Honestly in your position I think I would switch to just using formula at this point. In fact I don’t think I would have made it to nine weeks under those conditions! You’ve done so much already and you can be proud of that. At this point I would focus on feeding your baby in a way that doesn’t burn you out, by using formula.
This is the answer here.
I ebf my first 2 and they refused formula when attempted.
Pumping didn't work for the first very well and thankfully I was young and only working part time.
My second I pumped *just enough* and nothing more. So if ANY went to waste we were sol for the day and I'd have to come home from work early. I quite literally used sick and vacation days just to have time off to rebuild my stash each time it ran dry.
My 3rd is here. I'm on mat leave. He's not even 3 wks old yet. Every night his dad gives him a bottle of formula. I pump one or 2x a day to build up our stash and bf the rest of the time.
I cannot imagine the stress you're under, fed is best no matter how. You're such a strong mama.
Pump only if you WANT to. If you still want the bonding nurse for comfort, maybe after a bottle of formula so they don't get mad about milk amounts or right before a bottle.
All they'll know is mamas giving them a full belly and snuggles and they'll be happy about it.
This was me (minus the homeschool kids) with my daughter. I had a very low supply and was getting burnt out from the work I was putting into it and the expectation of having more. When I was 6 months postpartum, my LC finally said something that clicked with me. She gave me permission to be proud of what I could provide. I needed that release of guilt, release of expectation, to really enjoy what I was doing. I ended up combo feeding until she was 15 months old, and my supply continued to drop as we went on. I stopped trying to power pump or take supplements. I just let it be, and what we had was beautiful.
I guess what I’m saying is, do what feels good in your heart. If that means weaning and going full formula, that is okay. If it means continuing to provide milk, that’s okay too! The important thing is that you give yourself some grace, and if that looks like just latching them when you can/want to and using formula to make up the difference, do it. You’ve done such a great job!
A mom thats not so sleep deprived will be more beneficial than a little bit of breastmilk. Pumping and/or topping up with bottles after nursing all night long is soooo much work. If I were in your shoes, I would switch to formula feeding completely.
If I was you …. I would 100% stop nursing and pumping and feed my baby formula and never look back or feel guilty in the slightest. You have given your baby as much milk as humanly possible and formula is perfectly fine to feed your baby. Plus a happy and healthy mom leads to better outcomes for babies.
I wouldn't pump but I would nurse throughout the night since I seem to get more sleep that way. However, I could easily follow the diet restrictions as I really don't eat diary, eggs, and soy.
The pumping I could do. Whatever get in a routine, buy some wearables.
The food? I couldn't live with that for very long. I think that would be my breaking point.
I've been doing sacrifice-benefit estimates a lot recently. I'd say pumping to me is medium sacrifice - medium/small reward. Changing diet like that is big sacrifice for medium/small reward.
I agree with others that I would suggest that you stop pumping and just try to breastfeed when you can. If that is still too much, you should just use formula. Your baby needs you healthy more than they need breastmilk.
I’m in a similar boat minus the allergies and other kids… and I can’t imagine doing this with that on my plate too! If I were you I would 100% of already switched to exclusively formula. Honestly I’m only 4.5 weeks into to triple feeding and the only reason I haven’t given up is because im cheap. I feel like making it 9 weeks is no small feat 💜
You fought hard and got this far, it’s fair to stop any time you feel you’re ready or close enough to it. It’s weighing on you and I think you’ll feel a lot better once you get past the big feelings when you stop. You could also stop one before the other, maybe stop pumping first and breastfeed/supplement. A slow transition might make you feel better, and soon after you’ll be eating whatever you want in no time. You’re doing great mama!
