Exclusively pumping to formula
Hi everyone. I have a 20-week-old daughter and I've been exclusively pumping since she was 4 weeks old. We had a really difficult time breastfeeding, made worse by the fact that she spent a few days in the NICU, but it was important to me that she got my milk, so even when I felt done with breastfeeding, I decided to keep pumping.
Now I've been back to work for almost two months, and pumping 6x a day is getting really hard to keep up. We started supplementing her with a little formula so I could drop at least one pump, and that helped, but I have also started to resent all the time I spend pumping. Since going back to work, it feels like every moment I have with my baby is precious, and I hate feeling like I have to put her down to go pump or ignore her cries because I'm in the middle of pumping. I broke down into tears last night because of this, and decided it's probably best for both of us if I start transitions her full-time to formula.
I KNOW formula is just as good nutritionally, and I know that she'll be fed and happy. But I still have so much guilt about this decision... I feel like I haven't tried hard enough, or that I'm taking the easy way out. I also know that so many moms struggle with supply and I feel like its almost wasteful to stop pumping when I have been blessed with a very good supply.
I'm sure some of you have been through the same thing, so I'm really just looking to get some support since this is a hard thing for me to accept.
Let’s Glow
Glow is here for you on your path to pregnancy
Glow helps you navigate your fertility journey with smart tools, personalized insights, and guidance from medical experts who understand what matters most.
25+ million
Users
4.8 stars
200k+ app ratings
20+
Medical advisors