to think breastfeeding is not 'convenient'?

[SolasEile]

So I might be feeling a tad bitter because my 3 month old is in some crazy nursing strike phase and I'm frustrated from having spent months trying to make breastfeeding work only to have it all fall apart now, 3 months in... but... surely breast-feeding is a hell of a lot less convenient than formula feeding?

When I went to NCT classes the message was that breast-feeding is so easy and natural and convenient and while it might be a bit tough in the early weeks, once you and baby get used to it it's so convenient as you can just 'pop them on' the breast anywhere and no need for bottles or mixing up formula and so on.

I'm not finding that to be the case. My DS was formula fed after 8 weeks and I could feed him anywhere. I just brought sterilized bottles with me and readymade formula in cartons and managed to move country and fly longhaul with him at 3 months old.

Now with my DD, she is EBF, and feeding her is a gigantic pain in the arse. First of all, you have the issue of breastfeeding in public which I'm still not 100% confident doing. I have a nursing shawl and have tried to feed her a couple of times but I find it very hard as she is a messy feeder and we were using shields up until recently. Secondly I have a very fast letdown so she gets fussy at the breast and will currently only feed in one position (laid back) and usually feeds best when she has just woken from a nap. When she is tired she will not feed for love nor money and just screams the place down from frustration. This makes getting out of the house really really hard as I have to time her feeds so carefully.

At this stage I'm tempted to just pump and bottle feed because feeding my DS out and about with bottles was never an issue at all. I am starting to regret having made the effort to breastfeed. It just is a crap experience and so much work for no reward, as far as I can see. My DS was perfectly healthy whereas my DD has had a cold almost permanently since she was born. We do have some issues with feeding so I am seeing a lactation consultant this weekend to double check on latch and so on but to be honest I'm fed up to fuck with breastfeeding. It just seems like a big con where we are told it's best for baby and it's 'so convenient' and natural when really it is just a gigantic pain in the arse.

So AIBU? To be fed up with breastfeeding and not find it convenient or easy at all? Or am I just unlucky to have had issues with both my DS and DD?
/Awaits flaming from lactivist / NCT people.../

I am amazed at the persistence some of you have shown in the face of such difficulties

In my case I had one dd who turned out to be intolerant of cow's milk who I formula fed and felt a bit shit about it when she had years of tummy pain associated with drink milk, not the formula but the milk she was still drinking. The formula obviously was not good for her.

Dd2 also ff had 3 febrile convulsions in the 4 months I struggled to feed ds, she had had others, she had multiple ear infections and chest infections which required antibiotics over her first 3 years. Her poor health at the time made me want to do whatever I could to improve ds outcome. No guarantees from bf obviously but I hoped it might help at least.

Believe me I do not believe that bf is the solution to all that ails every infant but ds aged 3 has never visited our gp. at least in part a coincidence but Tbh after all the nightmare getting him to bf I deserved something to have gone bloody right

The success I'm having this time with dd is making me think c'mon was it that bad breastfeeding ds? But it actually was

ithoughtofitfirst I sent DH out to have a vasectomy when DS was 5 weeks old. It was that bad.

Whatever suits you. I found it much more easier. Baby has had 3 months of the good stuff anyway. I would say out of my 4 the one i ebf until 2 is by far the healthiest.

I could send dh for a vasectomy after this weekend. Bloody kids.