breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

DD is 7 months old, and for the past 4 months, DD has had one bottle of formula a day to now having mostly all formula with maybe two 4 oz bottles of BM a day or less. My supply is very low, and I try to pump but have very little time to focus on it right now. I feel horrible. but between working at home 7 days a week, and a husband that is not home from 5 AM to 11:00PM, I am exhausted from constantly taking in Fenugreek, trying to consume water, not getting sleep, and having a 2 1/2 year old, it has been very hard to pump more that 2 oz every 4 hours!

I don't know if I should just stop. Is 8 oz a day even worth it? I keep changing my mind. Just needed to vent...

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I think you have to do what makes you happy. Happy Mommy=happy baby. 8 months is a long time to bf, so kudos to you for keeping up so long!

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Posted by MrsYank

I think you have to do what makes you happy. Happy Mommy=happy baby. 8 months is a long time to bf, so kudos to you for keeping up so long!

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I'm no expert, but I believe I've heard that stress can cause your supply to go down. So if it's making your life impossible, I'd say give up on breastfeeding....it doesn't seem like it's working....and that's ok!

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Why are you even questioning it...

It would be great to BF forever... but 7 months is a really long time. Your DC is already getting nutrition from plenty of other sources.

Don't feel guilty: just stop and enjoy.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Posted by MrsYank

I think you have to do what makes you happy. Happy Mommy=happy baby. 8 months is a long time to bf, so kudos to you for keeping up so long!

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

7 mos is a long time!!



do what makes you happy

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Posted by MrsYank

I think you have to do what makes you happy. Happy Mommy=happy baby. 8 months is a long time to bf, so kudos to you for keeping up so long!

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

You've done an amazing thing. Honestly if it's stressing you out and just adding to your exhaustion then let it go. She's on formula for the most part and doing fine.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Seven months is a great accomplishment- it is very hard! I think you should give yourself permission to call it a day.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Honestly - no, I do not think it's worth it. You did a great job, don't beat yourself up about throwing in the towel now. I had the same kind of emotions with my first child when I stopped at 6 months. My daughter - I stopped pumping at 3 weeks and I am fine with it. She's happy, I'm happy, it's all good.

To me, when they are that old and they are already getting mostly formula anyway, they are fine with out the small amount of BM that you are working so hard to produce.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Posted by MrsProfessor

Seven months is a great accomplishment- it is very hard! I think you should give yourself permission to call it a day.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I couldn have/ and probably did write this myself. I kept with it until a year. He nursed in the Am and PM and had mostly formula with as much BM as I could pump during the day. If you are talking about that kind of situation.. I would keep with it. If you are EP and it's 8 oz. total and you are miserable.. you made it reallly far. Don't make it miserable. You will both be happier.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I exclusively pump now. She doesn't breastfeed anymore, she gets too distracted, and upset when there isn't a constant flow. She knows there isn't much in there! She wouldn't stop looking at the tv, or at my other daughter playing! I stopped feeding her at night when she started to play with it instead of drink! she was getting to used to the bottle.

All these comments make me feel much better if/when I decide to stop. I am just about there, but still holding on for some reason. I guess I feel like this is my last (probably) baby and the last time I will be able to do this, and I that makes me sad. :(

I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Thanks again everyone!

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I was in the same position at 7-8 months. I quit and never regretted it. I never leaked either so I think my body was done.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I had supply issues and worked my butt off to keep up but only because I wasn't with DS (I worked hours like your DH), so it was worth it for me. But if I were home with him, I would have stopped to make our lives better...happy mom=happy baby=happy family!

7 months is a long time and your baby has gotten a lot of the benefits and has developed some immunity by now so I wouldn't stress.

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I felt exactly the same way. I think it is awesome that you made it that far.

I had a really low supply and was lucky to make it to 4 or 5 months. It got to a point where I was waking up so early before work to pump and I was getting not even a half a bottle. I didn't want to let go, but I think I realized that I was done. I wasn't sure if that 1/2 bottle was really doing that much good. I felt so sad. For both my pregnancies I had c/s and had such a hard time breastfeeding. I tried so hard- but it came to a point that it was bringing me more stress then happiness for me or my kids...although if we have another I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

Re: breastfeeding WWYD? is it worth it?

I think you should be very proud of yourself for Bf'ing this long. Now, I think you should take care of yourself, and switch to formula full time. If you are stressed and run down its not good for the baby. She'll be moving to regular milk before you know it.