Fed up with BF'ing! Feel almost like i've been lied to tbh!

[SleepDeprivedGrumpyBum]

Title says it all really!

I'm thoroughly fed up with exclusively BF'ing my DS. He point blank refuses to feed from anything other than me and its driving me crazy!

I think i'm beginning to resent BF'ing a bit and feel like a was purposely misled by all the HCP's who were advocating BF'ing whilst i was pregnant. Why is nothing ever said to prepare you for how hard it is? when DS was between 2 - 4 weeks and he was feeding almost constantly i felt like a freak and that it shouldn't be so demanding and challenging. It's only through coming on here i found out it was perfectly normal!

Also all the gumpf you get about not giving bottles until 6 weeks as it will affect yout supply! Why does no one mention that its highly likely that your DC wont take a friggin bottle at that age? I would have liked to have known that so i could have made an informed decision. (especially when it seems such a common problem judging by the number of threads on the topic)

It just feels like i'm the only person who can care properly for DS. Bedtimes, night time, early morning i have to do them all! DP would happily do night shift if he could but its just not possible.

I know its a bit selfish but i just wish i could have some time to myself. Or to at least feel like it was an option. Feels like i've lost all choice as to how i feed my DS, and i'm backed into a corner having to continue to BF :(

Sorry rant/moan/winge over

pacific - you are right that people may not know any reason to prefer to breastfeed. It's by no means universal that all women are aware.

I meant that the focus should not be on education/promotion, because it does no good to tell women how wonderful bf is blah blah blah, without ensuring the means of support and problem-fixing are in place.

Telling people a million good reasons to breastfeed may well be pointless; if they see their friends, sisters and neighbours struggle with it that's what has the greater effect.

Oh yes, I totally agree: it is the timely, speedy, easily available RL support that matters most.

Recently overheard conversation in local supermarket:
Woman to her v obviously pregnant ?friend/?sister 'Are you going to BF?' Answer 'No, euughh!' .
I have honestly no idea how to change that kind of attitude to feeding...

Pacific, the only way to change that view is by normalising BFing. The best way to normalise it is to help the majority who do want to BF to do it successfully. The current govt stance of banging on about the benefits is preaching to the converted for the most part. Actually enabling mothers to BF takes more time and effort than a poster campaign but is far more likely to result in the sort of cultural shift that's needed to alter the sort of attitude you encountered in the supermarket.

I agree with doric. No one is going to change a pregnant woman's view from disgust and aversion - and actually, they should not do any persuasion on her at all, apart from informing her of the basics (which I do think is important, as part of the normalising of bf doric talks about).

havent got time to read the whole thread sorry, but want to say that giving a bottle early doesnt mean they will accept it later.

i expressed a feed every few days from 1 week old to make sure my DS was used to a bottle (no effect on supply btw. and none of the fabled nipple confusion either. AND he has a dummy) he took it fine for months

Over christmas I stayed at my mums and didnt take the steriliser etc. I tried again to give him a bottle mid january and he wouldnt take it. He is now weaning, and will drink from a cup, so if I go anywhere, I will have to leave EBM and a cup I guess? (not tried yet - got a night out at the end of the month though!)

I guess at least I dont have to worry about weaning him off a bottle now!