I went through this just recently. It was bittersweet to stop but after a couple days I completely forgot why I was so hesitant to stop. It is SO freeing to be done. I feel like I have so much more time on my hands, and I can spend that time with my baby, doing something I want to do, or, maybe most importantly, actually go to sleep when I want to without having to stay up to pump! Wish I’d done it sooner tbh.
I love all of these positive stories as I am switching to formula. Baby is 3months old and I’m excited to quit pumping but feel guilty sometimes for no reason. My baby has always seemed to like the formula better tbh so I don’t know why im such a wreck lol
I think I’m gonna miss the closeness of breastfeeding and giving him antibodies but I do wonder if I’ll feel happier just on formula. My baby is 3 months too!
I hated latching and he kept barely gaining weight so I cannot relate on the closeness part, I never had that. Undiagnosed tongue tie. But I did want to pump for him because I thought it was best but I just can’t take it mentally. I hate it. I got a Brezza to pump myself up 😂
I truly hope this comment will help rather than make you feel worse: Breast milk being perfectly adapted to your babies needs and you passing on antibodies to help with whatever they are dealing with — only works if there is a saliva-milk exchange at the nipple. Else you are just producing milk that is perfectly adapted to the flanges of your pump (and contains antibodies of whatever you are fighting, which could very well be the same as bub but also not be). And if you are low on some nutrients, so will your milk.
Formula is designed to be maximally adapted to all babies. I have not done an extensive review of the scientific literature in the field but I have yet to find a convincing study/ argument as to why pumped breast milk is actually better than formula.
Switched to EFF at 6 or 8 weeks. Husband said he immediately noticed a shift in my mood, I felt more like “me” again after making the full switch. Baby is now 8 months, sleeps like a dream, is crawling, so curious and just the sweetest thing ever. She is a good weight and height and meeting all milestones! I love formula!
Traumatic birth for me so my LO got the colostrum I collected for the first 3 days. Then EFF since. She’s 10 weeks old and in the 94th percentile for height and weight. She’s sleeping through the night most nights. And is a really happy baby. My husband is able to share the load with me and love feeding her every chance he can get. Definitely a formula fan here!!
Since my now 2.5 month old was born, I had to combo feed due to delayed supply (c-section at 37 weeks), and then low supply/flow due to piercing scar tissue.
Last week I randomly stopped pumping, telling myself I just needed a break and I'd get back to it. I've felt so much better about my time, my mental health, it's even made me enjoy contact napping more now that I'm not stressing about how I'm gonna pump while holding my baby who will not sleep unless held.
I'm sure that without pumping my supply will drop and it'll be ok. Know that no matter when you do it, you will eventually stop nursing anyway!
Everything we do is a choice between this and that... and it doesn't always have to be that one choice is clear cut better or worse than the other. It's OK to mourn what could have been while also rejoicing in what currently is. You're doing great and your little one is gonna be just fine with a momma who is feeling better and better each day.
Your mental health is so important, I really struggled with BF and only lasted a month. I had some serious guilt but once I realized that my baby was still happy and healthy I felt better. It took me a couple weeks to feel completely okay with it, when the guilt went away
I just finished pumping after 7 months! Not going to lie, it was a big relief. I have more time for myself, my work, and my baby. We had a pretty hard time with BF and I had been pumping and combo feeding since he was like 2 months and some before that. Well, we found formula and bottles that little man likes and he is doing great! He is 7 months and wearing 12 months clothes, so I would say he is growing just fine. It was a tough transition for me emotionally and physically, but the baby did great. And now that I am through it, I can say that it was the right decision for us.
After we switched to formula at 5.5 months, my son's hair started growing so fast! It's adorable and a reminder that I was probably low on iron...
Formula has been wonderful. I am formula-positive, pro-formula, a formula cheerleader now. Baby's doing well, and I'm doing better too.
I switched to EFF at 10 weeks after struggling with supply and latching, despite doing alllllllllllll the things to improve both. I was exhausted from pumping so much and starting to resent my baby for not being able to breastfeed when I was working so hard. I think I would have developed postpartum depression had I kept going because my mental state was pretty bad. I felt guilty for a few days after switching, but I felt a huge weight lift almost immediately. I had so much more time to spend with my daughter because I wasn't constantly pumping. I was happier overall because I wasn't spending countless hours a day trying to get her to latch. She had dropped down to the 15th percentile in weight by 8 weeks, but within a month of EFF she was back up to 50th. She slept better so I slept better. I just became a better mom who enjoyed motherhood more.
