Why did you quit breastfeeding?

[1sttimemum]

I put mentally physically exhausting - i wasnt bonding with my baby and would get angry that she didnt no where the nipple was or was able to smell the milk.

 

[1sttimemum]

Caitlyn had low blood sugar levels at birth and she had to have a small top up of formula, i was expressing and getting nothing.

I got as much support as i wanted, to the point that one midwife physically sqoze the milk out of my nipples to get caitlyn smelling it to guide her to it - it didnt work. It stressed me out cos she used to bob her head aswell and she used to hit my nipple & it hurt, Id be dreading the time coming up to her next feed. I really didnt want to feed her.

I also douted very much that i would be able to breastfeed in public.

 

[1sttimemum]

No worries.

 

[hels]

With Charlotte I gave up as I had to return to work, and I did 13 hour days. I didnt want to give up and I tried expressing, but some days I wasnt getting a break for over 8 hours or so.

 

[Babylicious]

Medical reasons - I blacked out due to low blood sugar and they told me to stop or I would get seriously ill.

 

[Minxy]

I picked medical/mental but I'm not sure.....

I was in hospital after Stanley was born as we were both dehydrated/stressed and he had bad jaundice. He was on the Billi-bed and had to be woke every 2 hours (jaundice made him sleepy) and force fed. I was trying to breast feed but because of my physical state produced nothing for almost a week.

On day 3 Stanley threw up a little and the nurse was concerned because it looked like bile and I was 'probably starving him'. It co-incided with that hormone crash you get after birth, I'd already been there over a week and was feeling crap. I just cracked and asked for a bottle. The midwife patted my hand and said I was a 'good girl'

It sounds stupidly naive but I thought once you started on formula you couldn't go back, so never gave it a go later on.

Will do next time though

 

[daftscotslass]

I put medical reason: physical. I had a retained placenta, had to have a G.A. and didn't get skin to skin for some hours after she was born. Not long after I had the symptoms of a spinal headache and couldn't try out different positions without feeling like I was going to pass out or be sick. I had a lot of support from a nursing auxilliary who had an interest in breastfeeding the first night. She stayed with me for the best part of 2 hours at one point and for an hour a pop every time Becky seemed interested in feeding. When she did latch (which I'm sure she wasn't doing properly) on she got nothing and obviously got frustrated. Neither myself nor any of the staff could get anything via expressing either and Becky was starting to become dehydrated so she had some formula. This process pretty much repeated itself at every feed.

We tried again at home with some support from the midwife but had no milk. When I felt like my milk might have come in I tried again but no luck - she wouldn't latch (after hours trying) and got nothing when expressing. Spoke to GP about it at my 6 week check and she was sympathetic and says it does happen.

I feel I got plenty support when I was trying to feed (and if it had worked out I'm sure I could have had more support if I needed it) but when it became clear to me and the health professionals involved in our care that it wasn't happening, that was it and we were left to it. Even though I made it clear to the midwives and GP that I found it hard coming to terms with the whole thing there was no support or encouragement above and beyond the move to bottles.

Sorry I have totally rambled on there midna

 

[Minxy]

Sorry I have totally rambled on there midna

Easy done, when this subject comes up I always have to self-edit as I can go on for ages and ages!!

Interesting story though, hope it's easier next time

 

[fran_23]

i fainted on the home visit from the midwife when Hayden was 5 days old- i had to go into hospital and have antibiotics by drip, they were so evil to me- i was put on the post-natal ward and not allowed to have Hayden in, my boobs filled up everytime a baby cried and they were properly streaming and painful- but they didn't let me express
to be honest i was too weak to argue i was so ill they kept coming in and telling me i was having a blood transfusion soon. in the morning they came and asked me where my baby was as they wanted him to have a hearing test?! i just called my mum and said come and get me i'm not staying here anymore..i pulled out my drip and started trying to get dressed (which was hard coz i kept feeling faint and having to rest..lol)
they tried to stop me but i was having none of it i wanted to go and see hayden, then thay said if i really wanted to leave i could but i had to take antibiotics orally for 2 weeks..i was not allowed to breastfeed on them as they were too strong..even after trying really hard i couldnt re establish breast feeding after and my milk was all but dried out! After my piggy tried the bottle he never looked back- its always made me feel sad and peed off

 

[SarahH]

I'm the odd-ball that picked "other"

Arianna would never feed direct off me so I exclusivly expressed for the first 16wks, but had to add formula then as I couldnt express enough to fill her, which was a lot as I could fill a 9oz bottle in one sitting of expressing.

