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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Feeling very sad about my failure ( long, sorry.)

30 replies

tearfulmumtonight · 10/09/2007 21:26

to breastfeed my little DS2 past 6 weeks. And even then, I mix fed him from day 5. And I just want to tell someone about it, because thinking about it is making me sob tonight. With DS1 the same thing happened. I never had enough milk, though I fed him like a maniac, rested, ate, drank loads of water, took fenugreek, didn't eat lentils or sage, had accupuncture, had reflexology, saw 3 breast feeding advisors, read every thing going, expressed, expressed, expressed etc etc. And same this time, with DS2 and I took Domperidone. I just feel this terrible sense of inadequacy. In ten or twenty years time I think I am still going to feel terrible that I couldn't breastfeed either of them properly. I felt so humiliated taking a bottle out to put into his poor little mouth in the park today, so utterly crap. I feel as if nothing will ever make up for this, and my breasts are aching as if they need to be emptied but I know from bitter and exhaustive experience that even with all the above, both my sons were happy while they were on the breast but screaming for more milk 3-10 minutes later ( after up to an hour breastfeeding.) This is a ramble, but I just need to get it out. I have had so much support on here and I am very grateful. I know the most important thing is feeding my baby but I am so regretful that my body couldn't manage it.

OP posts:
Emzy5 · 11/09/2007 17:15

tmt, i know how you feel. it's so hard. my ds is 12 weeks and i have been topping him up every night. during the day he wants to feed all the time and gets very frustrated at the boob. he cries when i leave the house after 10 mins bcause he is hungry and i seriously feel like i can't take it anymore.

i went to see the hv today and she said ANY amount of bf is good. she also said happy mama = happy baby and suggested introducing another bottle during the day to take some pressure off me.

i know that there probably isn't anything that anyone can say to take away the guilty/sad feelings but i hope you know you aren't alone.

you have done such a great job getting this far, you should be proud of yourself.

hth

StealthPolarBear · 11/09/2007 18:51

tmt - exactly! do you think your ds is happy and healthy? if yes then everything is minor.
Hope you can soon change your name

Elsbells · 11/09/2007 19:20

TMT
Hope you are feeling a bit better???

TBH, until I came on MN, I thought I was the only one whoever felt this emotion that was grieflike. And I was beside myself to the point that I couldn't stand being w/friends who breastfed and I would be obsessively reading/researching about the whole thing.

I guess we are trying to come to grips with something that is ending and it is sad. But try and think about the good things. You have managed to produce 2 beautiful DC's. That is a HUGE gift in itself.
Hugs (( ))
Hope each day gets better.

tearfulmumtonight · 11/09/2007 20:53

elsbells,emxy5 and stealth - thanks again so much. i am feeling oh-kay. my best friend is having her first in a few weeks and i suspect elsbells i may feel as you describe when i see her ( hopefully successfully breast feeding.) it's funny, there are so many other important things that happen with babies - awful things, and i am so lucky to have two beautiful healthy boys. i do know that and i really appreciate it. and we are so lucky that there are things like - formula, sterilisation etc so that our babies survive.. and yet. it is a sort of grief if you can't do it, because it is such a primal instinct, an inexplicable urge that many, many women have just to put their baby to the breast. after both births my sons latched on immediately and colustrum etc then milk turned up just when it was supposed to. only later did supply start to be outstripped by demand. today i am doing ok but i hsave been trying not to see if my little son is turning his head to anticipate milk from me because at the moment i just find it too upsetting. thanks so much, it is comforting to know ther are others just like me out there. thanks again xxx i hope to change my name back as soon as i can.this has been incredibly therapeutic and i am deeply, deeply grateful. only wish i had done it when i had the same disappointment with DS1. night all

OP posts:
busybaby · 11/09/2007 21:38

TMT. I just wanted to say that I have been exactly where you are and felt the same grief, guilt, humiliation etc. At the time my friends and family saying how I had tried so hard and should be proud of what I had managed just made me feel angry because I felt that they just didn't understand. Maybe they did, mabe they didn't. I still remember all too clearly the devestation I felt and the tears I shed the last time I breastfed dd (she's now almost 2) and can easily cry about it if I talk about it now. I too was petrified that I'd lose the bond I had with her because at the time that was the only bond I felt we did have. But, with time, I came to realise that there was more to it and now we have an amazing bond and I love her to bits. She makes my heart melt time and time again every day.
You will get there, time will heal and you are still the best Mummy your boys could ever have. Love to you all. X

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