https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Apr 2026 21:34:06 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126692 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:11:57 +0000 aunt pol 126692@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Add in the formula during the day, or maybe try to increase the amount of calories LO is getting from solids during the day? Several of the books I have recommend feeding plenty during the day in order to gradually phase out the night feeds. There's no point wearing yourself out. Could you try cooled boiled water then in a bottle for one of the night wakes, once you increase the day feeds so that you're sure the night waking is for comfort and not true hunger?<br /> Fair play to you for getting as far as you have. You don't need to suffer with it! Do what you can, not what you feel you ought to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126615 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:43:15 +0000 MamaMoose 126615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm still pregnant so I can't give a lot of advice..... but you've definitely got some really good suggestions here. I just want to add, because I think it's important for you to hear it, don't feel guilty if you decide you can't continue. As many have said your baby has already received the best benefits of breastfeeding already. And at a certain point your mental health is just as important as the benefits of breastfeeding are to your baby. So don't feel like you don't have an option to stop before a year if it's what YOU need in order to be happy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126589 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:31:30 +0000 jennylynn 126589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow! I think you're doing pretty awesome to have been BF for that long! I've only been at it for 11 days and I find it extremely trying and discouraging at times. I don't have any advice for you, but just wanted to say that I think you are doing amazing for have kept up as long as you have! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126575 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:25:22 +0000 Maysprout 126575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Daycare sickness is hard, you're not exposed to the same germies at the same time as her so you're not actively making immune responses to those germies. But now that she's sick you've been exposed to those germies and you might be producing antibodies to them now that will pass through the breast milk. So breastfeeding can still help even if it didn't prevent the sickness in the first place. </p> <p>It is a ton of work, but maybe have husband give a bottle of pumped milk at night or just comfort instead of feeding for part of the night.</p> <p>Best wishes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126528 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:11:06 +0000 Lozza 126528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think cutting out the night feeds was critical for us in helping LO sleep through the night, and one of the things we did to help cut down on night feeds and eventually eliminate them was that when LO woke up at night, we'd send DH in there to comfort him instead of me. I'd found that when I was doing night feeds, LO was nursing for comfort, not hunger- he'd nurse for like a minute or two and then go back to sleep. If DH went in, LO didn't have the option to nurse, and got used to not having those feedings. Our comfort strategies varied- early on DH would try picking him up and rocking him and we progressed to really trying to comfort him without picking him up. We also used the pacifier a fair bit to get through the wakings.<br /> The other thing I'd say is that, depending on your kid (I know this does not work for every kid), you may be able to find a happy medium between CIO and immediate comforting. I was really adamant about not doing CIO but we were getting no sleep (DS was still waking up every three hours until he was like 7 months old) and so we worked on giving him more time to self-soothe before getting them. I don't think we ever let him cry for more than 5 minutes at a time or so (we never had one of those "cried for two hours" kind of CIO nights), but I really found that a ton of the time if I let him cry for literally a minute or two, he'd go to sleep and be fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126488 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:01:19 +0000 Mrsbells 126488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is your husband able to feed her at night with pumped milk so you can take a break during the night? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126472 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:52:51 +0000 banana 126472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree! If you can supplement with formula, your baby will still be getting the nutrients from breastmilk. Don't beat yourself up mama! You made it to 8.5 months and that's AWESOME! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126462 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:50:01 +0000 chopsuey 126462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Thehistoryofus: You're doing such a great job and it's awesome that you made it to 8.5 months!!<br /> SO sorry to hear that your LO was sick! I can't imagine how hard it must have been to have her in the hospital!! Hope she's better and I would definitely start supplementing with formula!<br /> My mom suggested that I start giving my LO some formula too. Says I'm as strong and healthy as I am because I got formula during the day and breastmilk at night! :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126443 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:40:18 +0000 T.H.O.U. 126443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks ladies for the responses. Its tough because work is stressful and finding the time to pump is hard (I'm catching up from being out 3 days last week). So I'm not pumping enough for her at daycare let alone enough for an extra bottle at night. </p> <p>Its helpful to hear they still get benefits even from 2 feedings per day. I would love to keep nursing in the mornings and before bed but just want to stop pumping during the day at work and to share the middle of the night feedings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126434 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:38:01 +0000 mrs. wagon 126434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @mrs.bee-- how about mixing formula into the breastmilk? That way she's still getting breastmilk steadily throughout the day and night, and you can split feeding duties. And if she's slept thru the night once, she can do it again... obviously you'll have to wait til she's completely recovered. You're so close!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126430 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:36:27 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 126430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Even if you stopped right now, she will have gotten most of theBFing benefits! You've done a great job... And yes sometimes it's very hard and very lonely. I wonder if you'd find right now that you'd have a rough go of it anyway because she's just been sick. So quitting right now might not even get you the rest you desperately need. Can your SO do a pumped bottle for one of the night feeds? Also think how good you'll feel if you do meet that year goal! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126425 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:35:23 +0000 Mrs. Bee 126425@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>what about supplementing with formula but continuing to breastfeed? it doesn't have to be all or nothing. my pediatrician told me that as long as they're getting 2 feedings of breastmilk a day, they're still getting most of the benefits.</p> <p>no need to beat yourself up... it is tough! i plan on sleep training in the next couple of weeks because i can't believe i'm still getting up 4+ times a night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126423 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:35:02 +0000 brownie 126423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sleep with her. My son joins us in bed around 11 pm and goes back to his bed around 4 am after feeding twice. No pumping and I typically get a lot more sleep. He's 1 year old tomorrow. We are breastfeeding till he is 2 because of allergies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126415 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:32:54 +0000 heffalump 126415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So sorry you're so frusterated! You have been BFing for such a long time, I only made it a week! Just know that your LO will be happy and healthy no matter what you decide to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-support-help-feeling-discouraged#post-126402 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:28:27 +0000 T.H.O.U. 126402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm feeling very discouraged with our breastfeeding goal of 1 year (at 8.5 months now). As much as I love it, I'm over it (mainly pumping and middle of the night feedings). I think the big part that kept me going was knowing I was helping her health but she still got sick last week anyways (bacteria from daycare and was hospitalized for a day). </p> <p>I would like to try to push through and make it to a year so we don't have to get on formula but I'm so tired of pumping and having no help in the middle of the night. She was just starting to STTN before she got sick, now who knows when she'll do it again and I can't let her CIO. </p>