 

[laracomps]

As you already know I had loads of problems with feeding.

I am still mixed feeding, so not sure if I count lol. I try and feed her before every bottle during the day. Never sure how much she actually gets, but even if its only 1oz a day I'm still gonna do it.

I had loads of support, mw's came almost every day for 2 weeks. Problem is, I don't think I had the 'right' support. No one told me she could feed constantly, I was expecting her to feed every 3 hours or so. No one picked up on the fact that she wasn't swallowing milk, just using me as a dummy. I don't ever remember getting a let down in the first few weeks either. All in all, I don't feel like my milk came in properly. Plus she was so sleepy she just fell asleep every 2 mins, prob cos there was no milk.

I personally feel that topping up was an the beginning to the end, but when your baby has lost too much weight you just do what you think is best. In hindsight, it might have been better if I had gone to stay at a midwife unit for a few days.

I was never offered access to a lactation consultant or anything through the hospital as I know some people have.

I am still gutted, I tried relactating but I was on the verge of cracking mentally and physically I think. Thats when I gave up trying to get my milk back fully.

On a plus side, she feeds great now, and I have more milk. Just not enough.

I haven't voted, as not sure which to choose, and if I count

 

[mrs_tommo22]

physically i was producing enough milk, even when it came in, it didnt soak mytops or ought, my boobs neve felt swollen or full.......so when immy was around 8 months i went to th docs for a appointment to chat about why I failed to bf two times round.

And she came to the conclusion sue to physical and mental trauma i sufered as akid has had a big effect on me and my milk ducts are obviosly damaged. They have said though if i get pregnant again they will check my boobs properly as its hard to know when your no longer lactating.


I feel quite cheated on th breastfeeding front and get boob envy over you lovely ladies being able to do it.

 

[muppetmummy]

I started off breastfeeding James and it was going well until he stopped breathing whilst I was feeding him at 6 days old and he had to be resusitated by a paramedic who struggled to bring him back
He had to go into scbu for tests (lumbar punch, brain scan, various cultures) monitoring and IV antibiotics and was put in an incubator.
I was staying in the transitional care ward next door but I was in shock, sleep deprived and didnt have a clue what time of day it was. They bought me into scbu to feed him every 4 hours but it was very hard with wires everywhere, sitting on a hard chair. I dont think either of us were relaxed. The nurses didnt have much patience with me trying to breasfeed and would grab my boob and shove it in his mouth Sometimes overnight they wouldnt wake me to feed him and would give formula instead, I think they didn't have much knowledge of breastfeeding, and enjoyed having a baby who was big and strong enough to be held and fed. I was an emotional wreck and didnt know what was going on. The nurses on scbu suggested I switch to formula (probably to make their job easier), and I did even though the nurses on transitional care thought I should persevere with breastfeeding (At the time I came to believe that the problem was with my boobs not working properly, though with hindsight I can see it was just the circumstances).
Before James went into hospital I was already lacking in confidence at my breastfeeding abilities as my mum who had always bottle fed was telling me he was feeding too often and should be going 4 hours between feeds, so was obviously hungry! (I now know this to be rubbish) so when the nurses in scbu made me feel like a failure it was too much.

When pregnant with Logan I still believed that I was unable to breastfeed and was adement to begin with that he should be bottlefed from the start, though I slowly started to change my mind as the months progressed. was so sure the breastfeeding would fail I bought £100 worth of bottle feeding equiptment and would have been pleased to have lasted a week.

I am so glad I gave it a chance with Logan as it has been a completely different experience and has gone smoothly. I love breastfeeding now

 

[Krystal]

I voted 'other'.

I always wanted to breastfeed throughout pregnancy but as the time neared I found I was worrying about doing it in public and in front of family and friends. Stupid I know. I never fully made the decision to bottle feed but had all the stuff there. I was just undecided. Once I had Jack and he was placed on my chest I was just handed a bottle of formula from midwife. I didn't even give it a second thought TBH.

8 (i think) days later I really regretted not breastfeeding and mentioned it to my HV - she was really encouraging about relactating and explained I could do it, she helped me get Jack latched on and straight away I had milk which was fantastic. Obviously I had to slowly reintroduce feeds and cut back on formula and thats where it failed. It's my own fault, I didn't give it as much commitment as relactating needed.

