Feeling guilty changing for formula feeding at 2.5 weeks old

[Heyshz]

My DD is only 2.5 weeks old, I tried bf in the first few days and found it painful and hated it. Switched to pumping which I was alot more comfortable with.

I pumped exclusively for my DS for 6 months before switching to ff. He is a toddler now. With new baby and toddler I'm absolutely shattered, barely any time to myself, and the times I do get to my self are interrupted by having to pump on time, so it means I lose out on a nap, or extra sleep in the night time. Im struggling to cope with both and deal with the loss of sleep, not to mention keeping up with general life i.e cooking cleaning, laundry.

As I pumped exclusively for my son for 6 months this was my aim for dd but I would definitely benefit from not having to worry about pumping. I'm also reluctant because I feel so guilty that she won't be getting breast milk.

Feel like I'm failing not able to keep up with anything and taking away 'breast is best' from my DD :(

What would you do in my position? Just persevere over the next 6 months or switch?

Fed is best...

Please don’t feel guilty. Things are naturally a lot more challenging when you have a toddler as well as a newborn and pumping can be so difficult.

Theres an awful lot more to being a good mum than just breast feeding and it sounds like you’ll be much more able to give your children your best if you switch to formula x

I think exclusively pumping is particularly hard. If it was me I would get some proper support from an IBCLC to transition back to breast, as I think that would be easier. If you want to give up altogether though, you don't need anyone's permission.

You tried. That was a good thing to do. You're now doing the best thing for your other child, you and your baby. You're doing a good job. You have nothing to feel guilty about

In the long sweep of time you'll be a mother, the feeding bit in the first few months is just a blink.

Oh OP, give yourself a break, love! You are wearing yourself out for very little benefit. Breast feeding has absolutely minimal advantages over formula feeding in the UK, as opposed to the third world where dirty water is used to make up feeds.
My generation (baby boomers) was majority bottle fed. We are the longest lived and healthiest generation in history!
Look at the kids in your local school - can you tell which ones were breastfed? Of course not, it makes damn all difference by that point!
Save your sanity and your happiness - use formula, get some sleep, and stop beating yourself up with daft guilt trips. You will feel so much better when you are able to function properly.

I'd probably try to hold out for a few more weeks if at all possible, but definitely not 6 months, if you are struggling.
Mine were bf for a max of 3 months, minimum 4 weeks - they are all fine and healthy. Bf is only significantly better if you live in a country without easy access to clean water/sterilising equipment. In Britain it's really unlikely to make any difference to your child's outcome. Other factors are much more significant

Do you want to breastfeed? If so I would throw some money at the problem and see a private IBCLC who can get your baby feeding from the breast. Pumping is so much extra work.

That sounds really hard, but it also sounds like you are not quite ready to 'give up". Breastfeeding can be really hard without the support that some mums need but there is a lot of help to be had. If you can't access a private lactation consultant organisations like La Leche League, the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, Breastfeeding Network or the NCT can all help. Good luck OP.

Sorry but that’s not true, breast feeding/breast milk is so much better for the baby than formula regardless of what part of the world you live in! And I say that as someone who formula fed from after 1 week

OP - don’t stress. If formula feeding will help you then it’s totally worth changing to. Could you do both? If not, no worries! I used Kendamil and my baby thrived on that. I only managed a week so I know how you feel.

OP if you are not coping ,and stressing I would just go with FF !
My children were not all BF and they are all healthy adults.💐

Tiredeyes, perhaps you are unaware of the latest studies that show very little benefit in the UK for breast feeding over formula?
Previous studies were not well controlled for confounding variables.
As a doctor, my concern is more for OP’s mental health than any absolutely marginal benefit to her baby.