desperate for some 'time off' but.......

[forevermore]

DD2 aged 11 weeks wont take a bottle of EBM. Once or twice she has drunk 2oz which can't be enough she wasn't settled afterwards and needed to breastfeed before settling.

whats strange is that she only BF for 5 - 10 min and yet this settles her, could she be getting more than 2oz from the boob in 5 minutes?

how much should i be aiming for do you think for me to have an evening off. she feeds 2 hourly.

i am desperate for some time to myself out of the house. even started getting headaches today which i think is a combination of fatigue and stress. I also have a 4 year old so things really tough going at the mo.

starting to think i wish i hadn't gone down the BF road and just formula fed so i could have a break when i wanted. now made a rod for my own back.
no pleasing some...i couldn't BF DD1 so was determined to succeed this time.

I don't have any wonderful advice, except my ds was like this to start with and we just persevered. We tried all sorts of different bottles and teats, but eventually he just needed more practice.

I know how you feel though, it is really hard being the only one who can feed and not get anything done/leave house/see other adults.

This will get better, just try and get through each day. I gave up breastfeeding for a variety of reasons (although this was one) and sort of regret it now, so don't give up yet.

Just to say hang in there.

I am 14 weeks down the line excl br f-ing. Have just accepted it now. But I believe it is one of the myths we are told antenatally that br f-ing gives freedom. Yes you can feed anywhere/anytime. But no- one mentions that you are trapped as sole feeder.

Best of luck!

DD is 5 months now, used to take a bottle up till a few months ago but has been refusing for a while now.

I have managed a few nights out recently without any issues as she has slept from 7pmish till I've come in without needing fed (she has woken up but has been quickly settled again) - I was as late as 2.30am in one case(rockn'roll!), and she didn't wake up again until I had been home an hour.

So it can be done once you have a clear sleeping pattern. And I haven't really had the chance to test her when she's really hungry - I wonder if she might take EBM if she has no other option.(And we're trying cups instead of bottles now).