Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t a love-fest with me either but I kept going. It really does get easier. But, bottom line, there are sacrifices we make as mothers for our children. It’s just the way life is. Don’t expect to love every aspect of motherhood and you’ll be better off in the long run.

Horse feathers. The breastfeeding shamers are back.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m quitting this weekend. I still feel guilty but it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

OP, good luck with the transition and remember that a rested, happy mom is important for your little one too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I nursed both my kids till 1.5 years of age.

If I hated it at 4 months I would have stopped.

You can stop! No guilt. My kids are teens now—I have no clue which of their friends were breast or bottle fed—it doesn’t matter!

My kids were adopted so I have no dog in this fight but the rational of “it doesn’t matter because I can’t tell now” makes no sense.

First, you can never prove a negative. You can never say how much better off someone would have been if X happened.

Second, your statement assumes that this X would be known and directly correlate.

Third, what you observe in your kids contemporaries doesn’t take into account that you may not be the greatest observer.

I don’t mean to attack you, PP. It’s this rationale of “it doesn’t matter if you can’t tell when the kid is a teen” that is so pernicious on this forum.

Are you a lawyer? I don’t feel attacked, I think it is kind of funny that you wrote all of that out....I was just trying to make OP feel better 😊 But I do stand by my statement—all the choices that we parents AGONIZE over....ultimately it may just be genetics that affects things like immunity/allergies and all the other things related to breast milk as a protective factor. The fact that we DONT know the correlations (your point) is exactly why the OP shouldn’t feel guilty about finishing breastfeeding.

Drop it and switch to formula! Don’t hesitate for a moment and don’t look back. Happier you = more relaxed you = better for the baby. Seriously, just stop!

Then stop. Nobody is holding a gun to your head.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m quitting this weekend. I still feel guilty but it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

It's fine! Seriously. 1000% fine to quit. I quit around that time too for many, many reasons that honestly don't matter. Something our pediatrician said to me that really helped: "You don't need a reason to quit. If you want one, your own mental health is absolutely a good reason."

I cannot stress enough how hard the decision was for me. It felt so hugely monumental. Now that I'm removed from that and my kid is a toddler, I only regret not stopping sooner.

I think the guilt is because we all feel like we want to do the absolute best for our children. Enduring something you hate feels like you're making a sacrifice your baby. But it's not necessarily a sacrifice worth making. It sounded cliché when my pediatrician said it to me, but your own own mental health does matter and it matters for your baby. I hate threads like this so much because I have such a clear memory of how torn up I was about this and I wish that you weren't experiencing the same guilt. You're fine, OP. Your baby will do great on formula.

One thing I'll note is that stopping can cause some pretty brutal hormonal shifts. For me, I was fine in a couple of days, but it can be intense. And please look up weaning safely.

Do what works for you.
Vast majority of BF benefits info is about clean water issues - not your worry.

I hated it. Did it four months then quit. Best decision for me.

You have to do what's right for YOU (not baby, baby will be fine either way). Figure out what you really want. Is this post just a vent or do you truly want to quit? By posting this were you seeking affirmation that quitting is fine (which it is) or looking for cheerleaders to keep you going (also fine)?

I hated it too, OP. I don't know why some people act like you can only bond or snuggle with your baby if you're breastfeeding. Take care of yourself!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall I really hated it with my first and couldn't wait to wean him down. But once we got to one year it wasnt bad at all, like a 2 or 3 5 min sessions a day. I ended up actually enjoying it by the time he was 18 months old and it was no bother to me to continue as it seemed important to him. I finally weaned at 2.5- way, way longer than I ever imagined.

OP here. I know many do it but I’m not interested in breastfeeding a toddler. A year has always been my end date.

Yeah, I wasn't interested in nursing a toddler either. I recall literally laughing out loud when my pediatrician mentioned the WHO recommendation is to breastfeed until age 2.

That being said, if you hate it then quit and stop creating posts stirring up drama and controversy.

I don’t think OP is trying to create drama and controversy. She is posting because she clearly wants/needs support, as we all do. People on this site can be so mean spirited.

Anonymous wrote:I nursed both my kids till 1.5 years of age.

If I hated it at 4 months I would have stopped.

You can stop! No guilt. My kids are teens now—I have no clue which of their friends were breast or bottle fed—it doesn’t matter!

Mom to Tweens also and that’s what I tell moms to babies. It. Doesn’t. Matter. In. The. End.

I have no freaking idea what friends of hers were breast/formula stroller/baby wearing. Cosleept/Ferberized

I don’t even know who had a SAHM or who went to daycare unless they’ve been friends since preschool age.


You OP - YOU MATTER. Your day to day happiness matters. You know what your baby wants??? Food (any food) and a happy mother!

Good luck with the weaning this weekend!

I was the opposite-- I didn't think I'd like it and after a few weeks of hell I really liked it. I thought it was easier than bottles and I liked not having to think about bringing supplies everywhere. I BF'd my first exclusively for a year, but the second I had to start supplementing at 4 months.

That said, I absolutely support someone who chooses to stop breastfeeding (or never starts in the first place). Everyone should make their own choice based on their own circumstances and I hate that women are made to feel guilty and feel that have to justify their choices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall I really hated it with my first and couldn't wait to wean him down. But once we got to one year it wasnt bad at all, like a 2 or 3 5 min sessions a day. I ended up actually enjoying it by the time he was 18 months old and it was no bother to me to continue as it seemed important to him. I finally weaned at 2.5- way, way longer than I ever imagined.

OP here. I know many do it but I’m not interested in breastfeeding a toddler. A year has always been my end date.

Yeah, I wasn't interested in nursing a toddler either. I recall literally laughing out loud when my pediatrician mentioned the WHO recommendation is to breastfeed until age 2.

That being said, if you hate it then quit and stop creating posts stirring up drama and controversy.

Hated it, quit, never looked back. Do what’s best for your family— which includes yourself.

Quitting is the right decision. I liked nursing, so I did until I weaned for fertility reasons. If I felt like you did, I absolutely would not have even made it to the four month mark. You made a big sacrifice to get as far as you did - pat yourself on your back, transition to formula, and enjoy your extra autonomy!