Has anyone else here been so frustrated with breast feeding that they just gave up. I’m to that point right now. Between the pain from raw nips, not being able to do anything because all she wants to do I eat, and my husband not being able to help, I’m tired. I don’t want to do it anymore, yet I feel guilty for giving her a bottle of formula after she nurses to satisfy her. Idk what to do.
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I gave up, and my daughter is extremely smart 6 year old. I breastfed for only 4 months. I hated it and my last child gave her formula and she’s jist fine. Fed is best
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Do what’s best for you! Dont feel bad for the decision you make. I didnt produce enough milk to satisfy so I quit and did formula.
My milk never came in and I felt terrible for not giving my baby breast milk. But I learned that as long as shes fed and happy and healthy its OKAY. Do what feels right for you. Its your baby also your body.
Do what works. If ur done, ur done. Its no big deal. If u dont wanna do formula, then pump so baby still gets breast milk. But u get to rest lol
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Personally I was only able to nurse my son for two weeks until I was back in the hospital unexpectedly and couldn’t nurse when I was discharged. In the end as long as your child is fed it doesn’t matter how. Exclusively breastfed, pumping, formula. As long as the baby has a happy mama and a full belly that’s all that matters. If breastfeeding is really important to you keep trying, but know you will still have that bond with your baby no matter what. Nursing does get better with time but it isn’t for everyone. Do what you feel is right. There is not right or wrong decision!
I tried with my first to breast feed until the point where I was so tired I couldn’t hear him crying right next to me. When my husband came and woke me up I realized I couldn’t do it alone. I breast feed as I could and gave formula. I was happy cause I was finally getting sleep, hubby could help more, and baby was happy cause he was full. I simply don’t produce enough milk to feed my kids. Fed is best. Don’t feel bad about having to supplement you aren’t alone.
Coconut oil will help with the raw nips
All my kids where fead with a bottle and there fine dew in july and he or she will have a bottle to
Im still breastfeeding my daughter is one. I had blisters on my nipples, fed every 2 hours if not more, I stayed up all night but I powered through it because I know the benefits for my daughter out weighed the pain I was going through at the moment.
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My kid was bottle fed from 12 hrs old. No need to feel bad and it’s not “quitting”. You’re a mom and this isn’t the last time you’ll have to shut others shaming out to make the choice that’s best for you and your child.
People have tried so hard to force breastfeeding that it makes those of us who can’t or simply don’t want to look like bad parents.
ETA- I have NOTHING against those who want to BF unless they look down on and shame those who don’t.
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Pump girl! Best thing that ever happened to me 
good luck
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This is my post.
Thanks for the reassurance. I’ve had friends in my ear this whole time telling me not to give up so soon. My daughter is 2 weeks old and I’m just so done. It hurts, I’m stressed, and she’s not getting full. My thing is, I feel like because I didn’t breast feed my son is the reason he had so many illnesses and needed surgery on his ears. Idk. I also go back to work in a month and I work in a very busy doctors office. I would only be able to pump for her during my lunch, if I even get one, so I feel like that is another reason I should start giving her formula, but I still have the thoughts in my head and people telling me to just keep at it and it makes me feel so guilty.
Try using a nipple shield. My babies were smaller and my boobs too big. Took a few months till they got bigger and I didn’t need the shield anymore.
If you feel you need to stop, then stop. It’s okay to bottle feed. As long as baby is getting the nutrients it needs.
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Do what u feel is right . There is no right way breastfeed or bottle. 38 years ago I was in your spot. Went to bottle . U Need to be healthy for your baby.
I gave up with my 3rd (and final) because he wasnt seeming satisfied. He latched easily and I was producing fine however he never seemed to be content. Dont feel guilty for doing what you feel is needed. I can honestly say that my bottle feed was just as healthy as breast fed.
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I was a better mom to my son because I decided to stop breastfeeding. And to me that was more important, since I know he was still able to eat with formula. I hate breastfeeding. It made me miserable and depressed to be a slave to the boob. Once I stopped, I was happier and in turn my baby was happier. 
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Don’t feel bad for stopping and going to formula. I pumped and fed with bottles. Neither one liked the boob. Never ever feel bad for doing what YOU want to do and what YOU feel is best!
