To quit breastfeeding now?

[hipsalips]

I have a three month old and have been EBF, and while a lot of the time its nice to breastfeed I am getting a bit worn down from it.

I'm debating stopping but feel very conflicted. On one hand I like it (sometimes), I know its good for my DD.

On the other hand I hate the clothes I need to wear, I find all the nursing clothes well dowdy, and would feel more like me if I stopped.

I'm planning to wean her at 6 months, would it be worth swapping to formula until then or would you stick with it, or combination feed to get the best of both worlds?

Yep agree with those who say stick with it. You've done the uphill bit and now between 3-5 months it gets sooooo much easier and ok yes you still have mammaries but it's more predictable and a billion times easier than watching / sterilising / prepping bottles day and night. I cried when I stopped with both of mine it is a very special time... that said do what you feel you must! X

You've just reached the point where it gets much easier.

Mine was, for a short time early on, combination fed due to health reasons. Prepping bottles drove me nuts! It was so much easier once we managed to exclusively breastfeed.

I understand re. clothes but it's such a short period of your life, even if you breastfeed for two years. Also, around eight months I had more than lost my baby weight and, boobs aside, would have fit into my wedding dress again if I still owned it. Doing it for longer will really help you lose any baby weight.

@TheTrollFairy
"Weird that you don’t agree that all babies deserve to be fed."
That's not what she said stop being a TrollFairy
Breastfeeding is best for babies but you can choose not to if its not right for you but don't pretend it's in the babies best interest.

Breastfeeding is best for babies but you can choose not to if its not right for you but don't pretend it's in the babies best interest.

Some people don't 'choose' at all.

Hi OP - which bits are wearing you down? I know you say clothes are but is there anything else? You don't actually have to wear nursing clothing. I wore lycra vest tops underneath my regular tops. I used to buy the lycra vests in a couple of sizes up so I could pull the neck down underneath my breast then pull up my top. That way my midriff wasn't exposed & getting cold while feeding.

The most challenging thing I found about breast feeding was cluster feeding from about 4pm until 3am. I couldn't cope doing this every night so around 8 weeks I introduced a bottle of milk at bedtime and the constant latching stopped. I have to say my supply was very well established by that stage and we had practiced once a week with a bottle so dd was used to it. I know lots of mums combination feed using expressed milk but I used formula & never looked back.

Can’t wait to hear @Horehound respond to clarify her issue with formula!
I FF one and BF the other - both had their pros and cons to be honest but I didn’t find breastfeeding at all more convenient tbh as we always used the ready made formula. Do whatever works for you and you feel better about. In the long run I don’t think it matters.

You definitely don't need specific nursing clothes as pp have said! Just a vest under whatever else you're wearing....pull one layer up and the other down. You've got through the hardest part by far. You could enjoy it now as it becomes easier and easier and fuss free!

@Justtryingtobehelpful
"Babies love to BF. It will eventually take less time."
above comment is so true babies do love breastfeeding, I breastfed my twins but would occasionally express when needed to do something DD would refuse bottle of EBM so was hungry when I returned home and DS would look like a happy drunk after each feed

The good debate about breastfeeding and formula has begun again it seems. The opinions will always be split and I'm sure everyone wants the best for their child.

Anyway OP, do what's best for you. I had a wobble around 3 months but ended up breastfeeding for 14 months. Do you feel like you are well established? What's your flow like? How long does it take you to breastfeed?

It also gets easier when they start eating properly as the feeds got shorter and shorter. It ended up being like 1-2 minutes for me.

Interesting @Temp123999 I kind of decided it was in DC1’s best interest to formula feed as he wasn’t able to latch and/or get any milk out. Thought formula was better than starvation 🤷‍♀️

Breastfeeding is like giving your child colourful stir fry veg with a dash of olive oil and Lobster.
Formula is like giving them McDonald's, it won't hurt them but won't nourish them in the same way

That is the wankiest thing I’ve ever read on here. You utter idiot.

@firstimemamma

On the clothing front, this is what helped me. I just wore normal clothes but with a vest top underneath then when it was time to feed the top came down and vest cake up. Could u perhaps try this then u would be able to feel a bit more like yourself in your clothes and not have to wear special nursing clothes.

Yup this.

Thin lightweight vest and just whatever clothes. Kept my tummy covered.

God another depressing descent into women sniping and swiping about breast feeding or formula feeding

Just
Stop

I am on my sixth year of consecutive Breastfeeding with my third child.

I don’t and never did wear frumpy nursing clothes just a plain black / white/ stretchy cami vest and a nursing bra underneath whatever top I’m wearing. You can get nice nursing bras.

If you want to formula feed do it but for goodness sake don’t stop something that you are getting into to swing of and that is actually great for both of you because of clothing!

Also good luck with getting a ebf baby to just take a bottle. If you crack that wiickly publish a book you will make a lot of money

I wouldn’t quit based on what clothes you can/can’t wear, I always just used the “two tops” method others have mentioned and pretty much wore what I wanted. And BF is so underrated as an all round useful parenting tool - calming them when distressed/ teething, you can still BF them when they have a vomiting bug, feed them on a plane for take off...plus all the benefits of no sterilising, always at the right temp, I wouldn’t quit it for what clothes I could wear. BUT it’s up to you!

@Temp123999 thanks for making me feel a bit ick about stir fry and lobster. I really hope you're not a troll, I'm really enjoying the idea of you

@StepAwayFromGoogle
Telling me to fuck off because you don't agree with very mature. The way you feed your kids really won't matter when you're so abusive

@Covert20 totally agree re the parenting tool - I'm a bit stumped as to what I'll do when DD is in a grump when I do stop.. It's the only weapon in my armoury!

I combi fed both my DC. 2 bottles formula a day from dad and the rest of the feeds from me. At around 7/8 months they just got bottles . Doing bottles is. A pain in the ass too though in my opinion.

@LunchBoxPolice

That is the wankiest thing I’ve ever read on here. You utter idiot.
I'm an idiot because I don't agree with you, okay the scientific research always comes down on the side of breastfeeding, if you don't want to breastfeed go ahead but insulting me because I'm doing what's makes you the "wanker@

@Temp123999 I told you to fuck off, too. waves

I chose to FF because it was the best option for me and my baby for a number of reasons. I am completely secure in my decision and so your nasty vitriol doesn’t affect me. Also, you clearly can’t cook as no one would waste lobster in a ‘stir-fry’.

I’m telling you to fuck off on behalf of all the women who struggled with feeding, feel sad they didn’t or could BF, who had poorly babies who needed FF while in NICU, or who were so poorly themselves they couldn’t. For all the women who beat themselves up because their initial plans for feeding didn’t pan out.

If you like the benefits of breast feeding I would continue to do so but give a bottle when you are tired or just want to hand over the reins.most children in this country are af and grow up to be hale and hearty so no need to agonise. My DC are adults now but I breast fed absolutely everywhere in normal clothes. Don't give up for clothing reasons.

Agree with others that you are through the toughest part. When you start to wean you will feed less, and at that stage I found it much easier than the faff of formula which we used around once a week.

So if you get that far you may as well keep going. But if you hate it then at least you got this far!