My ds is nearly 10 weeks old and exclusively breastfed. I am finding it increasingly difficult and am on the verge of giving up, but would like some advice and support before I make my decision.
I have never had any pain and my latch is fine, it's just the amount of feeding that I can't cope with. Some days he just wants to be on my breast all day and it is starting to drive me mad. At first he was going about 2 hours between feeds, but at about 5 weeks he started getting really unsettled and the only way I could calm him was to put him on the breast. So more and more he was on the breast until I realised it was for most of the day. I couldn't leave the house because he cried.
I spoke to the health visitor who said that he obviously needs to be on that much to keep gaining weight and she said that I need to decide whether I can give up my life to breast feed for a few more months, or go on formula.
I spoke to my GP who said that he wouldn't be eating all that time or else he would be huge, he was just using it for comfort and I should try and wean him off it slowly, by offering it him less and trying to comfort him in other ways.
So I have been trying to fill him up and then not let him eat again for at least an hour, but he is now quite grumpy a lot of the time. I have read other posts where people advise to just chill out on the couch all day and feed, but I can't do that anymore. I'm not enjoying it at all, I need to get out of the house.
I've tried him in a sling but he doesn't like it and cries. I also try to give him a dummy but he is not interested and just spits it out. People always said to me, "it gets easier after 6 weeks", now they say "it settles down at 3 months". I really don't want to go on formula but I don't feel that I can carry on the way I am either.
He is my first baby, but if I had other children I simply would not be able to do it, which make me think there must be a solution.
Does this ring any belles with anyone?
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Infant feeding
10 weeks of breastfeeding - does it get any easier?
17 replies
shirleycat1 · 22/07/2009 11:00
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shigella92 ·
24/07/2009 08:52
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shigella92 ·
22/07/2009 12:47
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