If you stopped bf relatively soon, how long did it work and why did you stop?

[Fishpond]

I'd really like to be able to breastfeed for at least 4-6 months if possible, but I am trying to prepare myself that I may not be able to.

I'm in the US where there is much less support, and I'm in a small-ish town so no lactation consultants around, etc.

Anyway, if you found you needed to stop, can I be nosy and ask why you stopped and when? I think it would be really helpful for me to have anecdotes in case I experience one or more of the same stumbling blocks. I don't want to keep going to the point it's making me unhappy, I have no delusions about being supermom! I'm single so will be doing literally everything for baby anyway, and will be having a c-section so a little worried about being overwhelmed.

Fishpond, I'm in the UK and received little support in the first few days and also had an EMCS after a 22 hour labour. If you have any questions, do ask on here as the help offered is just amazing and seriously was better than most of the RL help I've had so far.

I am mix feeding my 7 mo DTs so haven't completely stopped but only feeding 1-2 times a day now and giving 3 bottles of formula

I am sure some of the resident experts will be along soon but my main 'tip' would to be wary of being too keen to 'top up ' with formula if baby is not gaining weigh. As far as I know from reading the excellent advice on this board, the best way of increasing supply (assuming everything else ie latch is fine) is to feed more often and offer 2/3/4 breasts, not replace feeds with formula. It's a downward spiral and try as I might I was never able to get back to exclusive bf. Of course sonetimes it might be necessary but it seems to be advised here in the UK by MWs, HVs a little too often judging from the experiences of my friends, my twin club and threads on here.

(that should read 'if baby is not gaining enough weight'

Stopped feeding DD1 at 6 weeks, due to Pancretitis and Gall stones (in and out of hospital), i had already started mix feeding and in the end supply just dried up, DD2 is 10 weeks and EBF i love feeding her but it helps that my good friend is a breastmate so i have support.

I stopped at around 5 months due to very painful persistent breast thrush. I also had mastitis with previous babies, but this wasn't bad enough to stop b-feeding.
Good luck with your baby.

I only made it about 3 weeks, due to problems latching on. DD was getting much blood in her system it was making her poo black, and I was in agony every feed. Got lots of support, it just didn't work out for us.

At the time I was devastated, as I believed bf was the only way I wanted to feed. But it all worked out fine and DD is now a beautifully healthy 3 year old. I think you're very wise to be realistic, bf can be rough. But if it does go wrong, please don't beat yourself up. All any of us can do is give it our best shot. All the best!

In all honesty, I stopped for selfish reasons. My dad died when I was 4 wks pregnant, my mum died when my daughter was 4.5 months old. I couldn't cope with it, to be frank. I found it too much of a tie. A few months later i miss it dreadfully

Don't know where the face came from!

OP, can't really advise on stopping soon as at risk of sounding like a horribly smug bitch I have been unbelievably lucky with BF, fed DS1 to 18 months & am still feeding DS2 at 10 months.

However, am a BF supporter, and there is an absolute wealth of advice, support & info on here. Check out kellymom as well which is a wealth of info. Also La Leche League's book The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding is excellent. It does focus very heavily on the attachment parenting side of things & is rather "hippy mother" BUT it is incredibly useful!

I stopped BF DS1 at 10 days, DS2 at 3 days and DS3 at 3 weeks.

DS's 1&2 were both big babies and I stopped as I thought they were too big/hungry due to feeding all the time, which my midwife agreed with. However, I now know that wasn't the case and the way they fed was normal.

DS3 couldn't latch as he has Downs Syndrome. I exclusively expressed for 3 weeks until my milk dried up. HV just said that some women can't express well and it was inevitable my milk would dry up. I believed her, but in my case she was wrong, I express very easily, but i wasn't expressing enough or at night to sustain a supply.

I felt sad with all of them later on that I still wasn't breastfeeding. Had I known you could relactate, I would have done.

I am now BF my daughter who will be a year old next week and I had no support at all at first. This forum gave me a wealth of information and that and sheer grit and determination got me through. I will admit I hated it at first, partly due to a lot of pain and I did cry at most feeds, if not all of them. I kne wit would get better though, so I just got on with it and waited. It got better and it's been so easy for what seems like forever now.

CalamityJones they sound like very valid reasons to me! BF is also tied up with emotions and to have two losses so quickly in succession must have been awful for you. :(

It really bothers me that I didn't carry on - I was also one of those irritating people that found bf painless and easy. It's silly looking back, I think I just found it too much of a responsibility (which sounds ridiculous, I know).

I have had it very easy bf all my 3 dc's, but had to give up early (7m) with Ds2. i got ill and needed a long course if antibiotics and antivirals that I couldnt bf with. I was advised to express and throw the milk away, but as I hated expressing and was crap at it, I decided to give up. I regretted it every day as I loved bf, and compated to the faff of formula feeding bf is soo sooo soooo much easier! yes you have to dress to feed every day and learn to feed in public ( you become an expert in no time, and so does baby who learnt to feed whilst being in the sling upright at any time...) but formula bottles, sterilizing, carrying a suitcase of stuff to go out and the night time bottle shaking...urgh I cried alot during those nights, and the carpet next to my bed is still white and stinks of sour milk from all the powder and milk I dropped at night. So my advise, please persevere because it becomes so easy after a while and you will regret it if you dont try. I am not trying to preach but just speaking from my experience. Good luck and whatever you choose your baby will be absolutly fine!

Well your concerns make you sound like a great mum already, and you're being realistic about breastfeeding not always being a breeze which I think increases your chances of persevering through the hard bits until it becomes easy - which it does. 1am and too tired to go into my anecdotes now but will try to find time on Monday since it might be helpful. In short, it has taken me 4 kids to get the hang of breastfeeding and am now finally successfully feeding my 6 month old boy. Stopped quickly with the first 3 for different reasons and this time it just worked and is great! I have just read this book which I recommend as food for thought and not preaching...some good cartoons! www.thefoodoflove.org/