I need some advice on how to stop breastfeeding a 4 week old. Do I have to wean or can I just go cold turkey. I have had a really hard time with the latching etc. and she eats so much after I breastfeed her I still have to make a bottle.
Please dont post a comment to me if you are going to talk down to me about stopping breastfeeding already. I know it is best for the baby but I have had a really hard time. Thanks :)
I'd say wean her. Stopping all together would be too rough on both of you. Also, talk to her pediatrician, and ask if it would be ok to add apple rice cereal (Gerber makes it) to her bottles of formula. It may sound weird, but my sister did it, and it helped! I guess the sweetness of the apple flavor in the formula took place of the sweetness of breast milk. Just ask if she's old enough, I can't quite remember what age it's ok to start rice cereal. I also did this and I didn't breast feed (my daughter needed the calories) and she loved it. I still add it to her milk sometimes since she likes it so much. It will also help fill her up, so she won't want as much.
And you're definitely not wrong for stopping. If it's hard on you, then it can be hard to enjoy your little girl to the fullest. With all the different formulas out there, a baby can get just as much out of them as breast milk. Besides, she nursed during the most important time anyways. She got the antibodies of the first weeks milk and then some!
Good luck with everything! :)
The best way would be gradual but you could stop breastfeeding and just give her a bottle. If you do this though you will get sore so make sure you hand express some breastmilk so your breasts don't get hard. You could also try using a breast pump and giving her that in a bottle that way she still gets it. When my first son was born I stopped breastfeeding after 2 months because I was always sore. A lactation consultant tried working with us and she said that for some reason my son just had a hard time latching on, it happens. At least you tried and as my lactation consultant said "Even a month is better than nothing".
Good luck and congratulations on your newborn.
My mom had a hard time feeding both my sister and I(we are twins) and so what she did was she used a pump when she wasnt feeding us and froze the milk, then when one of us was breastfeeding, the other was drinking breast milk from a bottle.
your supposed to start weaning if you stop cold turkey the baby could get sick
Thank you all for the advice, it will really help me...
dont go cold turkey. defintley wean
