Stopping BF to start WLI

[Cherryontop56]

I’m not posting for advice but just to get it off my chest!

I have been breastfeeding for 8
months ( mostly bf but combining with formula) it has been such a difficult journey.
I am back at work part time and pumping on the days I work. My supply has dipped as my LO has been teething and it’s been very painful to feed combined with having to pump when at work.

I love the bond created with breastfeeding and I know all the benefits of breast milk are great but I have gained a huge amount of weight. I am classed as comically overweight and I feel ill/ terrible and my
confience is in the gutter.

I had planned to feed till my LO is 1 but my sister is getting married at Christmas. I look terrible and just can’t bear to look how I do at her wedding.

I am desperate to start WLI , but feel racked with guilt that im stopping bf to start them. Am I impacting my LO long term health by cutting it short ( I’m sorry I don’t mean to offend any one who exclusively formula feeds)

I went back to work full time at 7 months pp (baby is 11 months now) and had to pump so I know how horrible and overwhelming it all is. It's an incredible amount of work, it takes every spare minute of your day and it's mentally so so taxing.

Like you, I need to lose the weight and struggling. However I actually lost it all in the first 6 months before I went back to work and I piled it on when I started work so I know it's not really the hormones, but the time commitment.

You've done really well to make it so far! Stop if you want, baby will be fine. He'll be on 3 meals a day in the next month anyway.

I will say that breastfeeding really helps with teething and illnesses, which is why I have persevered. It's helped with some real challenges these last 2 months. And I also get some really really nice cuddles, at an age where he is starting to be less interested in that.

You have already given your baby lots of benefits (immune system) by breastfeeding this long - once babies start solids, breastfed and formula fed babies get ill at much more similar rates.

I had to stop at 8 months because my baby would NOT stop biting me. I tried all the tricks people suggest online, nothing helped. I will readily admit I cried at the final feed, I had wanted to breastfeed longer but my little monkey had other ideas.

While the NHS doesn't recommend this yet, WHO did a big trial showing that you can change after six months straight to whole cow's milk - you don't have to switch to formula.

Good luck whatever you choose.

You absolutely cannot change to cow's milk at 6 months, that's very dangerous advice WTF.

I’ve honestly never seen any research saying that you can swap to cow’s milk at 6 months. In food it’s fine but the NHS recommend either BFing or first stage formula until 12 months.

The WHO guidance that states cows milk can be ok 6 months + is not targeted at high income countries, but at countries where formula prep is not clean or safe due to water quality etc. So there is evidence it is OK, but it does carry risk and formula should be used in countries where it can be easily sourced and safely prepared.

Sorry, what does WLI stand for? My LO is about to be 8 months and I am going back to work soon and I am also a bit worried about pumping especially on 13 hour shifts where getting a break is often impossible... I'm just envisioning becoming horribly engorged.

Weight loss injections.

Go for it OP. BF at work doesnt sound like it's suiting you anyway, and WLIs are life changing for many of us.

@Keggles36could you call one of the
Breadtfeeding Helplines? A BFC should be able to help you come up with a return to work plan that suits both tou and LO and reduces your risk of Mastitis

@Keggles36 you need to explore reasonable adjustments with your employer. If breastfeeding is important to you, you don't want to lose your supply. In 13 hours, you will need to pump at least twice. My baby wasn't having breastmilk between 9am - 5pm by 11 months so I don't know what you mean by "soon". I went back to work at 6 months and had to pump every 3 hours then but that reduced a lot around 8 months when he was on 2 meals a day.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

If my LO had not become so fussy and didn’t bite so much I would have continued. As one of the posters said - it helps you through times when they are teething and unwell.

My mental health has nose dived because I’m constantly worried he’s not drinking enough milk. My supply has really been affected , I have so many different types of pumps- but I honestly hate pumping.

I’ve decided to stop and I wanted to start WLI anyway as my general health due to being overweight has really been impacted.

You've done well to BF for 8 months! You deserve to take care of yourself too.