I'm beginning to hate breastfeeding

[Scotinoz]

My baby is six and a half months now, has been soley breastfed until I started weaning around a month ago, and since then I've begun to hate breastfeeding.

She wriggles, squirms, doesn't bite as such but chews a heck of a lot and I'm feeling almost bruised, pops and and off so she can look around which means I try to avoid going out when I know she'll want fed, feeds for comfort quite a bit at night (see point about chewing), pinches, pulls etc.

I know she still needs mostly milk and I've considered formula for even just during the day but this generates a 'cats bum' face and a lecture about the WHO (jeez, I hate that lot too, they have a LOT to answer for!) recommending feeding until two from peers, health visitors etc.

What do I do? Suck it up, ice my nipples and keep feeding her? Suck it up and take the death stares when I whip out the formula? Is there some magical cure to give me a less wriggly, pinchy, chewy baby?

Suggestions please ladies!

[ForTheLoveOfSocks]

Formula isn't a magic cure for all, but if your unhappy then why not give it a try?

I won't lie, it's a ball ache washing and sterilising, but if you feel stuck in the house why not substitute one feed with a bottle at first and see how you go?

And just so you know, I have bf and ff my DC. I prefer bf because it's so much easier to get them out. Plus I hate washing up with a passion.

You need to do what's right for you. You've already gave an amazing start, one bottle a day (or more if you want) won't hurt.

[3boys3dogshelp]

Are you sure she wants feeding as often as you're feeding her? That sounds like an awful lot of messing about not actually drinking milk. Perhaps try feeding a little less often now she is weaning.
Mine have all been through 'chewy' stages - it's ok to take her off when she is doing that. You're not a dummy or a chew toy and she will learn if you're consistent. With my middle son he wasn't getting it with just taking him off and one day he bit and I yelped ( not on purpose! ) he instantly stopped and cried and didn't do it again!
All that said if you want to ff just do it. Your baby needs milk but she needs a happy mum too. 6 months is a great start for her.

[Scotinoz]

Thanks for that. I'd much rather BF as I'm far to lazy to faff about with bottles! My poor bosom is feeling like it's been through the wars and I guess I'm more looking for a magical cure to get my kid to stop chewing!

[middlings]

^^ this, especially on the washing up.

Alternatively, as I don't do an expressing friendly job, and went back to work at 8mos and 7mos, my two switched to bottles in the day and me mornings and evenings at that stage. Helps assuage our ridiculous and unnecessary guilt and reduces the washing up.

IME, the chewing/biting is a phase. Either stroking her head to relax her or unlatching and saying "no" helped me.

[Scotinoz]

She's probably only feeding four or five times during the day and I'm waiting til she demands rather than offering. Even then it's wiggle, chew, wiggle chew, chew etc. She does actually take quite a lot (well there's a lot of gulping) so I'm figuring she's actually hungry?

[middlings]

Gah cross post. My this was to forthelove

[Scotinoz]

I'll try head stroking (instead of grunting my teeth and thinking dear god, quit that chewing...I sound awful!). Thanks!

[Scotinoz]

The guilt is why I've not broken out the formula tin....

[3boys3dogshelp]

Ah ok that sounds fair enough. It was just a suggestionas I wwent through a similar phase with ds1 where I thought I was feeding on demand but then he wouldn't take much and really just wanted to play.
Have you tried dentinox/teething granules/calpol in case gthe fussing and chewing is teething pain putting her off her feed?

[restandpeace]

Stop then! Put bottles in the dishwasher abd us ready made baby milk.

[fledermaus]

Why would you feel guilty about formula? Your baby is having solids, they aren't exclusively breastfed anymore, cow's milk is just another food.

If she messes about, I'd assume she's not hungry enough and would take her off tbh.

[Viviennemary]

Well I am pro bf but you've managed up until 6 months so that's very good indeed. I'd probably try to keep going until around 8 months and then gradually stop if it gets no better. But you must do what you think is best.

[GoogleyEyes]

There's a technique you can use for biting / rough chewing. Basically, rather than putting a finger in to unlatch (by which time the damage is often done) just hug her right in so that her nose is buried in your breast. She will automatically unlatch, so as to be able to breathe. This worked for both of mine to persuade them that if they bit, the milk temporarily went away. If they did it several times in a row I shut up shop, as I figured they weren't really hungry.

The other thing you might try is teething gel or Calpol, and see if that makes a difference. It could be that she's trying to soothe sore gums and using you as a teether (ouch).

[museumum]

If you really don't want to use formula try expressing bottles for out and about where there are too many distractions.
My ds is 9mo and among our peer group only one or two babies will bf in an interesting out and about environment. All my other friends use bottles. My ds won't take a bottle but he's a food machine and only drinks milk two to three times a day (always at home).
This shift happened from about 6mo onwards.

[museumum]

Also breast milk is far easier to store/use than formula because it's naturally antibacterial. You don't need to do half as much chilling and heating and what not.

[BertieBotts]

I think they're just wiggly pains at this age! You're going to have a live wire toddler! :)

You could try taking her off when she chews and only letting her feed when she's doing it properly.

Try teething gel or teething powder on her gums before a feed too in case it's teething related.

[BertieBotts]

You could try different positions too? I found once DS could sit up he was easier to feed sitting on my lap than lying down. But at 6 months she might be too little to reach - he was 9 months ish.

[spiderlight]

I invested in a nursing necklace at about this age and it helped to distract DS from what might be happening behind im and keep him focused on the task at hand.

[meganorks]

I would stop feeding her in the day, just bed and morning. If not now then in the next month or 2. Once she us having plenty of solids in the day she doesn't need so much milk in the day. Or if you don't want to do that then give formula in the day.

[tiktok]

Who's lecturing you about WHO? WHO have no policy about formula after 6 mths. They recommend bf for two years and beyond but this does not mean no formula.

[Scotinoz]

GoogleyEyes - good tip, I'll give that a try.

BertieBots - you're not the first to suggest I might have a future live wire! Not sure about teething. She's already got two but I'll maybe try some gel for luck.

Museumum - I'd thought about expressing too. She's never really taken to bottles and I hoped I could just skip them and use a sippy cup. She's still not quite there with a cup - does a bit of dramatic choking now and again.

meganorks - my mum suggested I just feed morning and night, which I'd be more than happy with. I'm not quite sure what all/how much she needs to be eating before it's

[Scotinoz]

Sorry, hit send!

...okay to drop feeds. Mum said she just gave us cows milk with meals but that was 30+ years ago.

[fledermaus]

She'll need more than 2 feeds a day at 6 months, even formula fed babies need at least 3 bottles a day between 6-12 months and breastfed babies tend to need to feed more often. I think if you are only breastfeeding twice she'll need formula in the day too.

[museumum]

My bottle refusing ds goes to his dad/granny three days a week so only bfs at 8am, 4pm and 7:30pm. He also has one overnight feed. He's been eating from 6mo and although I initially thought I'd blw I mixed that with spoon feeding because of the milk issue. At 6mo he was eating porridge made with bm and yoghurt for lunch to make up for the lack of milk. He also eats lots of cheese.
Now (9mo) he's a great eater both self feeding and from a spoon so I'm sure he's fine with the four bfs.

[QuietNinjaTardis]

I keep telling dd that I'm cutting her off as she mucks about so much. I figure once she's bobbed on and off a few times and looked around then she's not that hungry. If she is hungry then she cracks on with it. It only bothers me when she throws herself backwards and I end up flashing. That's about the time I cut her off [ grin] if she's hungry she'll eat.