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I'm sorry you are going through this. At 2 weeks I stopped bfing and started EPing as I had a lot of the same struggles. That being said bfing was never a huge goal of mine and I never enjoyed it so it didn't stress me out to give it up. LO is 5 months and gets about 1/2 bm 1/2 formula (used to be 3/4 bm but my supply took a hit when I got the flu last week) ... She's a happy and healthy little girl

It was awful but it improved around 5 weeks for me.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

I had a similar experience with Ellie and I stuck with it. Looking back, I'm glad that I did, but I know pushing on doesn't work for everyone. Eventually we went to nursing first, and then finishing with a bottle for every feed, even MOTN. We went on to have a great nursing relationship that I look back on with lots of love and fondness!

I was in your exact situation, and I couldn't push through. My husband went back to work and was working very long hours. I had no family or friends nearby to help, and there was no way for me to do all of that pumping, and the supplemental nursing system, all while watching my newborn daughter. In the end I decided to stop pumping. I would just give my daughter whatever breastmilk she was able to get during a feeding, and then I would give her a bottle of formula afterward so she could get the rest of the calories she needed. My supply never improved, and my daughter eventually lost interest in BF, so I quit entirely once I went back to work. I did feel immense guilt over these decisions, so much so that it contributed to my severe case of PPD that I experienced. I just want to tell you that you do not have to feel guilty if BF isn't working for you. Formula is amazing stuff, and lots of smart and healthy adults were raised on it as babies. Spending more than half of every day pumping and the rest of the time cleaning pump supplies and bottles and fretting about my milk supply was no way for me to live my life, and it might not be for you either. That is 100% your decision to make.

When BF wasn’t working out for us, I quit. I did it without (much) guilt or tears; BF isn’t easy and doesn’t work for so.many.women and babies. Formula isn’t the devil’s milk that some people (on here and otherwise) make it out to be – I just wanted a sane, happy, healthy mama and a well-fed, well-nourished, happy baby. I wasn’t interested in taking tons of herbal supplements because all that is passed through milk too like everything you ingest; and many herbal supplements have not been FDA evaluated or approved. We bonded just fine during feedings with bottles. I hope whatever decision you make, you do it without too much guilt, sadness or shame. There’s no need to feel like you haven’t tried “hard enough” or that you somehow are lacking!!

My DS started out breastfeeding really well back in June when he was born. We had no latch issues, and he just went to town. Around 4-5 weeks that all changed and suddenly he became fussy at the breast and seemed to develop reflux type symptoms. He started refusing to nurse at all and I had to start pumping and giving bottles.

We actually took him to a chiropractor that specializes in pediatrics. I was really skeptical, but he was apparently majorly "out of whack" for lack of a better term and the chiro said that the adjustment should take care of everything. I took him home, pulled out my boob ;), and what do you know? He latched! And nursed! And we were able to nurse exclusively until November when my supply tanked after I got pregnant.

I was in your exact situation. Was eating and drinking around the clock to stimulate production, took herbal supplements, saw an LC, pumped like a mad woman and still my LO was losing weight. The stress of the feeding issues, total lack of sleep, combined with my husband's long hours and the lack of family nearby plus PPD made my daughter's newborn days a nightmare for me.

I started supplementing around 3 weeks and by 3.5 months I was completely done breastfeeding. I immediately enjoyed spending time with daughter SO much more. But getting to that point was hard. I beat myself up so much over it all - never thinking that I would ever find myself in such a position. I just kind of thought breastfeeding would work for me. I cried many, many tears over the decision. In hindsight, I wish I would have had a healthier attitude towards formula feeding and just accepted that it's okay, you know? My LO is nearly 2 now and she's healthy and happy. If I found myself in the same situation with our next child, I wouldn't give myself so much guilt.

Whatever you decide, good luck! And know that there are many, many moms here who will support you regardless of your choice.

@MrsH: DS has had formula but truthfully I just kept it up. It is the absolute hardest thing I've ever done. I wrote several posts on it and it didn't get easier until he got bigger (3 months or so) now he's almost 20 lbs at 5 months and its easy peasy

If I could do it all over again, I would have used the nipple shield longer, but I don't really know if my supply would ever have been enough.

@MrsH: Honestly breastfeeding is one of the hardest if not the hardest thing I have ever done. I was ready to quit when she was about 5 days old, everything about it is hard. I went to the lactation consultant so many times, I powered through super painful feeds, I nursed for HOURS everyday, DD was little and didn't gain a ton (enough, just barely) and it was pretty miserable. I have no idea why I stuck with it, I wasn't even that committed to nursing before I had DD, but I did, and eventually it did get better, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. She has still never had formula (5 months old), and I am incredibly proud of how far we have made it.

However I think because of how hard BFing was in the beginning it took me longer to bond with my daughter, it caused me to feed depressed and sad, and even regretful of having a child. I feel sad when I think about that time and I wish I would have cut myself some slack, and stopped stressing about BF. It is totally okay to quit. It is totally okay to supplement. It is totally okay to push through and continue to BF. You just need to do what is best for you and baby, and only you know what that is. Good luck, and relax, it will get better no matter what you decide.

ETA: Everytime it started to get a little better, it would then get a little worse shortly after, it was consistently 1 step forward 2 steps back, until it was just plain better, so if you stick it out be prepared for that. Also I really don't find nursing to be a "bonding" experience, I'm glad we are still going with it for a variety of reasons, but bonding is not one of them, and that was something I constantly worried about, so there is my opinion for what it is worth.

I had/have low supply & went through the same struggles. At about 4 weeks I stopped pumping - I just nursed & supplemented. At that point LO was still pretty content to nurse. I thought about quitting so many times & I think about it now that she has gotten to be a very fussy, frustrated nurser. But I am so glad I pushed through. Despite our issues we do have a good nursing relationship - she loves to comfort nurse if she is not starving. And I feel proud that I have given her breastmilk this long.

Having said that, I do sometimes think about if I had just stopped in the beginning, if I would have been happier. I have shed so many tears over breastfeeding. But I remind myself that it's really hard for almost everyone - whether it's supply or latch or mastitis or what have you.

Hugs! Good luck whatever you decide!

We also had issue after issue. Things started to turn around at about 6 weeks. I really just made very small goals to get to that point and it was definitely worth it in the long run. Hang in there!

BF was really hard for me and with a colicky (later diagnosed MSPI) baby and PPD mama I was really teetering on the edge. I remember seeing Giuliana Rancic on TV one day and being envious of her because nobody would expect her to BF. She had breast cancer!!! I realized then that I was doing it for other people and not for me or for M. I broke down to my DH that day and started weaning her to formula the next day. That was at three months and honestly it was the best decision that I could have made for both of us at the time. I'm proud to have given her three months of BM, but she needed a sane mama more than she needed my milk.