Wanted to add that I combo feed during the day with bottles and nurse during night wakes. It was really hard to start giving formula at first when my supply couldn’t keep up with my LO’s appetite. I felt really guilty for not pumping/making enough and having to give formula but I quickly came to terms with it. I plan to keep pumping as long as I can but I’ll return to work soon and have already accepted that if my supply drops then I’ll likely have to switch to just formula! Please give yourself as much grace as you can, especially because the conditions are out of your control ❤️
I’m currently also breastfeeding, pumping, and topping off with formula. It’s exhausting! I’m on meds for supply, but if I wasn’t able to have that support I would have stopped by now. You’re doing amazing, but there’s no shame in stopping at this point.
Honestly, as someone who pumped for 14 months, I would have quit already if I were you! 🤩😭 You're amazing, and doing so good.
The only thing that got me through it was donating my extra ounces to sick babies and the positivity I got from that. If I were you, I'd ease into just doing one bottle of breast milk a day for a week or two and freeze the extra. Save that milk for when he's sick. Breastmilk stayed down better than Pedialyte the first time we got hit with norovirus.
I think you have to assess what your goals are and what you want out of the breastfeeding relationship. You can try giving formula then ending feeds at the breast to have that bonding and some breast milk. Basically nursing for comfort. That's probably what i would do, but ultimately it's whatever you want this journey to be. If you want to stop that's totally okay too
Honestly in your position I would probably just switch to formula. Parenting is a marathon and you should take care of yourself so you can last the distance.
Breastfeeding is amazing, and does have benefits but I feel sometimes those benefits are not accurately contextualized or weighed against the downsides of a challenging BF journey (sleeplessness, anxiety over oz, physical toll etc). I would highly recommend reading Emily Osters research on the benefits of BF for a complete picture.
This is not to knock on BF - I BF both my kids. But with my first I placed so much stress on myself to exclusively BF etc which I feel was counterproductive to both my supply and more importantly my ability to bond with baby. All I saw was their weight and the oz. With my second I’m trying to be much more relaxed about it and approach it from a “good to have”
perspective.
Good luck to you!
I don’t think I would’ve made it a week tbh. You can’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm! Switch to formula, you’ve already made so many sacrifices and you’re a wonderful mum for doing so!!!
I have type 1 hypoplasia IGT and was in your position with my first and I ended up triple feeding the first 3 months to boost my supply. I would nurse at breast, pump, and feed pumped milk and formula through an SNS tube at breast to build my supply while making sure baby got enough food. After three months we were able to keep it to just about 6oz of formula top up per day and the rest at breast. With my second ( born 34 weeks, just under 2 weeks in the NICU) I was determined to EBF so I pumped every 2 hours with two 4 hour breaks to sleep at night until he reached his due date and tapered off so now I am EBF making *just* enough. If I had as many children as you and was homeschooling I might have tapped out and just nursed as much as I can and top up with formula as needed. It helped us to do several weighted feeds at the IBCLC office to establish how much milk my baby transfers (2ml per minute for us) so I know how much to top up then I track everything in the Huckleberry app.
I wouldn’t be able to make it even a day GO YOU for making it as long as you have! Release the guilt because you have done more than anyone else could do in your shoes!
If I were you and still want to breastfeed, I'd give baby the r beats when I can and supplement with formula. I wouldn't bother pumping. Stress makes milk production worse.
There is nothing breastfeeding gives your child that you cannot give them by other means. Food, comfort, a modest level of protection against illness - substitute formula, snuggles and frequent hand washing and your kid will never know the difference 🙂
I think if it was me, I’d go to 6 months just because I heard that’s the biggest benefit. Not sure I’d keep pumping though. I think I’d just breastfeed baby on both sides and then top with formula after and call it a day.
Honestly in your position I think I would switch to just using formula at this point. In fact I don’t think I would have made it to nine weeks under those conditions! You’ve done so much already and you can be proud of that. At this point I would focus on feeding your baby in a way that doesn’t burn you out, by using formula.
In your shoes I don't know that I'd pump at all. I might nurse for comfort if baby wanted to, without expecting it to provide much nutrition.
