any reason not to stop bfing at 5 months?

[mainlymayday]

Similar to prettycandle's message, my baby is flailing and scratching a lot. She grabs handfuls of boob and kneads it and with her sharp fingernails, I am covered in scratches.

She's always had one bottle of formula a day, dating from her early days of prematurity and jaundice when we both struggled to bf so there won't be any problems switching over. Plus I'm going back to work at 6 months so will have to stop or reduce then (no possibility of expressing).

I'm neutral about whether to stop or not - I never thought I'd get this far as we had so many problems at first. So I don't have any expectations about continuing for the long term. And I don't feel the need to carry on, emotionally. But are there still health benefits to carrying on given that she's never been exclusively bf? Or has she had the lion's share of the benefits now?

Interested in views and if I should carry on, how to stop the flailing and scratching

thanksxx

MM

Is she going to nursery when you return to work? My DD is starting nursery at 8 months old when I return to work. Several of my friends whose kids go to nursery reckon that keeping a couple of breast feeds a day helps kids avoid the numerous bugs going round the nursery. I am not sure if that is true but anecdotally it seems to be supported.

There will always be health benefits to dd from bfing, however little you do it.
Whether you want to give up now or later is your call, but if you're feeling 'neutral' about it why stop before you have to and give yourself four times as many bottles to boil, mix and wash up afterwards?
Even when you go back to work you could still bf morning and evening if you wanted.

On a prosaic and practical note, didn't someone suggest mittens to Prettycandles?

mainlym,

can't help on the feeding issue, I express at work, also have 5 month old.. but interesting you say she flails and scratches, my DS does the same. I kind of jam one of his arms between my arm and my side, and hold the other hand, and that usually scuppers him! Or give him a bit of bra to hold that he can really cling on to. We also cut his nails cos they were so sharp, but that didn't help the scratching issue. ..

anyway best of luck!

Obviously it's entirely up to you, mmd, whether you continue to bf or not.

You say there's no possibility of expressing at work, but just to let you know the law says that all employers are legally obliged to give you additional (paid) breaks to express, somewhere private to express (not the ladies' loo) and somewhere hygenic to store your EBM.

Also, in answer to your question,there are health benefits from children having BM up to the age of 2, so yes, she would continue to benefit in terms of health if you did continue.

In terms of flailing and scratching - you could try a nursing necklace to occupy her hands while you feed.

Thanks for all the interesting replies. I'm actually getting a nanny so hopefully not too much exposure to other kids' bugs.

But I am keen to keep exploiting any health benefits and since we climbed such a mountain to get here I would sort of quite like to carry on a bit - I wonder if I could switch to the morning and evening feed (currently she has a bottle last thing at night and I think that's when my supply is lowest so I'm not sure she'd be satisfied with bf then but it's worth a go).

I didn't know about the legal requirement on employers. I'm actually a director of the co so it would be a requirement on myself! But I can't imagine what my boss and colleagues would make of it. It's all very old school and proper! My reluctance is actually more that I don't want to bring that into my work environment and I've never managed to get more than an ounce or two with expressing anyway.

Mittens and nursing necklace all good ideas...

I think the scratchy bit is a phase or at least it comes and goes. IME it's to do with teeth coming through and a general feeling of discomfort in the mouth. Teething affects differnt babies with differing severity, but some really suffer and it's a comfort to them if they can still feed from you. Though I know how awful it is to be so scratched and sore.

Reasons not to stop now are:

1. You have got this far so why not carry on
2. You have been successful with it despite

it being problematic at first

1. It will gradually reduce anyway over the

next 7+ months when she gets established on solids

1. Yes there are continuing health benefits

for both of you

1. It will save you money
2. She probably loves it
3. You both may find it comforting when you

go back to work to have that closeness - even if its just the morning or bedtime feed

1. Make the most of this method as they

ar only babies for a short time

Law requires a company to provide suitable facilities to express milk (comfortable/private, as and when required) as well as suitable storage facilities.

In addition you should have a health and safety risk assessment as a nursing mother. You should also be given access to suitable facilities for resting (like you ever get that at home!).

Finally, all I can suggest with the scratching is ensuring that you have long sleeves and just expose as little breast as possible, pulling your top down as much as you can once she is on. Just thought about pulling her sleeve down over her hand (could even put a band around it, or using a mitten. Might try that myself, got the same problems myself, dont' know why I didn't think of it before!

Have you thought about buying a nursing necklace? It gives my dd something to play with whilst nursing, and so stops her from scratching and pinching.

There's a lovely lady on ebay (Lait d'amour) that makes some great ones

Just to add -> providing somewhere to express and store milk isn't written law, but all employers are advised to provide these facilities.

Might be worth asking?

Agree with Chocolatekimmy, especially point 7. I went back to work 4 days/wk in January when DD was 6 months. She has solids and water from a cup in the day and we have bf's in the morning, after work and during the night and it is lovely to feel the closeness. Did this with DS and bf him until 14 months. Am not giving myself any goals with DD - just going with the flow and will let her self wean when she's ready, as DS did.
Only advice re scratching is that I find chewing off DD's nails myself rather than cutting them with a scissors makes them grow back less sharp somehow.
BTW, DS hardly has any illnesses compared to friends' kids who were formula fed and when he does get the odd cold or bug, it doesn't seem to debilitate him to the same extent, so I think that proves there is a health link the longer you can go on.
HTH

mayday, I express at work, must say it is not that easy and requires about 2 x 30 min sessions. At first I could also not get that much, it took a lot of practice. Basically you have to make the decision that you are going to do it, no matter what. I'm taking the view that DS is now 5 months, within 2 months will be able to take solids in the day and maybe one expressed feed but not the two he's taking now, then bf morning and evening, and I firmly decided to make that commitment and do it, just because I couldn't face giving him formula if I knew I could give him the breast.

So I guess it will be finding your own balance between time versus closeness versus your feelings about breast/formula.

I would say have a go at the weekend with the breast pump though, also it has the side effect of boosting supply, meaning you'd have a better supply in the evening for the late evening breastfeed... best of luck!

I am still bf my fifteen month old, she is at nursery full time and has a bf early evening and last thing before bed. She has recently droppped the one night feed I was still doing, amazingly she just stopped waking for it without any help from me, so I now get a full night sleep, bliss! I went back to work for two days a week at first, then three, then full time, over a few months after she turned one. I never bothered with expressing, I tried it but it was such a hassle, and so I had no idea how to approach my return to work. I tried to gradually cut down from feeding dd before and after nursery to just afterwards and at night, and now just evenings. I was dreading the whole thing as dd had been fully bf till twelve months, and once on solids at six months she still never liked using a beaker or bottle, so I thought nursery would be a real problem. At first dd was very resistant to using a beaker at home and at nursery, we tried water, formula, cows milk and juice and they were all rejected, so I had to make sure I bf her just before I left her and as soon as I collected her, then after about two or three weeks of this, when dd was doing two days a week at nursery and still bf the rest of the time, she suddenly started drinking from a beaker first at nursery then also at home. It seems dd just decided to copy the others and my supply just seems to be able to adapt to her needs, I think because the changes have been gradual. Regarding the scratching, dd still kneads me while she feeds,and if it starts to hurt I know its time to do her nails, I nibble them myself as I cant face using scissors. If you are even halfway thinking of carrying on bf I would say go for it,it can fit round work as I have discovered. Hope some of this has been of use.