Feeling a bit sad - giving up breast feeding today

[Bouncyminky]

Just need some sympathy really! I managed to bf for 8 weeks and then got quite down so decided to express and have been gradually fazing out breast milk to formula. Now baby has unlearnt how to latch and hurting me. I have only been doing one feed a day for the last week and have decided (for my nipples sakes!) to give up completely. Baby more than happy with bottle and I know I've lasted longer than most but I still feel guilty and sad. I imagine this is what seeing them go to nursery/school/university is like on a smaller scale as it means they are getting older. Hark at me. She's only 11 weeks old!

Awww....minky, you are bound to feel sad. It's a relationship that's come to an end, or rather, that's changing into a different sort of relationship, and that is really very like nursery and school!! Some women feel sad when they are not pregnant any more and miss the baby being iside them.

Breastfeeding does your baby good, and the time you have given breastmilk, either direct or indirect, will have a positive impact on your baby's health, so you can feel good about the bf you have done.

I remember feeling the same - I only managed seven weeks so you've done better than me! I felt kind of torn - I really wasn't enjoying bf, just couldn't do it properly, cried out in pain every time I had to feed my DS and he still wasn't putting on weight - but I also really didn't want to stop because I knew once I did that would be that - the end of bf. You're bound to feel sad but it does pass. I tried to think of the positives - feeding with a bottle means you can gaze into each others eyes more easily so you'll still have those bonding moments, you'll get your body back, no more pain, someone else can do the night feeds if you need some rest. And you've managed 11 weeks so you've given your baby lots of breast milk in that time which has done loads of good.

You are bound to feel sad, bf is just such an emotional thing. I cried and cried and cried when I gave up bf but I just had nothing left. I made it to 6 weeks after lots of problems and a tummy bug at 5 weeks (mine) which just about finished me off. That feeling you have will pass I promise but I do remember how you feel (DD was one this week so I think it is all coming back to me).

You have made a fabulous effort. Just enjoy your lovely baby.