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This time around with E, I told myself that if it didn't work I wouldn't pump this time. N never latched and I pumped for almost 8/9 months. I decided I will never do that again. I felt like I missed out too much. We were lucky that E took to nursing like a champ so I haven't touched my pump since he came home.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

i'm not pregnant yet, but i do wonder about this because while BFing was easy (relatively) for us, it was super time consuming and I did it for 18 months. but after we got past the hard parts, it was much easier than making up bottles all the time. i think next time around, i won't sweat it as much if i can't pump enough, etc (although i was a leaky mess, so that was definitely part of it too!) and if i need to send DH in or give formula, i won't freak out like i did with #1. i kinda feel like 2+ kids just have to go with the flow?

I was tired going into it all again but overall I loved BFing for 18 months. The beginning was so much easier knowing what I was doing with #2

This time though I said I will not beat myself up if we have to supplement after 6-8 months. I think it's silly to sorry about BM versus formula when they could also eat a chicken nugget. But I do hope pump / nurse enough to at least get to 12-18 months again.

Hoping to do a blog post soon, but I breastfed my first for 18 months and now, due to a whole slew of reasons (protein intolerances, nursing rejection, poor latch) we're moving over to formula at 4 months. Never something I'd envisioned but here we are all the same!

Well I only breastfed dS1 for a few weeks but said I'd try again with DS2. The feelings I felt the 1st time were the same and I quit even earlier. My mental and emotional health were more important. I do think each time may be different so if I have a 3rd I'll probably try again.

I EP'ed with LO1, and I told myself I would never do that again. I did want to give breastfeeding a shot since it didn't work out with my first. Luckily I didn't have to EP (and only pumped a handful of times) and breastfeeding worked out. I would have formula fed with no hesitation with LO2.

Breast feeding was an emotional nightmare for me with low supply and ppd. I am telling myself to go into it with an open mind this time, but to also go easy on myself. I dream of being blessed with a good supply. But honestly, even if I do I don't think I could commit to it beyond a year. Having "ownership" over my body is a deeply important issue to me.

@Mrs. Lion: Very good point about the bonding. I never felt this magical moment with my kids when I breastfed. I felt exactly the same when I gave them a bottle. Actually, I probably felt better because I wasn't stressed and knew it wouldn't hurt. When I feel guilt about not breastfeeding, I think it's because I didn't like it. Like somehow that makes me abnormal.

I nursed my first baby for 4 months through immense pain—mostly due to what I thought were latch issues, but now realize were problems with flat/inverted nipples and maybe even Reinaud’s Sydrome. At 4 months I switched to EPing, which I kept up until my son was a year old. I continued to experience pain and blistering with pumping. When I finally weaned from pumping, I told my DH and mom that if I had to do it again, I never would have tortured myself so much over BFing. Looking back, it really made my first year as a mom so much harder and less enjoyable. I spent so much time in pain, pumping, and stressing about pumping, it was insane.

So when I was pregnant with my second, I vowed not to do the same thing, Much of my breastfeeding struggles are related to breast anatomy, so I knew there was a good chance I would face the same problems. When my second was born, everything was eerily similar to my first BFing experience. I had a long, difficult induction. Baby could not latch on successfully, despite help from 4 different LCs/nurses. When the LC suggested that I start pumping and using a nipple shield, I wanted to cry. I pumped once, and it brought back so many sad feelings right away. I was so lucky to have a final consultation with a wonderful LC who helped me latch the baby on with a SNS, but nursing hurt terribly right away. It was exactly the same as when I had nursed my first, but this time I knew I was not willing (or able) to sacrifice my sanity and miss out on my baby’s first year just to breastfeed him. I was so thankful for that last LC who looked at me, saw how much pain I was already experiencing when my baby finally did latch on, and told me it was absolutely OK not to breastfeed. She said, “They tell us not to say this, but at least 10% of mamas just cannot breastfeed successfully. I think you are in that 10%.” This did not hurt my feelings at all—it was so freeing to feel OK about choosing not to breastfeed. So I have been giving LO2 formula since he was 2 days old, and I can’t believe what a different experience I am having with my baby! I am enjoying his newborn days. I do not dread going to bed every night knowing that I’ll be in excruciating pain when I get up to nurse. I do not spend hours a day pumping and NOT holding my baby. I get to share feeding duties with DH, and he loves it. It has been such a positive thing for my whole family.

I wanted to share my experience just in case breastfeeding is tough for you the second time around. I went into it really hoping to have a positive breastfeeding experience this second time, but I am having a very positive experience with FF instead and it has been great.