Quit Breastfeeding For Selfish Reasons
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Anonymous
| My baby is mostly breastfed with the exception of supplementing a bottle a day. He wakes up every 3 hours at night. Last week I had to take a medication and couldn’t breastfeed for 3 days so we had him on formula. He slept through the night those 3 nights. We went to breastfeeding and he woke up like normal again. This week I pumped and fed formula to see if it was just a fluke and no. He slept though the night when I formula fed for 2 nights. I know it’s selfish but I’m think of switching to formula so my baby sleep better at night na is get more sleep. Has anyone ever quit breastfeeding for sleep reasons? |
Anonymous
| Yes. No shame in it either. I had surgery at 8 weeks that required me to be on medication that wasn’t safe for breastfeeding. I had to switch to formula with a bottle of frozen breast milk for that week. He slept so much better and I realized how much I enjoyed not having to breastfeed. I did breast for another week with him waking up again. The freedom of not having a baby attached to my breast and him sleeping better made me switch. It could have been a huge coincidence but he slept 8 hours when I formula fed as opposed to the 4-5 hours he slept while I was breastfeeding. |
Anonymous
| I still breastfeed but I decided early on I was going to supplement with formula because I did not want to wake up and pump once my baby started sleeping through the night. My supply dropped but I was able to get sleep and that was more important than getting an extra 4oz of breastmilk. |
Anonymous
| It is not selfish to take care of your own health. That is important too. |
Anonymous
| Sleep deprivation is a form of torture for a reason. If giving my kids formula would have gotten them to sleep through the night, I absolutely would have done it. And I bf both kids far longer than most. Fed is best. |
Anonymous
|
First 1000% "quit" for whatever reasons feel right to you--none are selfish. Being happy/comfortable is important.
BUT if you want to continuing to breastfeeding, have you tried pumping a bottle to feed him before bed? Could be that giving him an extra large breastmilk bottle does the job to get him to sleep, too. (This worked for me, but not for that long because pumping is the worst, IMO.) |
Anonymous
| Not selfish. What’s best for you IS best for baby at this age. |
Anonymous
|
If formula means you get more sleep and your baby gets more sleep, that’s awesome! In the words of my pediatrician, “Formula is excellent nutrition, and we’re lucky to have it; breastfeeding is excellent nutrition, and we’re lucky to have it.”
If you miss breastfeeding, why not try one morning or before-bed feed, and keep the rest formula? Or something. -Breastfed two babies and am grateful that formula was always there if we needed it |
Anonymous
Did OP say what age her baby is? |
Anonymous
| Go for it. Your baby will be fine. No need to feel any guilt over doing what works for your family. |
Anonymous
| Not selfish - sounds like a good deal for both of you |
Anonymous
NP. News flash - it doesn’t matter how old her baby is. It’s still true. |
Anonymous
| How long is sleeping through the night? |
Anonymous
Amen - formula is fine. Go for it. |
Anonymous
OP here. We have been giving him a bottle before bed of bed of breast milk and formula. His last feed is at 10/10:30. He woke up at 1am, 4am, and then 7am. He slept all the way through to the 4am feed and then twice to the 7am feed when he was on formula. |