Feeling very fed up with bf

[LaDiDaDi]

I know that in loads of ways I'm being really horribly selfish but I'm just getting completely fed up with ds's constant need to feed .

He is now 18 weeks and growing along the second centile and is ebf but he feeds so frequently it's driving me mad. Literally demanding to be fed every hour or half an hour. Sometimes he has a good long feed, other times it's little snacks but it's really wearing me down. I feel like I can't do anything, I started a thread here a couple of weeks ago about how I'd only had positive reactions to bf in public but tbh now I just want to stop having to bf all over the place! I want to be able to walk to the supermarket at then of the road, buy some fruit and veg, and then walk back without having to stop to feed and then try to juggle bf baby, buggy, dd and shopping.

This is not a growth spurt, he's been like this forever apart from one week aged about 14 weeks when he seemed to get into a pattern of two hourly feeds and I was sooo happy .

I don't even know why I'm posting this, I don't want to give him ff, in my head I want to ebf to 6 months but today I just feel like I hate bf ! I don't want to spend this next 8 weeks feeling like this and counting down the days until I start to wean him.

Well, ime the difference between the 'speed/intervals' of feeds with DS underwent a massive change between 4 and 5 months. At about 18 weeks, feeds were about 50 mins each, so I spent about 7-8 hours a day feeding. And then over a 2 week period somewhere around 22 weeks (so pre-food) he suddenly got much more efficient and the times halved.

Will hope it is similar with you.

Ladidadi - it sounds as if he is undergoing a growth spurt - THIS WILL PASS
It is very tough, I remember my on DS going through it at a similar age. And it seemed to last for weeks, too

The thing to ask yourself is if you go through try weaning him off now, faffing around introducing a bottle, learning to make up formula will you regret it? Especially as there is a very good chance this will not go on for much longer and he will space his feeds out again.

And no, you are NOT being selfish - you are being human

And well done for getting this far!

Bouncing, I'm not at all convinced that it's a growth spurt, or if it is then he's been having one since birth!

However, you are right about how I would feel if I introduced ff or early weaning. He will take a bottle of ebm if I go out in the evening but it's a struggle to get him to have it, I always have to start of bf and then sneak the bottle in iyswim so starting ff would be hell!

Sympathies, my ds was also a frequent feeder from birth.. he did settle down around the 23, 24 week makr when he started stealing food from my plate

I hope this doesn't sound patronising, but when I have days like this (when I think bf'ing is too hard and thinking of trying formula), I always tell myself to wait until tommorow before I make the decision.
For me, generally, the next day everything seems abit better, and I decide to carry on. Then I'm glad I didn't do it in the heat of the moment.

18 weeks of breast feeding (and what sounds like very demanding breastfeeding!!) is amazing, and you must be so pleased you've made it this far!

I know what you mean, houmous (loving your name btw) about waiting until the next day it's just that I don't want to have that feeling of counting down because I'm unhappy iyswim although equally I don't want to stop bf! I just want a baby who will feed less frequently!

My daughter was like this, feeding for 45-60 mins at a time every hour or so. I crumbled a few months in and introduced mixed feeding as I couldn't cope any longer with being unable to acheive even a trip to the park with my toddler, or the supermarket without factoring in a 45 minute feed before leaving, one when I was there and one straight after got home! I totally feel your pain!! I also had a demanding 2.5 yr old and just felt that i had to balance everyones needs, including my own.

That said, the formula totally undermined my BF, so that we were fully on formula by about 4weeks later, and I was a bit gutted about it. But DD shot up the centiles and I enjoyed her much more - I really feel that she was hungry most of the time I BF her, she never finished a feed all milky and satisfied - she was always looking for more.

I think you have done brilliantly. Its a tough call - balancing up his needs and your feelings/sanity. I'd second the not doing it in the heat of the moment comment. But whatever you chose you should feel proud that you have done so well when clearly it has taken a lot of effort!

Thanks great fires, it's good to know that someone else has had the same experience. I feel like I've been waiting for things to improve forever!

On the one hand I know that I'm very lucky, no latch issues or soreness at all, ever BUT I do feel like bf has completely taken over my entire life!

My DD started doing this arund 18wks and i was just completely exhausted. I never wanted to give up BF so was advised to supplement my Bf with a tiny bit of food (baby rice/baby porridge etc)by my dr.

I took his advise and things just got so much better and she became so much more content. She is even sleeping from 6:30pm til 4am now.

Like your LO DD upto this point always seemed hungry and was never very content unless feeding from me. i am enjoying nursing her and she is happier as she isn't wanting my breast every 1hr.