Giving up breastfeeding tips, no judgment please.

[Kali2021]

Hi there, my baby is coming up 6 weeks old and we’ve struggled non stop since birth with breast feeding. He just couldn’t latch and caused me all sorts of pain and discomfort. I’ve tried everything and still too painful to breast feed. I was getting extremely frustrated and didn’t want it having an impact on my lil man, So I decided to pump so he was still getting breast milk.

I’ve been doing that for 6 weeks now and please don’t judge but I just can’t do it anymore, it’s mentally and physically exhausting me.

We went to combi feeding as during a growth spurt my pumping couldn’t keep up with his demand. So he’s been having 2 bottles of formula.

I have reduced how often I am pumping and the amount I’m pumping to reduce my supply.

Obviously my boobs get very engorged and the pain is awful. I’ve been told not to pump at all as that will encourage supply.

So my question is how can I control the engorgement pain and avoid the risk of blocked ducts and mastitis?

I’ve tried warm flannels and pain relief.

Thank you in advance.

[Kitcat12]

Bless you! Stopping breastfeeding was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. Try not to touch your boobs at all! Wear a really tight sports bra for comfort and just wait it out. Mine took about 4 days to calm down and stop hurting. Plenty of fluids and regular pain relief too. Look out for signs of mastitis. I wish I had better advice, best of luck lovely x

[Kali2021 in reply to Kitcat12]

I can’t believe how painful it is!!!! I keep wanting to pump but then the cycle will just start all over again so I’ve resisted! It’s so painful I was wondering if that was even normal. So it’s reassuring what you’re saying. Thank you ☺️

[Kitcat12 in reply to Kali2021]

I was on a friend's hen weekend when I stopped and it was horrific. I think it's normal if you just stop cold turkey! Not much longer now, you're through the worst of it x

[Kate120]

I’m sorry to hear you’ve struggled with breastfeeding. It is brutal and I don’t think women are given enough warning or support about all the issues you can face. I kept breastfeeding even though it was having a massive impact on my mental health and in hindsight I wish I had just stopped. I think a healthy happy mummy is the best thing for all babies! Have you tried cold breast pads? I had these ones that were like ice pack material and you could either heat them up or put them in the freezer. I found the cold was more soothing for me. Also cabbage leaves in your bra is supposed to help! I’ve never tried it but there is some science behind it 😊

[Kali2021 in reply to Kate120]

Oh my god you are absolutely right!!! I was crying and just felt so guilty about even thinking about not providing him with breast milk. I agree with you though, a happy healthy mum is best, which is where my mindset is now. That’s amazing to hear about those pads because I literally ordered some exactly like that from Amazon yesterday!! Really hoping they work well, feel I need the soothing relief throughout the day, so these sound great!!

Thank you!

[Dreamama]

No advice here, sorry. But just wanted to say that you shouldn’t feel guilty at all for stopping. With my daughter it was similar situation to you but on top I knew I didn’t have a lot of milk due to an old surgery. But I still pushed myself to pump for 3 month. In the end I had 50ml per day but I still did it!! It caused me so much anxiety and I don’t know why I did that to myself.I now have a son who latched since the beginning and the experience was sooo much different. I now have a lot more milk but every time I put him on, the first 5 seconds is a rush of anxiety which I think is a trauma from last time.

Having a happy mummy is sometimes more important than breast milk.

Good luck and remember: you are doing a great job xxx

[Minnie92]

Firstly you’ve done amazing so dont feel guilty you’ve fed your baby for 6 weeks and it’s bloody hard work!! This happened with my daughter so I stopped when she was 10 weeks. It’s so hard because your boobs are so painful but you’ve still got a baby to look after, but I agree with others going cold turkey and not touching them is best. Cold cabbage leaves genuinely worked for me and when I the shower if I felt mastitis or blocked ducked starting I gently rubbed the area to realease a little milk (the hot shower helped too) and I found that didn’t stimulate them to make more milk. Xx