I feel guilty about stopping breastfeeding after 6 months. Is there something wrong with me?
I feel guilty about stopping breastfeeding after 6 months. Is there something wrong with me?
I set a goal with my newest child to breastfeed for 6 months, which I've actually met. I was very happy that I was able to do it, especially considering that I only lasted for one week with my son. That was because I was much younger and uneducated about it.
I'm ready to stop because it's becoming such a pain to pump every 3 hours whether at work or home. I also can't stand the limitations that it puts on me when it comes to running errands, or participating in other fun things. But my daughter's health and well-being has always been worth that to me.
But even though I reached that 6 month mark, I feel SO guilty that I'm now going to wean my child off of it. Is this common? Am I nuts?
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As a new mom whose milk would
As a new mom whose milk would not come in - I applaud you!!!! I don't think you're wrong - you have to make the best decision for you and your family
Actually they recommendations
Actually they recommendations is 12 months I believe and WHO recommends 24 months.
The 6 weeks is the "crucial" part. Just FYI.
No you're not nuts! I was
No you're not nuts! I was only able to breastfeed our son for a month and it just wasn't working for him or me... he was having terrible gas, he was not a good nurser and I was in alot of pain so I switched him to formula and the gas stopped for him and the pain stopped for me so everyone was happy. Even if I would have been successful, I was planning on switiching him to formula prior to my returning to work after 3 months so if you did six months, you did awesome!
When I had a moment of feeling like a failure, my mother told me to knock it off... after all, look how advanced formula is now compared to what it used to be even in the last 10 years? I was a formula fed baby and I turned out just fine! and if I remember correctly they say that any amount of breastmilk your baby can get is better than nothing?? So again, 6 months is awesome!
You are not wrong to want to
You are not wrong to want to stop OR to feel guilty. Personally, just me though and simply my opinion?? ...I'd keep going a bit longer ...maybe that will help w/the guilt as well as provide good benefits to baby.
Believe me I know the pain that pumping is. I bf my kids for about 9-10 months each-had returned to work after about 4-5 months so I know it's tough! At 6 months they start eating more solids-the nursings would come fewer in between. If you're at work-to keep your supply you should probably just pump twice and then BF exclusively at home if you can.
I found that it really didn't put limitations on me to bad if I was out w/baby-fed them wherever I went. I'd plan outings by myself around feeding times. And if I did want to indulge on a girls night out? Pump and dump...if you've been a regular pumper you should have stock up
lol
I can tell you still-my goal was 12 months or a bit more--I didn't make it-my problem was keeping the supply up. Probably something I was doing wrong but boy it seemed I tried everything..and now it's 9 and 11yrs later and I still feel bad at times and wish I would have gone longer...so if you feel that way I'd say stick with it. It's a sacrifice that will award you BOTH long term benefits (emotional and physical)...for something so simple kwim?
Remember-at this age they will start to eat more and nurse less. If you need encouragement or support I have some links for you.
You have given your baby a
You have given your baby a great and healthy start to life with 6 months of breastfeeding! You definitely should not feel guilty about that.
I was only able to breastfeed my babies for about 3 months. Both times I went back to work and tried to pump, but I stopped producing. I felt horrible when the lady who pumped before me got 8 oz. from each breast while I barely got 4oz combined. But I had to remember that I gave those kids a great benefit and I got to enjoy our bonding time, no matter how short it was.
I do remember feeling very free when I no longer had to carry around pump equipment and when I could feed my baby without trying to find a discreet place to pull out my boobie, LOL.
Congratulations on making it
Congratulations on making it 6 months! I'm looking forward to breastfeeding (due in 8 weeks!) and really hope I can make it at least 6 months also. It's my goal, too! We're getting married in September so I'm hoping to be completely done breastfeeding by the wedding...so we'll see. I think you did a great job and don't you dare feel guilty about stopping now! There are tons of mothers out there who either can't or don't breastfeed, so be glad that you jumped the hurdle and were able to be successful this time. It has to stop some time...and you held in there for the most critical period according to all the books/experts out there. Applaud yourself and feel good about being able to claim your body back now!
And to to stray off topic, may I ask you if you noticed a difference in losing the baby weight due to breastfeeding, compared to your other pregnancy?
Thanks SteppingUp; I really
Thanks SteppingUp; I really appreciate your kind words!
"And to to stray off topic, may I ask you if you noticed a difference in losing the baby weight due to breastfeeding, compared to your other pregnancy?"
Absolutely. My uterus contracted a lot when I first stopped, which hurt a lot at first. That happened for about the first 1-2 weeks or so. That's the part that helps you lose weight. I was able to shed all of my birth weight this time, while I never did fully take off my birth weight with my first child.
The key is to make sure you eat a balanced meal, but not to over eat too much. Good luck with it; I'm sure you'll do fine. See my FYI on my previous post for information regarding supplements that help breatmilk come in. They really helped me.
Thanks for all of the kind
Thanks for all of the kind words! It's such a strange feeling to feel so guilty about quitting now, especially since I *did* reach my goal. But after looking a several of your responses, I'm grateful that I was able to do what I have done, especially considering others have a hard time with that.
I luckily have been able to save about 160 ounces of breast milk in our large freezer to use after I stop, which we'll combine with formula until it runs out. I figured that this would be easier for my daughter to handle. We started doing 1/2 and 1/2 yesterday, and she definitely noticed the difference. But she didn't throw it back up, and her tummy seems to be fine. And she's already started eating some homemade purees of fruits and veggies, which she likes a lot, along with rice and oatmeal cereal. We're hoping that if we feed her more of those foods, she'll need less and less milk.
overit2: Thanks for your advice. I *do* plan on weaning off of breast feeding gradually. We already have her weaned onto a bottle, so I'm just going to pump less and less over the next month or so until it's gone. But whenever I do end up stopping, I'm going to miss having that experience with my little one. Maybe that's why I'm sad about it. It's so bittersweet.
FYI: To those having a hard time producing, I strongly recommend Mother's Milk tea. It works great at building your milk supply in a natural way. They also have herbal pills called Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle, which also work great for that purpose.
I breastfed for 12 months my
I breastfed for 12 months my son is now 16 months but only because i had so much milk and for some reason that was athe only way for him to sleep so after 10 months it was just a night thing. So no do not feel bad some cant breast feed like my sister i had to breast feed my nephew too both him and my son are 2 weeks apart.
haha:) You put a smile on my
haha:) You put a smile on my face, because it's so true. You should have seen my face after I saw my boobs after the first time I stopped breastfeeding my son. Boy was that a shocker. I thought they'd never recover:)
FYI-it's pregnancy that
FYI-it's pregnancy that causes the drooping/sagging of the boobs after birth...so whether you bf or not it wouldn't be any different...just the time frame that it happened.