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I went to strictly pumping at 2 months and quit everything at 5 months. I was in your boat. Hurting, stressed, battling thrush, no time to pump at work. Your sanity is just as important and you birthed the baby… nobody else, so you make the decisions 
You need a nipple shield, not sure if they sale them though, I got mine from the hospital.
I hated breastfeeding too and after feeding her for a couple weeks I was done and went to formula. I didn’t feel guilty cause she was still happy, healthy and fed. I dont plan on breastfeeding my second thats to arrive in a couple months. Do what you need to do there is nothing wrong with formula fed.
Don’t feel bad I did wen I couldn’t breast feed my son I felt like a failure then I realised it wernt my fault he went on to bottles fed so much better u r not a failure ur doing right by ur baby don’t let anyone make u feel any different x
Check out milky mamas on fb
Try pumping. It helped me do it longer. It’s not at all as painful. I also used supplements and ate certain things to help make more milk. If it doesn’t work out. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It is ok.
I tried for a couple weeks and gave up… my milk never came in so babe was already on formula, but I gave up pumping and trying to get it to come in fairly quickly…
How old is she? She’s probably going through a growth spurt. Those hit about 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, etc.
There is no shame in quitting breastfeeding. That is solely your choice but it’s the roughest during that first month after coming home.
Do what you feel is best for you and baby.
Don’t feel bad mama ! Do what’s best for you she will be healthy either way ! I could not do it with my first I was beyond tired and hurting . Currently 8 months in with my second child !!! My first is as healthy as can be and so is my second . Don’t feel guilty for it
Youll hit this a few times
I fed 19mn and felt like this at least 3 but I could never stop
The only reason I stopped was because I spent a week in the hospital and dried up
She will be 2 in 2 days and still trys every now and then
Brandie Hotrum I had to stop when my first was 2 weeks. I just wasn’t producing enough even though I pumped all the time to try and get my supply up. I ate those breastfeeding cookies and drank all the teas, nothing helped. I made the switch to formula because fed is best and if I couldn’t supply him with what he needed I felt more guilty about that than making sure he was full. I also had those chastising me for switching to formula but you know what. My boy was fed and that’s all that matters. You do what you need to do to make sure that baby had a full belly.
I hated breastfeeding. I was miserable and never slept and seemed like I had zero help. So I tried pumping and I hated that even more. If I wasn’t up every 3 hours pumping or feeding then my supply would be horrible for the rest of the day. I finally just gave up, I was so over it. And I think realizing it wasn’t for me helped me not get such severe ppd/ppa, because I pumped for almost 6 months with my first and suffered with ppd for close to a year. But with my second I stopped stressing it and listened to my body and I feel amazing and am actually enjoying this stage that I hated before. Don’t feel bad if you do stop your sanity is important too. If you don’t want to anymore you don’t have to. Formula is fine I promise stressing yourself out about it will make you miserable.
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My son didnt want to latch properly (lazy latcher) and my supply was running low and all i did was pump. Barely slept and couldnt function. I made the decision to move to formula. Best thing i ever did. Fed is best and you need to be able to function and be there for them to the best of your ability. Do what you need to do.
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I had five kids, four of which did great for one year of breastfeeding. But I had this one, my second, who was an unsatisfied loon of sorts…I only nursed him for three months and gave up. He is fine today, at the age of 25! Some babies just don’t do well with it and that’s okay!
I hated breastfeeding, just remember as long as there feed that’s all that matters!!! Happy mom, happy baby!!!
You do what is best for you and your family. I do recommend seeing and LC and probably taking too someone about possible PPD. Breastfeeding can be extremely difficult. Especially when you are having problems and you are stressed
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I agree with the above that fed is best, and they’ve mentioned great alternatives if you want to continue breastfeeding, like nipple shields, a consultant for proper latching, support groups, creams, etc. the first few weeks are the toughest but it does get easier. With breastfeeding every little bit helps, so even if you pump and supplement with formula your baby is still getting those precious antibodies that will help fight infections. I have always had a hungry baby. I was feeding every hour for the first 4 months then every two hours. (And with an oversupply to boot) I’m still up every 2 or 3 hours in the night to feed my 7 1/2 month old, but to me it’s worth it because I love breastfeeding him. In the end it’s you who needs to put in the work so it all boils down to if it’s worth the effort or not.
