To want to try and breastfeed again?

[sadboobies]

Have a formula fed now 3 month old baby. Traumatic early induction at 37 weeks which took days, was (I now realise) pressured into adding formula at 5 days and then ended up giving up at 2 weeks because I didn't think I would ever have a supply.
Now I think I probably could have built one up if I'd given my body a chance. Full of lots of guilt.

Which influences my thinking... today I discovered that despite no feeding or anything for 10 weeks I can still get some drops from breasts by hand- would I be mad to rent a pump and try relactation?

DH is dead set against it as he thinks it will just upset and stress me (I have had a bit of PND, a lot of which focuses on my feeding guilt) and we've just got her settled into a routine. Plus we have no money.

AIBU to try it or should I just accept my lot and move forward with my FF baby?

@Esspee

Just read an earlier poster saying no child ever thanked their mum for breast feeding. Well both of mine did, not as children but as adults.

As for your question OP. Why not give it a try? Not with a pump but by seeing if baby will latch on. If they do, great, if they don't you know they happily take a bottle so there's nothing to worry about.
Just offer your breast when they are really hungry and keep trying. Squeeze some drops from the nipple to give them a taste. It takes time but it can be done if baby cooperates. Relax and good luck.

I am glad I was bf. I've always had a good immune system and my kids do too. I am sure it's down to bf.

My advice would be to not spend too much time thinking and worrying about this. My two were both tongue-tie and I got so worked up and guilty about not BFing them. I was obsessed and tried so many things to make it work when they were very happily fed on Aptamil and some comfort 'feeding' from me. If I could have the time back I'd take the pressure of myself, say 'sod it' and just enjoy their contentment of being cuddled and fed. So what if it's from a bottle. Please don't waste this precious time berating yourself when you're already doing brilliantly. X

I bf my first for 4 months and the second for 3 years, so I am in favour of breastfeeding, but I would never put pressure on other mums to do as I did. Looking round a class of 5 years olds no one could ever tell who was and wasn't breastfed. They are all healthy and well. Don't stress about it, you baby will be fine.

It's so sad mums feel all this unnecessary guilt over so many things when they should be encouraged to enjoy every minute of these precious years.

I was in a similar situation to you in that my babies came home from the nicu and agree the hospital utterly failing to support me wondered if i could give it a go once i got home as i could still get some drops. I decided that we had all been through enough, and the babies were settled and doing well on formula and it was better for them to continue as they were. And also better for me to just move on instead of trying to complicate matters and put my body through more trauma.i would have liked to breastfeed but mental health is more important. But only you can decide. Your baby will be fine on formula.

It pisses me off no end that women who can't breastfeed are made to feel like they've failed. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. It's all part of the "perfect" experience you're meant to have, and what women need to strive to do in order to "do their best". I don't know any mothers personally who don't always do their best for their children. It's just that some have more resources and more luck than others. If you're feeding your baby and taking care of him/her then you haven't failed. The attitude of failed/succeed re breastfeeding is a large part of why i developed ptsd after mine were born. Breastfeeding just isn't that important but some healthcare professionals and other women do like to pile to pressure on a new mum. Mine had colostrum then were ff and they're absolutely perfect. Healthy as a horse, the pair of them.

I wouldn't put yourself under that much pressure, especially if you already have PND? Sure, you could see if baby will latch on and try doing a few feeds to see if that makes a difference - but I wouldn't go down the pumping route etc, a lot of work and it takes time away from your baby.

I had to introduce formula at 5 days (my milk was delayed, baby ended up severely dehydrated and had to be readmitted). We soldiered on and I ended up combi-feeding, but mainly because I felt under so much pressure to BF. I did continue with BFing but regret it as it really messed up bonding with my baby and ruined the first months of maternity leave when I should have been enjoying my baby instead of forcing myself to BF.