Feeling sad..

[Brasso4]

After a very difficult beginning and using shields for a long time, I managed to EBF my LO for 6 months. She always had a bottle of EBM at bedtime and occasionally if we went out. She is now 7 months.

I wanted to stop expressing (so that I could go out occasionally in the early evening) and we have started giving her one bottle of formula in the evening and this week I have introduced one more bottle during the day. (I am going to be away for the whole day for a couple of occasions in the next week or so). This has all been complicated by the fact that she has a cows milk protein allergy and is on nutramigen.

Suddenly she has started to scream when I BF during the day and refuse to take from me. She will usually take from me during the night (although there were problems last night) and for her first feed (today she was not happy with that too) both she and I have ended up in tears. She loves her solids and is eating a good breakfast and small lunch but until this week was happy feeding from me.

Have I ruined BF with the bottle during the day? The HV suggested that she was just not hungry (she has never cried for food so always try when I think she might be ready) but I am wondering if my let down is too slow compared to the bottle. I am prepared to drop BF during the day but was hoping to keep early morning and middle of the night feeds but this screaming thing is really making me sad and I can't cope with how upset she is getting.

Any ideas?

Try expressing your b/m. My DD gave up on my slow boobs at nine months, but would take ebm.

She was getting a lot of food and three bottles of formula after she self weaned.

We fed DD what we were eating all ground up and she had soya formula.

Hope it works out for you soon - but I think once they've had a free flowing bottle, then they didn't feel like suckling again IME.

Another thing you could try is a smaller (newborn) hole in the teat. She'll still have to pull on it and will get the hang of your boob again.
Good luck

Brasso - look up 'nursing strike' on here or elsewhere.

You may be going a bit fast with the bottles for her....she's perhaps a bit cross and puzzled.

Thanks for the replies, things have been a little bit better today - she fed well in the middle of the night and first thing this morning, we had a little struggle at 10:15 but she did take some milk but then she did not want any milk until 5pm!! She did cry a bit but eventually settled (I think my let down is a little slow for her) and fed on both sides.

I tried expressing the other day and nothing came out - I used to be able to get loads - so that is a no go really.

Aaaarrrggghg - just been bitten by LO! She has drawn blood.

She will not feed at all this morning so have had to resort to a bottle. I think this is probably the end of bf I am getting sooo stressed and upset trying to feed her and she is getting sooo stressed too. I always said I would feed as long as I enjoyed it and this last week it has not been fun.

Now I have to work out how to ff and limit my own guilt :( at least my periods might come back and we can ttc dc2!

Have fun ttcing

Buy yourself a wonderful present for doing a wonderful thing - sometimes ending b/f can be very sad indeed, but you are still your baby's mummy and you did a fab job.

As I remember DD weaning off me over the course of about a week, DD decided to spend less and less time in the boob and then just refused. We got to nine months, just one day at a time.

Well done on your seven months, you have given her a fabulous head start in life.

And if she's interested in feeding next week, put her on again.

Try skin to skin a lot in the meantime: she may go back on if they're available.

Look out for a lovely pressie for yourself.

Zazeb, your kind words have brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.

Another very disturbed night here, LO did feed off me twice to help settle her to sleep. I don't think my emotions are being helped by lack of sleep.

Ah bless Brasso!

I do remember it well - I had a magnificent howl when my Dd 'went off' my boobs!

Don't underestimate how upset you can be!
Skin on skin contact is lovely - I used to massage DD with apricot oil, and just hold her close under a fleecy blanket.

All this change is bound to be upsetting, but you are still number one person to your LO, so pat yourself on the back and enjoy her.

And don't forget the lovely pressie for yourself.