Help stopping breastfeeding

[Lwat86]

Hi, new here...just looking for a bit of advice! Went to see the gp about disastrous breastfeeding. My baby is 4 weeks and getting enough milk but I absolutely detest feeding, i mean, get myself into complete sweats over it. It's agony, his latch is appalling (even if starts well, changes and clamps to my nipples!), completely white nipples when he's finished (and they actually look like those flying saucer sweets you can buy haha!), excruciating pain and crying through the night (me, not him!), he's a frustrated feeder too, gets himself all worked up, and to top it off, I had issues with eczema on my nipple before which has now returned. All in all, it's making me completely miserable so my GP told me just to stop breastfeeding cold turkey and start on formula. I have cut out 3 feeds and still attempting to feed twice a day but my boobs are like rocks! I feel like I've not been given much support in how to go about any of it and i don't know if stopping suddenly was a bad idea? Do I BF more than twice, should I pump? I feel completely useless and I don't even understand what the deal is with making up bottles in advance now or not?!!
Any help appreciated!

You poor thing. Well tried for so long. Now you have stopped the swelling should start to go down as your body realises the milk is not being used.
Try warm or cold flannel on your breasts to see if that eases some of the pain?
Some people suggest trying to pump / massage out a little of the milk to relieve the pressure but I could never do that and ended up getting frustrated.
As an aside did anyone ever check your baby for tonge-tie?

I would try and reduce one feed at a time but not consecutive. But try and cut out the night time feeds at soon as possible.

Nipple shields will probably help you.

Bless you this sounds awful. Not great advice from the GP I'm afraid, you are sore and also risking mastitis. It's better to gradually stop one feed at a time. Pumping just for comfort and cold flannels can help, and a supportive bra. Have you had any knowledgeable bf support? A bf specialist/group will help you to stop if that's what you want to do, or see if they can do anything to make feeding better if you want to continue our combi feed.

Are you sure it's eczema and not cracked nipple, which can happen when the latch is incorrect? Baby's face, mouth and body should be held at the same level as, and facing, your nipple. Also look at your diet. If you are eating a lot of acidic, gassy foods, it can affect your milk, and possibly your skin.

Anyway, if you are adamant you want to stop, do so very gradually - one feed at a time, not three all at once. This will prevent engorgement and your hormones going loopy. Pick up the feeds you've dropped and then drop the one after a few days and then the next, and so on.

Personally, I tried formula feeding and expressed breastfeeding a few times, and I found it to be a big inconvenience. Not only wrt making up bottles and sterilising, etc, but also with waking in the night. One of my DC turned out to be intolerant to dairy, and his eczema actually speared its ugly head when I eventually stopped breastfeeding. Obviously I didn't have eczema on my nipple, but I did have cracked nipple for a two - three weeks due to incorrect latch. I gave my nipple lots of air and applied Lanisoh, and then Kamillisan ointment from Boots.

Good luck x

He's never been checked for tongue tie as far as I'm aware. I end up having to pump around tea time as my boobs are so full but I'm probably pumping too much! I was supposed to be getting referred to a breastfeeding specialist or something but because of Christmas and New year, apparently no one was available! I did call the breastfeeding network but I didn't find the lady particularly helpful unfortunately.

I'm breastfeeding once in the morning when he wakes up and before bed and he's been marginally better but still very sore and I have bought 2 different sets of nipple shields (medela and lansinoh) but he still manages to clamp through them 😂!
I genuinely just thought I'd be able to feed no bother but this has to be one of the worst experiences ever which is so upsetting (I actually cried when my husband gave him a bottle I felt I was depriving my son haha!)

Ah no, if it hurts so much and neither of you are enjoying it then it's in your own mental health interests to stop.
I'm a total advocate of breastfeeding but NOT at the expense of anything.
Think of it not as failing but as having succeeded in feeding all this time! What a great start you have given his gut and immune system. And your own internal health would have been helped with the breastfeeding. Don't feel guilty about stopping. You have done well.
I'm just really sorry you haven't been supported more.

Ask your health visitor to check his mouth for tongue tie (as you say no-one has looked - it can cause painful and frustrated feeding)

Have you tried speaking to an NCT councillor (free!)
www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/feeding/common-concerns/breastfeeding-concerns-problems-and-solutions

National Breastfeeding Line (government funded): 0300 100 0212.

You can call the NCT breastfeeding line: 0300 330 0700 for support with any of these issues.

So still pump then reduce the amount of times per day. And with formula I make mine up in advance and leave them in the back of the fridge. So I put fresh water on kettle, boil and let it sit for 25 minutes. Make feed up with the water, give bottles a good shake and then rapid cool in some cold water for 5 minutes ( I fill a lunchbox with cold water and put bottles in ) then leave in the fridge for max 12 hours. You can leave them in the fridge for max 24 hours but for me that's too long. When you need one put the bottle in hot boiling water to warm, once you've taken the bottle out of the fridge you then have 2 hours to use it.

If you make bottles from fresh you also have 2 hours to use them.

Thank you for all the advice. It's not been completely horrific to feed him the last few days with the reduced feeds (2/3 per day). Still sore with a crappy latch and a bit of clamping and pulling back on me (Think it's when he's trying to pass wind actually and he seems super sore!). I'm not sure if he's going through a growth spurt but he seems hungrier and screaming way more so there's more fun to look forward to 😂.

Do you think he might have reflux then? If he is in pain feeding?