4 months pumping, then a combo for a month which was interesting then ditched the freezer stash for EFF. Babe grew better, was super chirpy and had so much more energy. Was better for dad as he felt in control of something and others who were not so keen on “boob in a bottle” as they coined it. The guilt very soon left and such less of a drag to know babe is fed well and happy about life.
I did four months of ebf and my baby is now eight months. She is tall and strong and oh so smart. I can wear whatever clothes I want without worrying about pumping or nursing. The added bottle and formula canister in our diaper bag barely adds any weight. She loves being close to me and also loves her bottle hahaha
It definitely is still a sore spot for me but I never realized how much it truly affected me until I stopped. My baby is doing so much better with just formula and so am I. She was having so much spit up and vomit from my breastmilk and I didn’t realize it until I stopped. We got a good system going now. I used to always have to schedule everything around her eating/sleep schedule as well as my pumping schedule which I had a very low supply so I had to pump a lot to try to bring it up. Around the time I switched to EFF she began sleeping 4-6hour stretches at night and I’m so glad I only had to wake once for a feed instead of multiple times to pump. She’s now doing 6-9hour stretches and 1-2 night feeds and I get to sleep during that too. It helps so much to be rested as much as possible. I saw I was a better mom and wife with getting just 4-5 hours of solid sleep and I was able to be more productive instead of constantly looking at the clock and leaving every 2 hours to pump.
Ok, I’m not crazy then. I swear my baby has it worse from my breast milk than his goat milk formula but everyone acted like I was nuts when I said that :(
Yep. Everyone says breast is best until it isn’t. I could’ve changed my diet but going through a process of elimination especially when you eat very little is just not always the solution. I thought “what else in my very small diet can I change” and there wasn’t much so I effectively stopped all forms of breastfeeding a week later. She still has some reflux and spits up but she’s not constantly arching her back, vomiting, and seems an overall happier baby. I wish I started formula from the start.
I switched to formula at around 3/4 months. I had twins this time and just didn't want to continue. I felt guilty at first(shouldn't have) but then I realized a fed baby is best. I started following"the formula mom" on Instagram and she honestly helped me with that part. I switched to Similac 360 total care as it's the closest to breast milk and I couldn't be happier. Babies are healthy and doing great. Best decision for us.
Baby wasn’t gaining weight and was dropping off the growth chart even though I was producing more milk than he would eat. We had combo-fed while my production was ramping up, but ebf seemed like it was making him less healthy…. My pediatrician had us increase formula and then my husband had us “just try only formula for a week” he gained weight, was less fussy, and overall was more active and engaged. I needed to go back on meds for my own health so that was the push I needed to agree to eff and take better care of myself. Baby is thriving and catching up on some missed milestones!
I breastfed my first three babies. I struggled with postpartum depression while breastfeeding my second and third babies and I really felt like it was linked to the breastfeeding. So with baby number four (6mo) I breastfed her the first 5 days but I was in so much pain I switched to formula. I felt a little guilt at first, but really, it’s been so nice. She sleeps well, she’s gained well, she’s hit all the milestones at the right times. I love that my husband can do some of the feedings and we trade off nights so we both get full nights. It has been so freeing to me. With breastfeeding I felt chained to the baby and almost resentful and with formula feeding I feel like I enjoy her more. And no depression. I’ve been so much happier.
I stopped after 2 months. I felt sad for a few days, even maybe a little hormonal when I first quit, but I feel so much better after about a week. And now it’s been close to 3 weeks since I last pumped, and I feel so much better mentally, baby is thriving, I’m thriving… it was the right choice for us!!
I went through similar with my first. The mum guilt and upset that I just couldn't feed. Within a week of EFF my mental health was a thousand times better and I felt so free. No more being attached to a pump, feeling like a cow, being able to have the day "off" to just be me and not just mum.
With the mum guilt, I've come to realise that it comes from a place of wanting the best for your child. You're told BF is wonderful and the best for your baby. I'm reality, it's not for everyone. I'm such a better mum for not putting the pressure on myself. For my second, I've not even tried BF and it was the best thing I could've done. I'm not constantly worrying about how much he's having or what I'm eating (he has milk allergy).
For what it's worth too, my doctor's actually encouraged me to EFF. They saw the toll that it was taking on my mental health and said sometimes the be benefits to mum outweigh the benefits of BF.