The first few months of breastfeeding were very hard, but after that it was sooo easy. Didn’t have to worry about bottles or buying formula. With my 2nd I stopped at 8 months and regretted it!
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You could pump and give it in a bottle. A manual pump doesn’t hurt, is not expensive and got more milk for me than the electric pump.
Please do whatever works for you and don’t beat yourself up for it either.
I felt the same way when I started BFing and that first month is soooo rough but it gets much easier and your nipples won’t hurt forever. I’m so glad I stuck it out because breastfeeding became so enjoyable and comforting for both of us.
Also Mothers Milk tea helped me a lot with my supply. Whatever you do, you’re doing a great job!
I gave up on breastfeeding, but I continued to pump and put it in bottles. You get your life back and baby gets breastmilk. Don’t let anyone guilt you into continuing to breastfeed. Your baby may not be getting enough and that’s why she is always hungry. I did 1/2 breastmilk 1/2 formula. You can’t be a great mom if you are exhausted and frustrated. Do what YOU know will be best!!
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fed is best, fed by a happy , relaxed momma is better.
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Just ate two oz formula. This is the most content she has ever been.
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I was in the same situation all my son wanted to do was eat come to find out I wasn’t producing enough and he wasn’t getting nearly enough.
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I have 4 kids.
I breast fed and formula top upped with all of them. With #2 I tried to breast feed exclusively and it was the worst thing for her even though I was following the professionals advice. I simply didn’t produce enough and looking back was starving her. She was trying to feed (literally) 20 hours out of 24. It was painful, exhausting, draining and depressing. Eventually, I went against what the pros said and introduced formula. Oh, my god. She was a COMPLETELY different baby.
Seriously, fed is best. Who cares if if it’s breast or formula. Do what works best for your family!
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Pump!!! Until your nipples heal and then breast feed again! That’s what I did my nipples were BLACK scabbed and I wanted to give up so many times but I would just pump and feed her the bottle cause I didn’t wanna give her formula either.
I formula fed! My nipples were bleeding when I was breastfeeding my daughter… I tried pumping but it made my nips worse!! I didn’t even have nips just big scabs.! Formula was the best thing I did for mine! 
good luck girl
Stick to the formula. Your sanity is more important than breastfeeding. No one is going to be able to tell you used formula. Baby will be fed and you will be way less stressed
Happy mom, happy baby, happy home life.
My sister bf all her kids…they still get sick, still get ear infections and are just as smart as my ff kids.
Also, my son best friend was ff. He hardly ever gets sick and was accepted into a very good private school at 8 years old. He is a smart child.
All genetics
You can give her a few bottles for a few days while you heal. Your supply will probably be okay
Very sad 
maybe it’s something your eating like dairy ?
You can pump. I fed mine both formula & breastmilk.
I also couldn’t totally b feed 1st starved 4 2 weeks. 2nd I b feed for three yrs. Just gave boob first then formula. Pumped with ELC pump most I ever got was 3oz a day so I stopped pumping.
Do what you need to do to keep your child well fed and healthy. Sometimes the hardest we are judged is by ourselves. If you know you are done and will have no regrets then move on. If you think you will regret giving up then you could try to pump to keep your supply until baby gets back to the boob, or until you are confident in your choice to keep baby on the bottle. Either way, fed is best!
I’ve been frustrated from being tired but I didn’t give up. I started pumping while baby slept and built up enough milk for dad to feed baby pumped milk in the morning so I could sleep. It’s their routine now for him to get up with baby to feed her. It saved my sanity. edit: mine also seemed unsatisfied for a while. So we started using a binkie. It was harder to distract her from wanting to eat when she was smaller but she started using the binkie regularly pretty quick.
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That means your baby might still be having a problem latching correctly. If possible talk to a lactant consultant to correct the position. Make sure baby is opening mouth widely and graving enough of your nipple so it doesn’t pinch you or hurt you and so she can suck and stimulate to produce enough milk. Remember the more they suck the more milk you produce so although it’s very tempting to substitute with formula it will jeopardize your milk supply.
