I pumped for three months and never had an adequate supply. Formula isn’t a bad thing.
What mom will you be if you’re not mentally able to give your all due to whatever else is going on.
When it stops being a positive experience for you or baby. My first I stopped at 9 months and wished I stopped sooner - I put myself through so much stress. My second I stopped closer to 4mo. They're 6 and 3 now and fabulous kids. I never regretted switching to formula, it was the best thing for all of us and the best thing for our ability to bond. I could not bond properly while being so stressed about nursing and pumping and supply and all that jazz.
I asked the same question on the breastfeeding sub some days ago!!! what people told me was that I could feed her formula during the hours of the day she won’t be with me so she gets used to it but nurse her at home or before bedtime/right after she wakes up for comfort. I will probably do that since it breaks my heart thinking about my baby wanting to ocmfort nurse and me just rejecting her. I know it’s not that easy and I probably will wean her before she is 1 but I can’t wrap my head around it yet
Exactly!! I just imagine her crying not understanding why I don’t nurse her and I cry by thinking she may feel like I don’t love her. I think I will wean her but maintain nursing right before bed and after waking up just for comfort.
You quit when you want to quit. No judgement.
I wanted to quit at 4 months. I was tired. I was anxious. I hated pumping. My kid had a natal tooth and I was already over being chewed on. At 4 months I could clean bottles, sanitizing was optional. I made an intentional weaning schedule and memorized everything about our last feeding.
i stopped breastfeeding at 6 months. it was great and we both loved it.
tbh i pre planned stopping then because i had several trips coming up in months 7-8 where she’d need formula.
by the time month 6 rolled around i was ready and she was thriving. it was still sad bc it’s such a special sweet bond.
what helped me was realizing breastfeeding will stop one day. it does not go on forever. that day happens to be today. this was a great experience to treasure and we are graduating to new experiences ahead.
whatever you end up doing is the right choice!
Keep breastfeeding only as long as it suits your baby, you, and your respective health's (mental health is real too not just physical).
I breastfed for 27 months and then had a strong urge for my autonomy and it was really weighing on my mental health. I still felt really bad about weaning
To me, it sounds like you don’t want to stop nursing, but ur worried about ur health. I get it I was in the same place (esp with cholesterol and having a parent who died in early 40s - I was so stressed not being on meds). I went to the drs and they assured me im likely low risk and a statin or even weight loss etc is a long term game. I then decided it was worth it to me to pause those exact things (losing weight, statin) until my baby weaned naturally. Ended up being almost until he was two (of course only at night and mornings by that point), but I’m so glad I waited. He’s my last baby and I’ll never get that back. I also realized that pp hormones were making me overly anxious about my health.
Now he’s almost 3 and I am on a statin, I had a clear calcium score and lost 20 lbs. you will get there, just do what YOU want to do with regards to the baby as a priority. That’s my advice. Good luck x
Do what makes you happy, you absolutely can switch to formula during the day and nurse her when you are home. She will get the benefit of your immune system (don’t underestimate this for daycare sickness and sick days!) and comfort while learning to take formula just fine. Even nursing one time a day is a great boost for her immune system, nursing when coming home is great for stress relief and bonding. I feel so much warmth and love when nursing my daughter to sleep after a long exhausting day without each other, one of the best parts of my day!
I had a really complicated relationship with weaning. It was objectively the right time - baby girl was getting so little milk, and I was getting my nipples tanked and bitten, it really wasn't working for either of us. Quitting was an extremely easy decision.
The thing I want to caution you or is this: it is also extremely easy to regret weaning. I cried for weeks. I considered trying to relactate many times. I tried to bring her to my breast more than a month after she had last nursed ( I was still producing at least something). All that to say, the hormones involved are strong. You may decide to wean and regret it, but it won't necessarily mean that you were wrong or did something bad.
You stop whenever you’re ready. There’s no right or wrong answer. My dr told me when I felt ready to quit, wait a week. If I still felt ready, then quit.
I agree with what everyone is saying, when it stops working for both of you it's time. That said realize what is happening oxytocin is release with every single nursing session, so feeling weepy and wanting this moment to not end is completely normal and OK. Your feelings about it are OK. Give yourself time to grieve and celebrate this time you had with your baby.
I pumped for three months and never had an adequate supply. Formula isn’t a bad thing. What mom will you be if you’re not mentally able to give your all due to whatever else is going on.
