I hate breastfeeding

[babygirlmama1]

I just want to throw it out there I absolutely hate breastfeeding!!

My DD (6 weeks) has exclusively breastfed for 6 weeks and I've hated every minute!!

I didn't want to breastfeed, but I felt pressured into by all the nurses, midwives and family! The first few weeks she wouldn't latch properly and I was in so much pain, I wanted to give up but my OH told me to keep going! I was keen to express and give it to her in a bottle but she refused to take the bottle from anyone!

I saw a breastfeeding specialist who helped with the latching and it didn't hurt anymore but I still hated every minute of it!! We persevered with the bottle but she kept refusing it!!

She suffered from really bad reflux and as a result the drs told me I was over feeding her! She went through a phase at 5 week where she fed every 30-40 mins for over an hour and it became so exhausting for us all! The drs said to try her on formula to ease the pressure on us both but she still refuses!!

I'm so desperate to stop breastfeeding as I'm beginning to resent it but she won't take a bottle so it's impossible!!! I'm happy to keep expressing so she's getting breast milk!

I'm going away for 4 days in a couple of months and I'm getting so anxious about how she's going to feed when I leave her with her grandparents!

Any advice on how to take a bottle or anyone else experience similar feelings?

You poor thing, breast feeding in the early weeks is hard anyway, esp if you don’t really want to do it. DEF keep persevering with a bottle, MAM are really recommended.

I absolutely passionately loved bf AFTER about two months, when for me it became dramatically easier, but no one should feel forced or coerced into it at all imho.

A lot of people say organise the bottle, hand baby and bottle to oh, then go out. This may be easier if they’re a bit older? I had no success with this and ended up ebf for almost two years, so I’m sure someone will have better advice than me, just wanted to handhold!

I also BF for six weeks exclusively. BF, bottle feed expressed milk if still hungry, pump and repeat. I was knackered. I had some of my family who were making me feel guilty for wanting to quit.

I got to the point where I had extreme anxiety whenever I was to BF, and in the end for my own sanity I decided to gradually switch to formula. I felt instantly relieved, I told everyone that was that and I didn't want to hear any opinions. DH and I do one night feed each now so I'm getting more sleep and I don't have the crushing anxiety.

Also, what bottles do you use?

Try Mam bottles, my two were breastfed and would take those bottles.
I was in the same boat with breastfeeding with my first, hated it, felt forced by other half and midwifes.
I persevered and ended up loving it, I cried when he stopped.

If you still want to substitute with formula, when I went back to work with my first (he was 4 Months) I couldn’t express as much as he needed whilst I was at work so he had to go on formula when not with me... one week before I was due to return he still wouldn’t take formula! 😭 I mixed literally less than an ounce of formula with like 4 ounces of breast milk and when he would take that, I would add more formula next time. It took that whole week to get him drinking formula but after a few weeks of formula he started refusing breast milk and I just cried as I wasn’t ready to stop lol 😅

I just wanted to add that a fed baby is best! Don’t feel guilty if you never get to love it! Your baby will be just as happy fed on formula and a bottle 😀🙌🏻

I love breastfeeding, if I hated it I'd stop. We had to convert to bottles and baby wouldn't take a bottle, it's a common problem. However, when I went to work he started taking a bottle, a little bit at first and then more. Have you tried leaving baby with someone for a good few hours and going out?

I didn't enjoy bf at first op. My lo had an undiagnosed tongue tie for the first month and feeding was agony. Even after that I just felt like a cow. All I'd do was hold and feed her. Luckily she took a bottle so my dp would give her an evening bottle and I'd express when I could. I eventually settled into bf and kept going until her 1st birthday.

I felt less like a cow as we went on and more myself. But bf is definitely not for everyone, you should be really proud of yourself for trying and keeping on going.
I'd try a different bottle like others have suggested or just leave it a few weeks and try again. It cant be nice having a bottle shoved in your face when all you want is a lovely warm booby!

You've done 6 weeks! That's great! You don't like it so stop and I say this as someone who's breastfed 8 children!! You do NOT need to carry on if you don't want to and shouldn't feel any guilt about stopping either!

Regards the bottle - could you try formula in it instead? Maybe she just associates breastmilk with boob? I weaned my first (the only one to be weaned onto formula and a bottle) at 8 months - she didn't mind taking the bottle but only liked the taste in a certain formula (for her it was aptimil) so maybe try different ones?

Hey, you’ve done amazing to do 6 weeks so well done! If you want to switch to formula, then do not feel guilty and it is 100% your choice only, not anyone else’s including your husband! You’ll need to transition over and maybe start with one feed a day and built it up to prevent tummy aches.
I EBF for about 2.5 months, then combi fed and now formula only at 3.5 months as I think baby has CMPA and the reflux was so bad, I was getting sicked on my boob so much and I found it stressful and I’ve accepted it and I’m happy with my decision. 6 weeks give a great start to life! X