It is insane and it almost drives me crazy with all 3 of my kids every time but it’s just temporary and soon you will get the hang of it. I think it’s worth the sacrifice but it is not for everybody so it is your decision at the end.
IT IS NORMAL for newborns to want to be attached to the breast almost all day. They are growing more in those few first weeks than they will ever grow during the rest of their life. And it is nature’s way to establish the milk supply and comfort a baby who is new to absolutely everything except mommy. You are her safe place right now.
If you decide to continue I recommend you get some of this nipple shells. Those really helped me heal faster when I had cracked bleeding nipples. Medela Softshells For Sore Nipple - 2ct : Target
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I never made enough milk to breast feed both my kids are formula fed they are happy and healthy, fed is best
There is nothing wrong with giving a baby formula. You attempted to breastfeed and that’s amazing. A fed baby is a happy baby.
When I had problems I called 1 800 le leche. These fine ladies who are experts on the subject are there to encourage, comfort, support, and advise 24/7. The most important thing is to be true to your own heart. What do you want? And to heck with what anyone else says
Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt! If it is it could be either a simple matter like a bad latch or it could mean the baby has a lip and/ or tongue tie. I have exclusively BF my 13 month old. At first, it hurt and then I watched some YouTube videos and I learned what I was doing wrong and fixed it. I read a lot about BF and learned that sometimes you’ll be a 24 hour milk cow, honestly 
Babies BF for so many reasons, and when they’re sick, growing or teething they do it more. Not sure how old your baby is but hope something here helps. There’s a lady called “The Milk Meg” here on Facebook. She’s a lactation consultant and she’s a great source of support for BFing.
I know everyone says “fed is best” and it is if that’s all you can do, but BF has so many benefits that I didn’t realize until I started and got so far in. If my baby gets sick (which is rare), she nurses a lot for a day or so and she’s better within 2-3 days! We have such a close and sweet bond because of the breastfeeding 
That being said, it’s just like having a baby - you have to know WHY you chose to go this route and be resolved in continuing for it to be successful. If your heart’s not in it, it might not work for you. It was a lot of work for me for about 9 months, she was very attached to just me, but now she loves her Daddy and her older siblings (they’re teens and I formula fed them, so this is my first experience with BFing). They say more attached parenting leads to more independent and well adjusted children, so we’ll see. Good luck with whatever you decide!
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You don’t have to force yourself. If it’s making you unhappy, pumping or formula will do the job. I decided to switch with my second because I was just too worn out and sore. Don’t feel like you have too, it’s fab you tried and are but if it’s too much, so what’s best for you both xx
It sounds like she is not latching properly. Try to talk to a lactation consultant.
I would meet with a lactation consultant one more time if you really want to breast feed. I tried for a month. Had hardly any milk supply. Our 12 month old has been formula fed since her 3rd day of life. She is a very healthy and happy baby. You can’t put a price tag on your sanity. And everyone can help feed them.
You shouln’t feel guilty not being able to breast feed. If you are busy person it’s better go to bottle feed, this way people around you can help feed the baby. If you are a high strung person your milk will not cooperate.
I breastfed my son for 18 months. He woke me up every hour and sometimes every 15 minutes in the night, most of the time we both sleep while breastfeeding which was sweet but exhausting and caused me lots of neck and back pain. It wasnt because of him being hungry it was just a comfort thing. There were weeks where it was painful from biting and i felt like i couldnt anymore and i hated pumping. But i didnt give up. At 18 months he couldnt feed anymore hed try but end up crying i thought im not producing anymore milk so i weaned him but turned out he was having teething pain so it was so much hurtful to me that i caused him more pain while weaning him alongside teething… it was a difficult but beautiful journey… im just saying that its not easy but i could be nice when you really want to keep going. If you’re uncomfortable and its makingg you frustrated in the time where you should be enjoying every moment with your kid then stop it and start formula. Yes bf is better than formula but fed is best. Do whatever you feel its best for both of you
I gave up trying to breast feed since my son wouldn’t latch. Then eventually quit pumping as well. It was just too stressful and I couldn’t keep up with my boy’s appetite.