Bottle Feeding to Breastfeeding – It Can Be Done!

Here is my latest breastfeeding update:
I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally be successful with breastfeeding…it only took 6 weeks (that last little bit was said with sarcasm!).  I’m convinced that no matter how hard I tried to breastfeed, it wouldn’t have worked up until this point.  For some reason, whether it was the tongue tie (it was clipped 3 days after birth) or the fact that she had a small mouth or that her mouth muscles weren’t developed enough, she was not ready to breastfeed.  I had pretty much given up at 4 weeks and I’m pretty sure that I was borderline postpartum depressed.  Because of this, I decided it would be best to pump breast milk to help regain my sanity and to get over the fact that I felt like a failure since breastfeeding wasn’t working.  And I’ll admit, two weeks into not trying to breastfeed, I felt soooo much better!  I realized I wasn’t a failure and that feeding my baby, no matter how I did it, was what ultimately mattered.
But…after making my 6 week postpartum checkup at the birth center, the lactation consultant asked for me to give her one more chance to see if we could get Mabel to latch and breastfeed.  I was reluctant (I didn’t want to set myself up for disappointment again) but I thought, ‘At this point, what do I have to lose’?  So upon meeting with her at my appointment, Mabel latched effortlessly.  Seriously!?!  I was shocked.  My baby who screamed and fussed at my breast suddenly decided she wanted to breastfeed!  We’ve been successfully breastfeeding for almost a week now…and I’m glad we didn’t give up.  
Now, I honestly don’t want anyone to think that I’m only pro-breastfeeding.  I’m ‘pro’ whatever makes both mommy and baby happy.  I swear I would be deep into postpartum depression if I wouldn’t have taken my 2 week break of trying to breastfeed.  So I’m really glad bottle feeding was an option.  If breastfeeding wouldn’t have miraculously worked at my last lactation consult meeting, I would have stayed with pumping only and I would have been happy.  Although, I probably would have switched to formula feeding more quickly due to pumping being such a pain and taking soooo much time!
Anyway, I just thought I’d share this part of my journey with you.  🙂 
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3 thoughts on “Bottle Feeding to Breastfeeding – It Can Be Done!

  1. Bella Rose says:

    Breastfeeding is so much harder than I expected. My son is 5 weeks and finally latched using a nipple shield last week. I haven't tried feedings without it yet.

  2. JustHeidi137 says:

    I just came across your blog and I am loving reading your posts. Congrats on being able to breastfeed your new little one. It is NOT as easy as some may say. I have 4 children and I mad it about 3 months with my first, 5-6 months with my second, back to 3 with my third and still nursing my 4th at 14 months! Trying to wean, but she still wakes up at night on occasion, so as long as she's happy! 🙂 It takes a lot of patience. (not to say that people who don't are not patient….just every baby is different. Congrats again!

  3. katy says:

    Hi…new fan from New Zealand…So I’m having the same troubles – did you do anything special other than take a break from breastfeeding? did it just start happening again amazingly as you said? My babe is 10 weeks and his latch has deteriorated something wicked…cant decide what to do! (my babe had ptt cut at 4 weeks, and scar tissue grew over it, that was cut this week). Would love to know how this turned out! 🙂

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