Forcing myself to breastfeed out of fear

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear OP, I feel your pain and frustration. Everyone's different, but in my experience, after 3 months, breast is really so so so much easier than formula, having done it both ways. If BFing baby and I needed to run and errand or do an outing, it was so much easier to just grab diaper bag and go and not have to worry about preparing and bringing bottles. If we got delayed somewhere, food was always there. When I got sick, I could still BF in bed (and pass on antibodies) versus having to get up in an exhausted fog and prepare bottles.

It was so hard at first to breastfeed, but ultimately after the first couple months, it was way easier to be a social mobile human being with the baby who could breastfed than the one who couldn't.

Good luck!

This is not helpful. OP hates breastfeeding, her baby hates breastfeeding, and it doesn’t always get better. That was your experience, not hers.

Right, but OP is facing down a nationwide formula shortage which most of us did not need to deal with. I am 100% fed is best, but if there’s no formula, baby won’t be fed.

She can exclusively pump. It seems she is more comfortable with that than breastfeeding.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry. The shortage makes me change my answer from switch to formula to try just pumping.

Have you talked to the LC about using a nipple shield? My babies always fussed less and seemed more satisfied when I used the shield. Maybe because it was easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you going back to work? If not, I'd just keep nursing. He will get faster at it and by 6 months you'll also be introducing solid food. The first two months are the hardest and then nursing became ridculously easy for me. I had only planned to do 6 months, but couldn't bear the thought of making and washing bottles and so just kept going. Even easier with child #2 because I knew it was a short term hurdle I had to get through.

Seriously? You wonder why people hate breastfeeding moms. OP said her and her baby are miserable and you keep telling her to push through it because it was easy for you. Newsflash: It doesn’t always get better for everyone. No one cares that it worked for you and you enjoyed it, because this isn’t about you.

NP. OP is posting on a message board - obviously she is looking for the opinions of others. This is one opinion for OP to evaluate. It may not be yours, but it’s a valid one.

[Anonymous]

I’m really sorry for all the people experiencing anxiety or difficulty feeding due to this shortage! Just awful.

[Anonymous]

OP, try introducing new formulas slowly, as in, mixing them with part breast milk. Start with 1/4 new formula, 3/4 breastmilk (or formula he likes -- whatever you think he prefers), then move to 1/2 and 1/2, etc. This can sometimes help a baby adjust to a new formula. If you've already been using Enfamil NeuroPro liquid, try doing this with the same brand powder.

[Anonymous]

Will your baby take a generic/store brand formula (Target, Walmart, Costco)? I have mostly seen shortages in Similac and Enfamil. The same manufacturer makes all the generics, plus Boobie, and the formulations are all very similar, if not outright identical. You don’t want to switch constantly cold-turkey, but it may give you some peace of mind. I have been exclusively formula feeding since February and have not struggled to get formula. I do make sure to keep a two week stock on hand in case I do have problems. The stress of finding formula is SO MUCH less than the stress of pumping.

I hate recommending an Instagram influencer, but I have really appreciated @theformulamom on Instagram. She has great information about the most similar options if you cannot get the usual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will your baby take a generic/store brand formula (Target, Walmart, Costco)? I have mostly seen shortages in Similac and Enfamil. The same manufacturer makes all the generics, plus Boobie, and the formulations are all very similar, if not outright identical. You don’t want to switch constantly cold-turkey, but it may give you some peace of mind. I have been exclusively formula feeding since February and have not struggled to get formula. I do make sure to keep a two week stock on hand in case I do have problems. The stress of finding formula is SO MUCH less than the stress of pumping.

I hate recommending an Instagram influencer, but I have really appreciated @theformulamom on Instagram. She has great information about the most similar options if you cannot get the usual.

OP here. I have tried the Enfamil NeuroPro, Target one, Kirkland, Happy Baby Organics, and even a European one. He does not like the powder stuff. I’ve tried mixing it with liquid formula and breast milk but he will reject it. He will happily drink the liquid. I tried to get Bobbie but they are no longer accepting new parents because of shortages.

I will look into exclusively pumping. I just don’t like breastfeeding and resenting having to breastfeed is not good for anyone.

[Anonymous]

I would pump & feed while building up a bit of a formula supply.