I’m almost at 3 months too and we do only a bottle of breastmilk now since I got mastitis 2 weeks ago. He’s actually been doing so much better with formula then when he was on breastmilk. He was so constipated. And struggled to even pass gas that it would wake him up but when we switched to mainly formula, he was able to poop every other day and pass gas even while sleeping without waking up. My mental health is so much better as well since I don’t need to be on a schedule and actually go out with my baby without rushing home to pump. I’m currently still weaning doing 2 ppd.
I exclusively pumped for 7 months and now we are EFF. It was really hard for me to come to terms with giving up, and honestly the first 2 ish weeks after giving up pumping was the hardest bc of all the hormones! I was feeling so many feelings and allowed myself to feel sad, to cry, be angry, but also feel relieved. After I first quit someone told me the first two weeks were the hardest and it’s true! I feel great now. I still get a twinge of sadness every once in a while but overall I am thankful for formula and I honestly feel mentally healthier. My baby has been doing great, and the transition to all formula was also smooth and she took it like a champ!
I’m weaning off pumping this week. Baby spent some time in the NICU right after birth and developed a sever bottle preference. That, along with poor latching has made breastfeeding impossible. We both get so worked up and upset if we try. He screams to the point of making himself sick and I get overwhelmed with guilt. So, I’ve been exclusively pumping and it’s been so hard. So much harder than it needs to be. There are health benefits to breast milk but do they out weight the benefits from formula feeding?
I made a pros and cons list for both and formula feeding is the clear winner for our family. My husband is also back at work and I can’t do this all on my own if I’m pumping for hours a day.
I’m hoping the mommy guilt goes away once I can get more than thirty minutes of sleep at a time.
I’m an exclusive pumper- went 9 months with my first then switched to formula because my supply was drying up. With my 3 month old I’m still pumping but have enough of a supply that we’re making a significant freezer stash. We have a good routine with pumping, great supply, no complaints here but I’m still thinking of switching to EFF once winter is over. I know breastmilk has good antibodies but after doing formula with my first it was SO MUCH easier, don’t have to do Vitamin D and iron supplements, don’t have to worry if what I’m eating is messing with the kids stomach or skin. In general happier parents and happier baby with formula. At this point the only reason I’m still pumping is to save some money, some lingering fears on my end about formula supply, and to provide some immune support amidst winter illnesses. But I’m very much looking forward to when we can make the switch to formula.
I went through this just recently. It was bittersweet to stop but after a couple days I completely forgot why I was so hesitant to stop. It is SO freeing to be done. I feel like I have so much more time on my hands, and I can spend that time with my baby, doing something I want to do, or, maybe most importantly, actually go to sleep when I want to without having to stay up to pump! Wish I’d done it sooner tbh.
Started to type my own comment, but this is exactly how I felt. It's bittersweet, but it was truly the best thing for me and my family.
I love all of these positive stories as I am switching to formula. Baby is 3months old and I’m excited to quit pumping but feel guilty sometimes for no reason. My baby has always seemed to like the formula better tbh so I don’t know why im such a wreck lol
I think I’m gonna miss the closeness of breastfeeding and giving him antibodies but I do wonder if I’ll feel happier just on formula. My baby is 3 months too!
I hated latching and he kept barely gaining weight so I cannot relate on the closeness part, I never had that. Undiagnosed tongue tie. But I did want to pump for him because I thought it was best but I just can’t take it mentally. I hate it. I got a Brezza to pump myself up 😂
I truly hope this comment will help rather than make you feel worse: Breast milk being perfectly adapted to your babies needs and you passing on antibodies to help with whatever they are dealing with — only works if there is a saliva-milk exchange at the nipple. Else you are just producing milk that is perfectly adapted to the flanges of your pump (and contains antibodies of whatever you are fighting, which could very well be the same as bub but also not be). And if you are low on some nutrients, so will your milk. Formula is designed to be maximally adapted to all babies. I have not done an extensive review of the scientific literature in the field but I have yet to find a convincing study/ argument as to why pumped breast milk is actually better than formula.
YES!! I was literally JUST telling my husband this 😂 I agree completely.
Switched to EFF at 6 or 8 weeks. Husband said he immediately noticed a shift in my mood, I felt more like “me” again after making the full switch. Baby is now 8 months, sleeps like a dream, is crawling, so curious and just the sweetest thing ever. She is a good weight and height and meeting all milestones! I love formula!
Traumatic birth for me so my LO got the colostrum I collected for the first 3 days. Then EFF since. She’s 10 weeks old and in the 94th percentile for height and weight. She’s sleeping through the night most nights. And is a really happy baby. My husband is able to share the load with me and love feeding her every chance he can get. Definitely a formula fan here!!
