I hate exclusively pumping

[cds5163]

I really hate exclusively pumping. I feel so guilty for wanting to stop, I really want to continue giving breast milk. How long did you guys exclusively pump for? How did you switch your baby to formula? I tried formula when my son was about 2 months old and he refused it, he was already used to my milk but I feel so bad that 8 can hardly stand it anymore. I want to keep going for him. I feel like a failure wanting to give up. Also we've given him solids but it doesn't end the almost 4+ feeds at night, should I give him more food during the day, does formula really make baby fuller at night?

I managed about 6 weeks of pumping with DS, it was utterly exhausting and I don't think I could have kept going after that and I was mix feeding too.

Have you tried a couple of different types of formula? Or hot someone else to give it to him? Apologies if you've already tried all that...

CDS it's ok to stop. What I did was cut one pump early evening, I went from 3, 6, 9, 12 every day to cutting the midnight and sleeping till the 3am. Kept the supply up and gave me 6 hours of sleep.

Formula is not poison! If you're ready to stop do it slowly so it doesn't hurt you. Baby will be absolutely fine.

Thank you both for the replies, I will have to do some research in formula because I know he does have a milk allergy, I learned that when he had blood in his still because I was eating dairy but I would want him to get even a little bit because I think it really has its benefits but I will try to cut a pumping session out of my day, probably the early morning one, I dread that the most but I hate to lose and waste milk he could have drank.

you've done really well to go so long

I managed 3 months and was so relieved when I stopped. You'll look back on this and 'milk choice' decisions will seem such a distant and unimportant memory when you have a happy toddler! I know it seems the be all and end all at the time but just do your best and then move on.

Milk allergy formulas are really expensive, I would get a prescription for him if at all possible! My daughter has aptimil pepti 1 on prescription and I had to buy it once because the doctors was shit - 40 quid!

I pumped for 11 weeks and it was awful - I cried the first time I gave formula. We then found out we had a milk allergy and now on nutramigen via prescription. It's hard going to get a diagnosis but I am so much less stressed now we are using formula. Don't feel guilty for stopping.

I was feeding from the breast for 8 weeks then after a dip in weight I changed to just pumping and bottle feeding for a couple of weeks so I could monitor what he was getting, my supply then dried up and I was getting an ounce after pumping for 40 minutes and he is drinking 24 ounces a day so I reluctantly changed to formula last week, I too cried but he has taken to it really well and I feel so much better for it. He is on Hipp organic 1st stage

I managed for a month and then stopped. It wasn’t worthwhile anyway because I hardly got any out. My daughter was fine on formula and I was a better and happier mummy because i wasn’t constantly tired out or attached to a damn machine.

I did it for almost 6 months with my first but God it was hard work and I was happy to stop. It made me very determined to make breastfeeding work out with my second and thankfully it has.

I'd just gradually increase the gaps between pumping and maybe start introducing some formula. I mixed my milk with formula to start with then increased the formula to breastmilk ratio over a couple of weeks.

Thank you guys so much for the advice I'll nost definitely try getting my S.O to give mason the formula gradually and ive also been increasing the time between pumping in down to 3 sessions a day but boy does it hurt i feel bad because I feel like in not pumping for him but for me. Also thank you for the prescription formula tip, we go to the pediatrician this week for his 6month vaccinations and I will ask her about it, I'm sure I can get a prescription, his insurance is through the military, thank you.