I'm beginning to hate breastfeeding

[Scotinoz]

My baby is six and a half months now, has been soley breastfed until I started weaning around a month ago, and since then I've begun to hate breastfeeding.

She wriggles, squirms, doesn't bite as such but chews a heck of a lot and I'm feeling almost bruised, pops and and off so she can look around which means I try to avoid going out when I know she'll want fed, feeds for comfort quite a bit at night (see point about chewing), pinches, pulls etc.

I know she still needs mostly milk and I've considered formula for even just during the day but this generates a 'cats bum' face and a lecture about the WHO (jeez, I hate that lot too, they have a LOT to answer for!) recommending feeding until two from peers, health visitors etc.

What do I do? Suck it up, ice my nipples and keep feeding her? Suck it up and take the death stares when I whip out the formula? Is there some magical cure to give me a less wriggly, pinchy, chewy baby?

Suggestions please ladies!

DS went through a painful chewing phase at 6-7 months. I was dreading teeth coming (1st was at 8 months) but it really only lasted a few weeks then he stopped. We fed evenings only until 2 years and he never bit me with teeth.

Asking again. Who is lecturing you about WHO?

My health visitor equivalent (Aussie). The woman is bonkers and has some crazy ideas. As you pointed out not all of information is correct. That said I still loathe the WHO for developing their graphs!!

Tell her to do one! Really, very few people breastfeed to age 2. If you want to that is great but if you don't want to, don't feel guilty. By six months the vast majority of babies have had some formula even if they are mostly breastfed.

My dd went through a phase like this, hv advised me to take her off, avoid eye contact & put her down safely for a few moments (while completely avoiding eye contact). It was horrible but I only had to do it 2-3 timesand she nevnever messed about again (fed til 20mo)

Your Hv is not doing the job she's paid to do!

Your baby is behaving normally for his age and there are many ways of gently dealing with this. You can intro bottles if you want to but the wriggling and pulling away may well carry on any way.

The graphs developed by WHO are really useful. It's their interpretation and use that is sometimes very poor :(

she's not all bad but she has some 'different' ideas. She told me my baby wasn't gaining enough weight at 4 weeks and I should give formula, which I didn't, then told me she was fat at 4 months, which she wasn't. Thankfully there's another HV to consult who is brill.

Anyway, I'll give all the advice to manage a wiggly, chewy baby a whirl. Thanks ladies!