[Anonymous]

Would you be willing to switch to exclusive pumping for a couple months? I did exclusively pumped for eight months and it really wasn’t that bad. You get a hospital grade pump and sort of get into a routine with it. I used to schedule all my “paper work” and reading around my pumping schedule.

I hated breastfeeding too bit never found pumping as bad as others did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will your baby take a generic/store brand formula (Target, Walmart, Costco)? I have mostly seen shortages in Similac and Enfamil. The same manufacturer makes all the generics, plus Boobie, and the formulations are all very similar, if not outright identical. You don’t want to switch constantly cold-turkey, but it may give you some peace of mind. I have been exclusively formula feeding since February and have not struggled to get formula. I do make sure to keep a two week stock on hand in case I do have problems. The stress of finding formula is SO MUCH less than the stress of pumping.

I hate recommending an Instagram influencer, but I have really appreciated @theformulamom on Instagram. She has great information about the most similar options if you cannot get the usual.

OP here. I have tried the Enfamil NeuroPro, Target one, Kirkland, Happy Baby Organics, and even a European one. He does not like the powder stuff. I’ve tried mixing it with liquid formula and breast milk but he will reject it. He will happily drink the liquid. I tried to get Bobbie but they are no longer accepting new parents because of shortages.

I will look into exclusively pumping. I just don’t like breastfeeding and resenting having to breastfeed is not good for anyone.

PP here - Gosh that’s hard, I’m so sorry. I get it 100% - my baby refused to breastfeed and moving to bottle feeding saved our relationship. You don’t want to be resentful of your baby. Way better to hate the pump! You know your baby best, but with mine I’d view it as a “for now” issue and try powdered formula on him again in a few weeks. The baby may come around, they make no damn sense in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you be willing to switch to exclusive pumping for a couple months? I did exclusively pumped for eight months and it really wasn’t that bad. You get a hospital grade pump and sort of get into a routine with it. I used to schedule all my “paper work” and reading around my pumping schedule.

I hated breastfeeding too bit never found pumping as bad as others did.

OP here. I only pumped twice a day but I would be willing to switch to exclusive pumping. I’m not sure how that would I work in terms of how often I will need to pump, how long, what supplies I need, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will your baby take a generic/store brand formula (Target, Walmart, Costco)? I have mostly seen shortages in Similac and Enfamil. The same manufacturer makes all the generics, plus Boobie, and the formulations are all very similar, if not outright identical. You don’t want to switch constantly cold-turkey, but it may give you some peace of mind. I have been exclusively formula feeding since February and have not struggled to get formula. I do make sure to keep a two week stock on hand in case I do have problems. The stress of finding formula is SO MUCH less than the stress of pumping.

I hate recommending an Instagram influencer, but I have really appreciated @theformulamom on Instagram. She has great information about the most similar options if you cannot get the usual.

OP here. I have tried the Enfamil NeuroPro, Target one, Kirkland, Happy Baby Organics, and even a European one. He does not like the powder stuff. I’ve tried mixing it with liquid formula and breast milk but he will reject it. He will happily drink the liquid. I tried to get Bobbie but they are no longer accepting new parents because of shortages.

I will look into exclusively pumping. I just don’t like breastfeeding and resenting having to breastfeed is not good for anyone.

PP here - Gosh that’s hard, I’m so sorry. I get it 100% - my baby refused to breastfeed and moving to bottle feeding saved our relationship. You don’t want to be resentful of your baby. Way better to hate the pump! You know your baby best, but with mine I’d view it as a “for now” issue and try powdered formula on him again in a few weeks. The baby may come around, they make no damn sense in my experience.

OP here. I don’t resent my baby. I just know being stressed out about it and dreading feedings because he will take forever and cry is exhausting.

[Anonymous]

When you say he rejects powders, were you mixing the powder with warm water?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say he rejects powders, were you mixing the powder with warm water?

OP here. Yes. I’ve mixed into warm water and even hot water. I’ve also mixed it and let it sit in the fridge and he still won’t take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you say he rejects powders, were you mixing the powder with warm water?

OP here. Yes. I’ve mixed into warm water and even hot water. I’ve also mixed it and let it sit in the fridge and he still won’t take it.

He won’t starve himself. Go away for a day or two.