BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

I am on the verge of giving up BF or at least cutting back on it. I love it and hate it at the same time. DS does GREAT.

It's the frequency of feeding that gets to me...some days he STILL can eat every 2 hours, and at night SOMETIMES he can go for 4 hours. Most of the time it's every 3 hours on the dot. That, and the lack of a predictable routine, lack of sleep, and his uncanny ability to make me want to bang my head against a wall when he fights sleep!!!!

I am VERY uncomfortable BF in public...although I saw moms doing it at the childrens' museum and at the beach yesterday. Because of my phobia, I don't want to leave my house. When we do go out, it's with a bottle of formula, or within a time frame where I can get home to feed DS. We don't have a pump either right now.

He still has a terrible time with gas...but it seems it's at the same time each day (he seems terribly gassy first thing in the AM when he wakes up) and when he poops it's like popping the cork on a champagne bottle. Very loud, very forceful. He poops several times a day, only during the day.....he hardly poops at night (wierd, huh?)

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

I have to say that pumping saved me from stopping BF. Through his growth spurt, he was BF every hour on top of being a sleepy baby on the breast.

I am getting my milk more efficiently with the pump.

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

I BFed for over two years and remember how hard it was in the beginning. Remember it will get much, much, much easier. The gas issues wouldn't get easier because of formula, and he'd likely still fight sleep. You are doing such a great thing for him, try to hang in there!!!

(And try, try, try to get comfortable BFing in public. No one else cares what you are doing and your life will be so much more pleasant!!!)

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

You are doing great Shana

It will def get easier to feed, I agree with Calla, the gas issues won't get better with formula and Gianna had explosive poops til she was about 3 months old, so his poos could be normal. On formula the feeding times won't stretch either, at least for me that never happened with either girls.

I wasn't too comfy bf'ing in public either, so i used to find a dressing room or bf'd in the car. I hated pumping, so I never used it, and Gianna wouldn't take a bottle with breastmilk in it.

Hang in there! You are doing great!!!

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

I agree formula won't help with gas. It's just that they have an immature digestive system.

I know money is tight, but there are some good hand pumps that seem like they might be good for you. If it helps you last one more week BFing - than you have more than saved that money if you were using formula.

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

Shana, I know you are in ATL - have you ever heard about the northside mom and me support groups? You didn't have to give birth at northside either. They really helped me when my ds was a baby. They meet either at a church in Dunwoody, or in Alpharetta. The group in Dunwoody meets every other tuesday, the group in Alpharetta meets every other Friday. It was a great way to get out of the house and get some support. FM if you want more information. Also, for a pump, have you checked with your insurance company to see if they will cover one for you? Some of them do.

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

I am still partly BF DD at 18mths and NEVER thought I would make it this far. She was feeding 2-3 times a night for months and for the first 3--4 months she was feeding every 2 1/2 hours. But it did get easier as I got more used to it. I too was not too comfortable BF in public but I worked around it, used the car, a changing room at a store and I never had a problem. I also used to take a blanket and cover us with that if we had to BF in public.

If you feel its right for you then hang in there..it will get better.

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

Shana, I have a manual pump i used twice. I'll send it to you if you want

ETA: It's an advent manual one.

Message edited 8/17/2007 10:29:59 AM.

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

You are doing great.

Re: BF moms....I need some reassurance please (long)

Honestly Shana it all sounds totally normal. Miranda was on almost all breastmilk and ate every 2-3 hours for a long time. BFing in public was awkward for me because of my flabby belly I didn't care so much about the boobs so I just covered up as much as possible. Since it sounds like you have a good supply can you get an inexpensive hand pump? Two of my friends actually loved these over an electric pump. Hang in there. Remember it's not forever.