HV & Midwife who visited me at home were fabulous, midwife at hospital - just wish she had mentioned breastfeeding when I gave birth, as mad as it sounds I was jst so overwhelmed I didn't even think about it but probably would have tried had she encouraged it.

Next time I am breastfeeding from day 1! Like mrstommo I get boob envy when I see/hear of people breastfeeding

 

[Xena]

I'm still breastfeeding Alex, but with Lydia it was medical (physical).

I got gasteroenteritis when she was 3 months old and was soooo ill I couldn't eat for a week. DH and I both had it - we were totally bed bound for two days just constantly vomiting - we had to go and stay at my MIL's house for a few days because we just couldn't look after Lydia.

During that time, Lydia was bottle fed, and then after I got better, she refused to latch on. She'd taken a liking to the bottle and wouldn't go back to breastfeeding - plus my milk supply had gone down a lot.

So there we go - I didn't want to stop breastfeeding at all but I got ill.

 

[LilysMummy]

Medical - physical : I was pouring blood out my nipples and lilys latched hed turned me black and blue. MW said it was worst she had seen. I persevered for 2 more days but it was horrible. Lily was screaming from hunger her jaundice was gettin worse, i hated the thought of her next feed so after lots of tears and chats with the MWs i gave her a bottle and she nearly sucked the teat off Never looked back. She was a different baby and I was a happy mum!

 

[Sammystar]

Physical

I had loads of support. A lactation specialist at my home with a laser machine trying to repair my nipples! midwife visits every day to try to help me and get make me more comfortable. Ultimately it was the OBGYN who advised me to stop. She said she'd never seen nipples in such a mess and it was distressing me, the baby, and my two other children (as I couldn't let them anywhere near me!)

I really didn't want to stop and felt awful about it, but I certainly got fantastic support even through the weaning process until the milk had dried up.

 

[LaineyG]

I put other.

It was complete lack of support for me!

No support from the midwives in the hospital, even less from the twat (that'll be her dad), and when I burst into tears in front of the mw who visited she started telling me how to make up bottles.

xxx

 

[Jade&Evie]

I found it so painful that it became metally draining. I breastfed exclusively for the first week, then she had a bit of both for a week; now she is on formula. Although it has worked our well for us- I have a much closer bond with her now I don't stress about her needing a feed.

I was let hoe from the hospital 8 hurs after Evie was born which at the time was great- all I wanted was to be at home in my own bed. I think if I had stayed in a little longer though I might have got more support (and honesty!).

Next time I will be trying to exclusively feed for at least the first 6 weeks.

 

[Adele]

ok so, with Chloe is was mainly medical, in that we tried for nearly a whole day and she wouldn't latch on, I had no idea why so she went onto a bottle as she was getting so distressed. When the doc came round to examine her before we went home he said she had tongue-tie Which is why she couldn't latch, but he said it probably wouldn't cause her any speech difficulties so she didn't need it snipped. I was in 2 minds about whether or not I'd want to BF her anyway so although it was disapointing it wasnt too much of an issue. Tho I will say the midwives didnt do too much to encourage me either, its as if they were waiting for me to mention a bottle so they could scoot off and get one

With Paige I was adamant I wanted to BF her, we had difficulties latching her (it would be REALLY painful, plus my boobs are huge) and she never seemed satisfied so was constantly on my boob, even screamed if i put her down so i could goto the loo. by the second ngiht of no sleep i was losing my patience and getting in a right state not knowing what to do. the midwives took her off me and have her a bottle so i could sleep, next day was the same, constantly on my boob and crying if she wasnt so i gave her bottles the whole day (she had LOADS), which made me feel bad cos it was as if i was starving her. none of this was made any easier by the fact she was whisked away 2 hours after being born for about an hour cos of high temp and had a needle in her foot constantly for 12 hourly anti biotics. i thought it kinder and best for her to give her as less stress as possible, she didnt need the added stress of not being able to feed from me i continued to bottle feed her when we got home and found out she had fairly had colic/reflux? int hat after nearly every feed she would throw most of it bak up again, it was aweful. i beat myself up thinking she wouldnt have this problem if i was BFing her so i tried it again, only to have her puke that up too....so i got the dr browns bottles and the puking ended almost at once and shes been fine since. I guess thats about it lol sorry for the essay.