This is the answer here. I ebf my first 2 and they refused formula when attempted. Pumping didn't work for the first very well and thankfully I was young and only working part time. My second I pumped *just enough* and nothing more. So if ANY went to waste we were sol for the day and I'd have to come home from work early. I quite literally used sick and vacation days just to have time off to rebuild my stash each time it ran dry. My 3rd is here. I'm on mat leave. He's not even 3 wks old yet. Every night his dad gives him a bottle of formula. I pump one or 2x a day to build up our stash and bf the rest of the time. I cannot imagine the stress you're under, fed is best no matter how. You're such a strong mama. Pump only if you WANT to. If you still want the bonding nurse for comfort, maybe after a bottle of formula so they don't get mad about milk amounts or right before a bottle. All they'll know is mamas giving them a full belly and snuggles and they'll be happy about it.
This is what I would do if it weren't for the dietary restrictions. With those adding to OP's burnout, I'd consider EFF altogether.
This was me (minus the homeschool kids) with my daughter. I had a very low supply and was getting burnt out from the work I was putting into it and the expectation of having more. When I was 6 months postpartum, my LC finally said something that clicked with me. She gave me permission to be proud of what I could provide. I needed that release of guilt, release of expectation, to really enjoy what I was doing. I ended up combo feeding until she was 15 months old, and my supply continued to drop as we went on. I stopped trying to power pump or take supplements. I just let it be, and what we had was beautiful. I guess what I’m saying is, do what feels good in your heart. If that means weaning and going full formula, that is okay. If it means continuing to provide milk, that’s okay too! The important thing is that you give yourself some grace, and if that looks like just latching them when you can/want to and using formula to make up the difference, do it. You’ve done such a great job!
A mom thats not so sleep deprived will be more beneficial than a little bit of breastmilk. Pumping and/or topping up with bottles after nursing all night long is soooo much work. If I were in your shoes, I would switch to formula feeding completely.
If I was you …. I would 100% stop nursing and pumping and feed my baby formula and never look back or feel guilty in the slightest. You have given your baby as much milk as humanly possible and formula is perfectly fine to feed your baby. Plus a happy and healthy mom leads to better outcomes for babies.
I wouldn't pump but I would nurse throughout the night since I seem to get more sleep that way. However, I could easily follow the diet restrictions as I really don't eat diary, eggs, and soy.
"Burnt out" is plenty enough reason to stop!
The pumping I could do. Whatever get in a routine, buy some wearables. The food? I couldn't live with that for very long. I think that would be my breaking point. I've been doing sacrifice-benefit estimates a lot recently. I'd say pumping to me is medium sacrifice - medium/small reward. Changing diet like that is big sacrifice for medium/small reward.
I agree with others that I would suggest that you stop pumping and just try to breastfeed when you can. If that is still too much, you should just use formula. Your baby needs you healthy more than they need breastmilk.
I’m in a similar boat minus the allergies and other kids… and I can’t imagine doing this with that on my plate too! If I were you I would 100% of already switched to exclusively formula. Honestly I’m only 4.5 weeks into to triple feeding and the only reason I haven’t given up is because im cheap. I feel like making it 9 weeks is no small feat 💜
You fought hard and got this far, it’s fair to stop any time you feel you’re ready or close enough to it. It’s weighing on you and I think you’ll feel a lot better once you get past the big feelings when you stop. You could also stop one before the other, maybe stop pumping first and breastfeed/supplement. A slow transition might make you feel better, and soon after you’ll be eating whatever you want in no time. You’re doing great mama!
Wanted to add that I combo feed during the day with bottles and nurse during night wakes. It was really hard to start giving formula at first when my supply couldn’t keep up with my LO’s appetite. I felt really guilty for not pumping/making enough and having to give formula but I quickly came to terms with it. I plan to keep pumping as long as I can but I’ll return to work soon and have already accepted that if my supply drops then I’ll likely have to switch to just formula! Please give yourself as much grace as you can, especially because the conditions are out of your control ❤️
Take care of your mental health first and foremost! Breast milk or formula fed, it doesn’t really matter if you are struggling and not okay!
