Weaning and boobie blues

emmabrighton

Hi everyone,

I have a question about weaning. I have been expressing for nearly 10 months. I know this sounds nuts and I would much rather have bf all this time but my little boy was premature so for the first 3 months got EBM in the NICU. When he came home, I got him onto the breast, but by Christmas he decided the boob wasn't for him so i went back onto the pump full time to make sure he got breast milk.

I went back to work 3 months ago and the expressing was really starting to bother me as it felt like I was spending more time on the pump when I was at home than playing with my little boy.

I started weaning on to formula slowly. I was down to one pumping session a day. Last Friday was the last pumping session.

Yesterday, however, I started feeling moody and today I am really down. So, I reckon it is because of the oxytocin levels dropping off. I really didn't expect to hit me badly because I was only pumping once a day for the last week. But it has.

Any tips for handling these feelings?

How Strange

I had the same general blues feeling when I stopped breastfeeding. I suppose it is the end of the production of happy hormones. I was totally ready to stop breastfeeding at that stage so the sadness kind of took me by surprise. I've no tips really just to say its normal. I think it totally passed within a couple of weeks.

wmpdd3

I just want to say, fair play to you for pumping for that long. I hated pumping and couldn't wait to get the pump out of the house.

I agree it is really the first time in nearly a year that you dont have the 'happy hormones' in your body. My fella was 10 months too when I stopped and I kept wondering if it was the right time.

Do you have anyone you can talk with? Surviving the whole premmie thing and then having a new 5 times a day/night hobbie can have a massive effect on you. Its hard to even remember what we used to do to relax and make sense of the world before baby.

I found I have way less confidence in myself now than I used to have before the kids and I had a bog standard experience!
It is slowly coming back but I feel I have to push myself to speak up or approach people. which is soooo not me.

NextSteps

I had a good cry after my last feed too. No tips on how to handle it, maybe treat yourself to a long bath and a good book and tell yourself how well you did to pump for so long! That's some achievement.

lynski

pumping for your baby is never nuts! it is the best way to look after your baby, remember the WHO recommends: breastfeeding, mother milk from bottle or other way, donor milk, wet nursing and formula last.
Well done, for getting to this point.
I think that you are grieving, it is a loss physiologically. Hormonally your body does not know why you have stopped making milk. Hormonally your body thinks you no longer have a baby. Go very easy on yourself, allow yourself to grieve the loss of the relationship and to gently move on.
Plenty of skin to skin contact and cuddling and time, could help.
Look after yourself and be well.

wmpdd3

lynski wrote: »

pumping for your baby is never nuts! it is the best way to look after your baby, remember the WHO recommends: breastfeeding, mother milk from bottle or other way, donor milk, wet nursing and formula last.
Well done, for getting to this point.
I think that you are grieving, it is a loss physiologically. Hormonally your body does not know why you have stopped making milk. Hormonally your body thinks you no longer have a baby. Go very easy on yourself, allow yourself to grieve the loss of the relationship and to gently move on.
Plenty of skin to skin contact and cuddling and time, could help.
Look after yourself and be well.

Sorry, of course its not nuts but it is hard, so OP well done.

I pumped maybe 5 times a week this time round and found it such a choir.

I pumped for 3 weeks with my first and that kinda made up my mind!

I 2nd the skin to skin.