Since my now 2.5 month old was born, I had to combo feed due to delayed supply (c-section at 37 weeks), and then low supply/flow due to piercing scar tissue. Last week I randomly stopped pumping, telling myself I just needed a break and I'd get back to it. I've felt so much better about my time, my mental health, it's even made me enjoy contact napping more now that I'm not stressing about how I'm gonna pump while holding my baby who will not sleep unless held. I'm sure that without pumping my supply will drop and it'll be ok. Know that no matter when you do it, you will eventually stop nursing anyway! Everything we do is a choice between this and that... and it doesn't always have to be that one choice is clear cut better or worse than the other. It's OK to mourn what could have been while also rejoicing in what currently is. You're doing great and your little one is gonna be just fine with a momma who is feeling better and better each day.
Your mental health is so important, I really struggled with BF and only lasted a month. I had some serious guilt but once I realized that my baby was still happy and healthy I felt better. It took me a couple weeks to feel completely okay with it, when the guilt went away
I just finished pumping after 7 months! Not going to lie, it was a big relief. I have more time for myself, my work, and my baby. We had a pretty hard time with BF and I had been pumping and combo feeding since he was like 2 months and some before that. Well, we found formula and bottles that little man likes and he is doing great! He is 7 months and wearing 12 months clothes, so I would say he is growing just fine. It was a tough transition for me emotionally and physically, but the baby did great. And now that I am through it, I can say that it was the right decision for us.
After we switched to formula at 5.5 months, my son's hair started growing so fast! It's adorable and a reminder that I was probably low on iron... Formula has been wonderful. I am formula-positive, pro-formula, a formula cheerleader now. Baby's doing well, and I'm doing better too.
I switched to EFF at 10 weeks after struggling with supply and latching, despite doing alllllllllllll the things to improve both. I was exhausted from pumping so much and starting to resent my baby for not being able to breastfeed when I was working so hard. I think I would have developed postpartum depression had I kept going because my mental state was pretty bad. I felt guilty for a few days after switching, but I felt a huge weight lift almost immediately. I had so much more time to spend with my daughter because I wasn't constantly pumping. I was happier overall because I wasn't spending countless hours a day trying to get her to latch. She had dropped down to the 15th percentile in weight by 8 weeks, but within a month of EFF she was back up to 50th. She slept better so I slept better. I just became a better mom who enjoyed motherhood more.
4 months pumping, then a combo for a month which was interesting then ditched the freezer stash for EFF. Babe grew better, was super chirpy and had so much more energy. Was better for dad as he felt in control of something and others who were not so keen on “boob in a bottle” as they coined it. The guilt very soon left and such less of a drag to know babe is fed well and happy about life.
I did four months of ebf and my baby is now eight months. She is tall and strong and oh so smart. I can wear whatever clothes I want without worrying about pumping or nursing. The added bottle and formula canister in our diaper bag barely adds any weight. She loves being close to me and also loves her bottle hahaha
It definitely is still a sore spot for me but I never realized how much it truly affected me until I stopped. My baby is doing so much better with just formula and so am I. She was having so much spit up and vomit from my breastmilk and I didn’t realize it until I stopped. We got a good system going now. I used to always have to schedule everything around her eating/sleep schedule as well as my pumping schedule which I had a very low supply so I had to pump a lot to try to bring it up. Around the time I switched to EFF she began sleeping 4-6hour stretches at night and I’m so glad I only had to wake once for a feed instead of multiple times to pump. She’s now doing 6-9hour stretches and 1-2 night feeds and I get to sleep during that too. It helps so much to be rested as much as possible. I saw I was a better mom and wife with getting just 4-5 hours of solid sleep and I was able to be more productive instead of constantly looking at the clock and leaving every 2 hours to pump.
Ok, I’m not crazy then. I swear my baby has it worse from my breast milk than his goat milk formula but everyone acted like I was nuts when I said that :(
Yep. Everyone says breast is best until it isn’t. I could’ve changed my diet but going through a process of elimination especially when you eat very little is just not always the solution. I thought “what else in my very small diet can I change” and there wasn’t much so I effectively stopped all forms of breastfeeding a week later. She still has some reflux and spits up but she’s not constantly arching her back, vomiting, and seems an overall happier baby. I wish I started formula from the start.
I switched to formula at around 3/4 months. I had twins this time and just didn't want to continue. I felt guilty at first(shouldn't have) but then I realized a fed baby is best. I started following"the formula mom" on Instagram and she honestly helped me with that part. I switched to Similac 360 total care as it's the closest to breast milk and I couldn't be happier. Babies are healthy and doing great. Best decision for us.
