I have a ten day old who would not latch on. I have been pumping and it works, but is painful. I think the baby is gassy from my milk. Sometimes she gets soy formula, and that doesn't seem to upset her as much. I feel guilty to stop pumping, because I know how good it is for her, but I hate it. It takes up alot of time, and my husband is going back to work soon so it will be harder to pump. Should I feel guilty for wanting to quit already?
Update:I can not nurse, the lactation specialists in the hospital tried to help us, but the baby has a "tongue thrust " and pushes the nipple out of her mouth.
Verified answer
If you call a La Leche Member they can help with your latch... and they can help transfer her back to the breast from the bottle.
EPing is really really difficult. I understand where you would feel guilty because you know breast is best, but sometimes it doesn't work out and you shouldn't be judged for it.
If you ask for help getting her back to the breast you can still have a successful breastfeeding relationship, but if you can't or don't want to... that is your choice.
I am a lactivist, but I am a mom first. If this is your first baby, you are probably overwhelmed... and tired. Also the fear of your husband going back to work is probably weighing heavily on your mind.
GL with whatever you choose to do.
And I agree... I would fight tooth and nail for breastfeeding my baby. And to the guy under me... um, you DO know that breasts are for feeding baby and not your personal playground, RIGHT?
With that info, you are doing your best. If you don't want to do it anymore...you don't need to. You are doing an amazing thing by pumping now. Many in your shoes wouldn't have even tried.
Perhaps you could pump for as long as you can, then transition... or even mix the bm in with formula.
GL to you... ok? No judgement here. None at all.
I can't say I had any issues with a baby who wouldn't latch on, I actually had the opposite (my girl wouldn't let go, and had an incredible suck, so that by Day 3 I had cracked, extremely painful nipples). I can say that there are people out there to help you. I had to see several different nurses in order to get some sort of help. They all said something different, which was hard as you don't really know what to do and thus are relying on them. Call LLL (La Leche League) and go to a local meeting. They'll have had experience with this same issue and can get help you fix it.
If you truly give it 100% committment and your baby doesnt latch, than you should never feel guilty about it. However, there is still a lot you can do before then. She might be getting confused if she's been getting bottles from the get go. I also think pumping will get easier as your body becomes used to it. Your baby is only 10 days old, and will benefit so much from your breastmilk. Even if you aren't exclusively giving breastmilk, some is better than none.
I'd just like to give you encouragement to try and work through this. It took 3 weeks for my daughter and I to work through our issues, but we made it 13mths and I was SO happy about it.
Put your worries aside for now. She feeds a lot because she is a newborn. It will go down. Don't put yourself on a schedule. Talking from experience you probably won't want to stop breastfeeding when she turns 6 months. Once you feel like you are done with breastfeeding then you can begin to wean her. But don't make plans to do it before you are ready. For one you don't know what it will be like 6 months from now. I say just make plans to do what feels right for you and her. What feel rights will change over the course of time. You know... you should be prepared to know that formula is quite expensive. And when she is 6 months old she will be needing a lot more of it. If you are going back to work because you need the money then don't take such a big chunk of it out by having to buy formula. In a nutshell don't feel guilty. All you need to feel now is proud of yourself for breastfeeding her for the past 8 weeks.
You need to do what works for you...
But personally...yes I too would feel guilty.
The first three weeks were misery for me...I had 14 staples from a c-section, and a ten pound baby that I couldn't lift but we stuck to it and I love it...we're 13 months down the road and I'm so glad I didn't quit.
I had cracked nipples, bleeding, excruciating pain because our latch was wrong...but after three weeks we got the swing of it and now over a year later we're still going strong.
You need to do whats best for you and your child...but breastfeeding IS the best thing and it's a limited time only offer...If I were you...I'd be hesitant to give up on it so soon...it hasn't even been two weeks. It's not something you can ever get back easily...I wouldn't quit without a fight.
Good Luck
Incidentally - If you do decide to stick to it...this website can answer any questions you have about breastfeeding and any questions you have about the nutritional value of formula vs. breastmilk.
http://www.kellymom.com/
***********Edit to add
My hospital lactation consultant was a moron.
Talk to a lactation consultant OUTSIDE the hospital and call a local La Leche Group and revisit that issue...
Children grow out of issues, and sometimes people pass misinformation off as fact. It is a very very rare case where a child and mother "can't" nurse...
Seek professional help if you truly want to continue...I assure you, with the proper guidance...almost anything is possible.
http://www.llli.org//
Here is an article about infants "reluctant to nurse" - specifically referencing "tongue thrust"
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVOctNov99p99.h...
When my son was 12 days i wanted to quit breastfeeding only because i didnt wwant to pump when i returned back to work.... but he is 3 months now and i love breastfeeding... when i pump at work it doesnt hurt... i actually cant wait to pump because it makes them feel better then being full..maybe you should try another pump...
if you really dont want to pump full time when your hubby goes to work try doing at least 1 or 2 bottles a day of pumped milk, and the rest your soy formula.. some breast is better then none, but tons and tons of kids grew up only on formula and are fine..
this way you wont feel too guilty because you are still giving him a little of what he needs... as for him being gassy use myclion gas drops they work wonders instantly!!!
good luck and congrats!!!
do what feels right
You need to do what works best for you. I understand the guilt feeling, and I think a lot of mothers go through this no matter when they wean, even if they nurse for a year! If it is stressing you out, it is not good for you or baby and you should go ahead with the soy. Your baby will forgive you :-)
Please don't feel guilty! I know for a fact that all the hype about breastfeeding isn't all its cracked up to be! Let me tell you (and I know that I will get thumbs down cuz that is what this category does...anyways) My sister and I were not breastfed, we both are smart people (loved school, went to college) and we were never sick! the most time I spent in the hospital was when I went in for my pregnancy check ups...nothing as a child or adolescent. The generation before us (my parents) were not big breastfeeders (it was not the "in" thing to do) and they are smart and well people also (just look around really, talk to an older person). So really, it all comes down to what you are comfortable with and what works for you. The best stuff from the breast comes at the beginning anyway, so you did a lot of good there, and when you switch to formula your baby will still turn out to be the wonderful person that they were going to be anyways! I think what is more important for the development of your baby is YOUR interaction with them and what you teach them...not what you put in their stomachs (formula or breast milk). Good luck and do what you want!
Luke's Mommy already said it...
Hospital "lactation consultants" seem to be where a lot of the nursing problems that show up on Yahoo! Answers come from. Get _professional_ nursing help.
(And why do you think your milk is making your baby gassy? More:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/gassybaby.htm... )
I can't blame you for wanting to quit pumping -- that's no fun -- but it is _really_ worth getting your baby off the formula and on your breast. Best of luck.
listen lady if you feel guilty already and the kid is only ten days. you are going to have a rough 18 years ahead of you. let it go the kid well never remember. and enjoy that wonderful gift the Good Lord has placed in your care.
PS you well have a lot more serious things to feel guilty about as the kid grows. also remember the baby feels your stress he has been attached to you for 9 months.
No, you shouldn't feel guilty. I didn't breastfeed either of my babies at all. My second son is allergic to milk proteins, and is on soy formula. They're both very healthy boys. They make formula so much like a mothers breast milk nowadays, that you shouldn't feel like you're depriving your baby of any essentials. I know women who only breast fed for the first few weeks of their babies' lives, and they're perfectly healthy now.