally stopped..i know maybe its not what u want to do but for me it was the best option at the time! you may find formula helps settle ur lo... my lo was feeding 40z every 3.5 hours at the time and slept from 11-8am whereas i was up every hour or two more or less with the bf!!! sorry if im not much help this is all new to me too!!!

I think that's what Im going to do Hun. she's 13 weeks old today she also has really bad Reflux so is sick allot x

 

[AugustMum]

I feel awful for not carrying on breastfeeding and for a fair few weeks I would cry whenever I thought about how I thought I had let Paige down. You have done a massive job just to get as far as you have. Happy mummy = happy baby. If YOU feel you will both be more relaxed with formula, then you should do it. But if YOU feel you want to carry on, then keep at it, and it may just be a growth spurt and things may settle very soon.

Maybe you could keep breast feeding for the lovely times like last thing at night and the night feeds (for convienience!) and the morning feeds and express or formula feed for the others? This may make her more chilled for the other feeds and so latching may not be a problem. Please, just do whatever YOU feel will be best. I felt a massive pressure to carry on breastfeeding and stopping it turned out to be the best thing I ever did. Im not trying to get you to formula feed, but dont feel bad if you do. x Hope things can get sorted for you either way.

 

[Amy_J]

dont feel like that! i know its easy for me to say but i was the same at the time!!! some of the girls on here told me that a stressed unhappy bf mum isnt good for the baby and its so true!! im sure u will find that you could both be happier if you put her on formula!!! 13 weeks is amazing & shes had a great start!!!!!

 

[Star*]

Hey, hope your feeling better

Just a thought? When he doesnt latch on are you sure he is crying because he is hungry? I know with my little girl she will cry and sometimes I think she wants feeding or atleast the breast to calm her down but she doest take it because shes become too emotional either because she is over tired or has some wind...

Hope it all works out

 

[lucylu87]

Hey hun i gave up breastfeeding when zak was 3 weeks old.one reason is that he got oral thrush and i got it in my nipples so we were both in agony but mainly because he was so hungry all the time. he was 9lb4 at birth and was nearly 11lb last week so is a very hungry boy. anyway i can honestly say its the best thing I've ever done. me and zak r so much happier and we get to spend some nice time together feeding instead of it bein a battle all the time. What matters most is that you and little one r happy and she is well fed. you have given her the best start so don't worry about giving up x x

 

[ZMD]

Thanks ladies i really want Tegan to be a happy girl first thing in the morning she loves Boob and pulls of to smile its so lovely! i think from tomorrow i'll try a bit of both as she really isn't happy at the which isn't fair on her x its nice to know other people have been through the same as all my friends either haven't breastfed at all or managed at least 6 months x

 

[ZMD]

you've all made me feel so much better! its stupid i know But Im also worried about what the health visitor will say as she puts so much pressure on me! x

 

[Amy_J]

you've all made me feel so much better! its stupid i know But Im also worried about what the health visitor will say as she puts so much pressure on me! x

dont listen to the hv! its not her that has to deal with your lo 24/7, it's you! bf can be so emotionally exhausting!!!! its not stupid at all i think alot of women feel totally the same!!! formula fed babies are just as healthy as bf babies (in my opinion) and you've already lasted so long already!!! happy mummy happy baby!!! love this motto! i know tha i was so much happier when i stopped bf i was verging on depression it was getting to me that much!

 

[SmallPurpleCat]

As you'll see from my recent thread, I'm struggling too. I never thought bring would be so hard.

You've done so well to bf as long as you have so don't be so hard on yourself.

If you could still bf for some feeds and either express or formula for the others, things might settle down...

 

[ZMD]

Its allot harder than i ever imagined it would be! i've got lots of my milk frozen so Im going to give that in bottles first then start with a bit of formula then hopefully i can still enjoy the other breastfeeds xx

 

[rbryan0205]

when you first go to breast feed are your breast hard because sometmes my lo struggles to latch on sometimes because of my breast being full so i have to let milk flow for a few seconds then she can latch on properly x

 

[isobel84]

Noa have been screaming for a week (especially night time) and it calms him to BF but he lets go and screams like im hurting him and then back on for 30 sec then of again (for some reason he struggle more to latch on the right boob) BUt i put this down to his cold. Its has been such a hard week and i said to Demba that i almost wanna give up!
Has tegan got a cold?

You have to do whats best for the 2 of you hun. Dont worry what anyone else says or think. We managed trough them horrible first few weeks but for some reason its even harder now when they are struggeling - perhaps the tiredness is catching up?
13 weeks- you have done great.
I wish i had a breastpump sometimes tho so Demba could do a feeding, but its so expensive with pump- bottles and steriliser so thats a no.

 

[bobkat]

Do exactly what you think is best to keep both you and Tegan happy. Only you know your child, hv seem them a few times only. Perhaps mixing bf and formula is the way to go if Tegan is happy with it in the morning. I've started doing the same so that DH can feed him in the afternoon and then I take over again at bedtime and Freddie's been fine with it.

Good luck. Hope it improves for you.

 

[becks20]

I must admit i find it hard sometimes and wanna give up but when i think about the goodness im giving my son i battle through it but i know it is hard.

Colbi does the whole not wanting to feed thing when hes tired he will just scream and wont go on then will for a bit then comes off again. I no that around 3-4 months they also get more hungrier, colbi feeds alot anyway, i feel like my whole day is sat feeding him but i knew that it would be like this from when i had my daughter.

And as said, its what you feel is right for you and your LO good luck! x

 

[ZMD]

just a little update the last 2 days have been allot better! i've started giving her a bottle of expressed milk at about 3pm and the rest of the day she's feeding fine of me! Im so much happier now she's feeding better she's also ALLOT happier x thanks for the support ladies xx

 

[isobel84]

thats brilliant!