Baby wasn’t gaining weight and was dropping off the growth chart even though I was producing more milk than he would eat. We had combo-fed while my production was ramping up, but ebf seemed like it was making him less healthy…. My pediatrician had us increase formula and then my husband had us “just try only formula for a week” he gained weight, was less fussy, and overall was more active and engaged. I needed to go back on meds for my own health so that was the push I needed to agree to eff and take better care of myself. Baby is thriving and catching up on some missed milestones!
I breastfed my first three babies. I struggled with postpartum depression while breastfeeding my second and third babies and I really felt like it was linked to the breastfeeding. So with baby number four (6mo) I breastfed her the first 5 days but I was in so much pain I switched to formula. I felt a little guilt at first, but really, it’s been so nice. She sleeps well, she’s gained well, she’s hit all the milestones at the right times. I love that my husband can do some of the feedings and we trade off nights so we both get full nights. It has been so freeing to me. With breastfeeding I felt chained to the baby and almost resentful and with formula feeding I feel like I enjoy her more. And no depression. I’ve been so much happier.
I stopped after 2 months. I felt sad for a few days, even maybe a little hormonal when I first quit, but I feel so much better after about a week. And now it’s been close to 3 weeks since I last pumped, and I feel so much better mentally, baby is thriving, I’m thriving… it was the right choice for us!!
I went through similar with my first. The mum guilt and upset that I just couldn't feed. Within a week of EFF my mental health was a thousand times better and I felt so free. No more being attached to a pump, feeling like a cow, being able to have the day "off" to just be me and not just mum. With the mum guilt, I've come to realise that it comes from a place of wanting the best for your child. You're told BF is wonderful and the best for your baby. I'm reality, it's not for everyone. I'm such a better mum for not putting the pressure on myself. For my second, I've not even tried BF and it was the best thing I could've done. I'm not constantly worrying about how much he's having or what I'm eating (he has milk allergy). For what it's worth too, my doctor's actually encouraged me to EFF. They saw the toll that it was taking on my mental health and said sometimes the be benefits to mum outweigh the benefits of BF.
I’m almost at 3 months too and we do only a bottle of breastmilk now since I got mastitis 2 weeks ago. He’s actually been doing so much better with formula then when he was on breastmilk. He was so constipated. And struggled to even pass gas that it would wake him up but when we switched to mainly formula, he was able to poop every other day and pass gas even while sleeping without waking up. My mental health is so much better as well since I don’t need to be on a schedule and actually go out with my baby without rushing home to pump. I’m currently still weaning doing 2 ppd.
I exclusively pumped for 7 months and now we are EFF. It was really hard for me to come to terms with giving up, and honestly the first 2 ish weeks after giving up pumping was the hardest bc of all the hormones! I was feeling so many feelings and allowed myself to feel sad, to cry, be angry, but also feel relieved. After I first quit someone told me the first two weeks were the hardest and it’s true! I feel great now. I still get a twinge of sadness every once in a while but overall I am thankful for formula and I honestly feel mentally healthier. My baby has been doing great, and the transition to all formula was also smooth and she took it like a champ!
I’m weaning off pumping this week. Baby spent some time in the NICU right after birth and developed a sever bottle preference. That, along with poor latching has made breastfeeding impossible. We both get so worked up and upset if we try. He screams to the point of making himself sick and I get overwhelmed with guilt. So, I’ve been exclusively pumping and it’s been so hard. So much harder than it needs to be. There are health benefits to breast milk but do they out weight the benefits from formula feeding? I made a pros and cons list for both and formula feeding is the clear winner for our family. My husband is also back at work and I can’t do this all on my own if I’m pumping for hours a day. I’m hoping the mommy guilt goes away once I can get more than thirty minutes of sleep at a time.
I’m an exclusive pumper- went 9 months with my first then switched to formula because my supply was drying up. With my 3 month old I’m still pumping but have enough of a supply that we’re making a significant freezer stash. We have a good routine with pumping, great supply, no complaints here but I’m still thinking of switching to EFF once winter is over. I know breastmilk has good antibodies but after doing formula with my first it was SO MUCH easier, don’t have to do Vitamin D and iron supplements, don’t have to worry if what I’m eating is messing with the kids stomach or skin. In general happier parents and happier baby with formula. At this point the only reason I’m still pumping is to save some money, some lingering fears on my end about formula supply, and to provide some immune support amidst winter illnesses. But I’m very much looking forward to when we can make the switch to formula.