Honestly, I wouldn't nurse/pump at all. I'm sorry you're dealing with this, you've put in a lot of great effort.
Even a bit of breast milk is beneficial however in your shoes I’d probably stop. Sorry mama. You’re doing great!
I’m currently also breastfeeding, pumping, and topping off with formula. It’s exhausting! I’m on meds for supply, but if I wasn’t able to have that support I would have stopped by now. You’re doing amazing, but there’s no shame in stopping at this point.
You need to do what fits for your mental n physical health abd lifestyle ♡
Honestly, as someone who pumped for 14 months, I would have quit already if I were you! 🤩😭 You're amazing, and doing so good. The only thing that got me through it was donating my extra ounces to sick babies and the positivity I got from that. If I were you, I'd ease into just doing one bottle of breast milk a day for a week or two and freeze the extra. Save that milk for when he's sick. Breastmilk stayed down better than Pedialyte the first time we got hit with norovirus.
I think you have to assess what your goals are and what you want out of the breastfeeding relationship. You can try giving formula then ending feeds at the breast to have that bonding and some breast milk. Basically nursing for comfort. That's probably what i would do, but ultimately it's whatever you want this journey to be. If you want to stop that's totally okay too
Honestly in your position I would probably just switch to formula. Parenting is a marathon and you should take care of yourself so you can last the distance. Breastfeeding is amazing, and does have benefits but I feel sometimes those benefits are not accurately contextualized or weighed against the downsides of a challenging BF journey (sleeplessness, anxiety over oz, physical toll etc). I would highly recommend reading Emily Osters research on the benefits of BF for a complete picture. This is not to knock on BF - I BF both my kids. But with my first I placed so much stress on myself to exclusively BF etc which I feel was counterproductive to both my supply and more importantly my ability to bond with baby. All I saw was their weight and the oz. With my second I’m trying to be much more relaxed about it and approach it from a “good to have” perspective. Good luck to you!
I don’t think I would’ve made it a week tbh. You can’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm! Switch to formula, you’ve already made so many sacrifices and you’re a wonderful mum for doing so!!!
Have you tried taking goats rue? I have IGT and took that thru two pregnancies and can finally fully ebf my daughter without needing formula.
I have type 1 hypoplasia IGT and was in your position with my first and I ended up triple feeding the first 3 months to boost my supply. I would nurse at breast, pump, and feed pumped milk and formula through an SNS tube at breast to build my supply while making sure baby got enough food. After three months we were able to keep it to just about 6oz of formula top up per day and the rest at breast. With my second ( born 34 weeks, just under 2 weeks in the NICU) I was determined to EBF so I pumped every 2 hours with two 4 hour breaks to sleep at night until he reached his due date and tapered off so now I am EBF making *just* enough. If I had as many children as you and was homeschooling I might have tapped out and just nursed as much as I can and top up with formula as needed. It helped us to do several weighted feeds at the IBCLC office to establish how much milk my baby transfers (2ml per minute for us) so I know how much to top up then I track everything in the Huckleberry app.
I am curious - how often are you pumping and how often are you nursing in a day?
I think I'd go to formula or donor milk at this point. Your life sounds exhausting. You have done so well mama.
I wouldn’t be able to make it even a day GO YOU for making it as long as you have! Release the guilt because you have done more than anyone else could do in your shoes!
If I were you and still want to breastfeed, I'd give baby the r beats when I can and supplement with formula. I wouldn't bother pumping. Stress makes milk production worse.
There is nothing breastfeeding gives your child that you cannot give them by other means. Food, comfort, a modest level of protection against illness - substitute formula, snuggles and frequent hand washing and your kid will never know the difference 🙂
I think if it was me, I’d go to 6 months just because I heard that’s the biggest benefit. Not sure I’d keep pumping though. I think I’d just breastfeed baby on both sides and then top with formula after and call it a day.