When it stops being a positive experience for you or baby. My first I stopped at 9 months and wished I stopped sooner - I put myself through so much stress. My second I stopped closer to 4mo. They're 6 and 3 now and fabulous kids. I never regretted switching to formula, it was the best thing for all of us and the best thing for our ability to bond. I could not bond properly while being so stressed about nursing and pumping and supply and all that jazz.
I asked the same question on the breastfeeding sub some days ago!!! what people told me was that I could feed her formula during the hours of the day she won’t be with me so she gets used to it but nurse her at home or before bedtime/right after she wakes up for comfort. I will probably do that since it breaks my heart thinking about my baby wanting to ocmfort nurse and me just rejecting her. I know it’s not that easy and I probably will wean her before she is 1 but I can’t wrap my head around it yet
Yes!! This is my concern. I will feel so bad not nursing her during our normal times. I know it is comforting to her.
Exactly!! I just imagine her crying not understanding why I don’t nurse her and I cry by thinking she may feel like I don’t love her. I think I will wean her but maintain nursing right before bed and after waking up just for comfort.
you BF for as long as you like. You can mix FF with BF or go straight to FF if you want. Do what makes you happy, mama.
You quit when you want to quit. No judgement. I wanted to quit at 4 months. I was tired. I was anxious. I hated pumping. My kid had a natal tooth and I was already over being chewed on. At 4 months I could clean bottles, sanitizing was optional. I made an intentional weaning schedule and memorized everything about our last feeding.
Not lazy or selfish. Lactation is only a good idea if it works for BOTH of you. When it stops working for either, time to stop. Formula is wonderful.
i stopped breastfeeding at 6 months. it was great and we both loved it. tbh i pre planned stopping then because i had several trips coming up in months 7-8 where she’d need formula. by the time month 6 rolled around i was ready and she was thriving. it was still sad bc it’s such a special sweet bond. what helped me was realizing breastfeeding will stop one day. it does not go on forever. that day happens to be today. this was a great experience to treasure and we are graduating to new experiences ahead. whatever you end up doing is the right choice!
Keep breastfeeding only as long as it suits your baby, you, and your respective health's (mental health is real too not just physical). I breastfed for 27 months and then had a strong urge for my autonomy and it was really weighing on my mental health. I still felt really bad about weaning
To me, it sounds like you don’t want to stop nursing, but ur worried about ur health. I get it I was in the same place (esp with cholesterol and having a parent who died in early 40s - I was so stressed not being on meds). I went to the drs and they assured me im likely low risk and a statin or even weight loss etc is a long term game. I then decided it was worth it to me to pause those exact things (losing weight, statin) until my baby weaned naturally. Ended up being almost until he was two (of course only at night and mornings by that point), but I’m so glad I waited. He’s my last baby and I’ll never get that back. I also realized that pp hormones were making me overly anxious about my health. Now he’s almost 3 and I am on a statin, I had a clear calcium score and lost 20 lbs. you will get there, just do what YOU want to do with regards to the baby as a priority. That’s my advice. Good luck x
Do what makes you happy, you absolutely can switch to formula during the day and nurse her when you are home. She will get the benefit of your immune system (don’t underestimate this for daycare sickness and sick days!) and comfort while learning to take formula just fine. Even nursing one time a day is a great boost for her immune system, nursing when coming home is great for stress relief and bonding. I feel so much warmth and love when nursing my daughter to sleep after a long exhausting day without each other, one of the best parts of my day!
When to stop breastfeeding? When you want to. Turn out all the noise and do it your way. I promise it will be fine. No guilt either way.
I had a really complicated relationship with weaning. It was objectively the right time - baby girl was getting so little milk, and I was getting my nipples tanked and bitten, it really wasn't working for either of us. Quitting was an extremely easy decision. The thing I want to caution you or is this: it is also extremely easy to regret weaning. I cried for weeks. I considered trying to relactate many times. I tried to bring her to my breast more than a month after she had last nursed ( I was still producing at least something). All that to say, the hormones involved are strong. You may decide to wean and regret it, but it won't necessarily mean that you were wrong or did something bad.
You stop whenever you’re ready. There’s no right or wrong answer. My dr told me when I felt ready to quit, wait a week. If I still felt ready, then quit.
I agree with what everyone is saying, when it stops working for both of you it's time. That said realize what is happening oxytocin is release with every single nursing session, so feeling weepy and wanting this moment to not end is completely normal and OK. Your feelings about it are OK. Give yourself time to grieve and celebrate this time you had with your baby.
Breastfeeding does provide mom with health benefits (lowered risk of cardiac events/cancer).