Yes, I am tired of having to nurse my son with tubing. He pulls the tubing out. I had to quit using tape as my breasts are scared/irritated from the tape.

I try to hold his hand as much as possible to avoid him pulling the tubing out of his mouth.

If it's not that...


...then he squishes the lact aid bags and we get a nice shower of formula all over both of us.

I am considering weaning him. He takes a bottle happily.

I wish he were old enough to understand to keep his hand still.

I am tired from boiling tubes and ordering expensive nursing supplies and meds. I am tired of trying to keep him latched on with the tubing in just the right spot in his mouth.

Is he even going to appreciate all this in 20 years? :eyes:

Geez. I am a real grouch, aren't I?:wah:

I know I should be grateful that he wants to nurse, and I am. I really, really am. But perhaps it's time to end this part of our relationship. It is just hard sometimes.

Sorry, I just had to vent...

:big hug: I can't even imagine the challenges you are facing, mama. But you are doing a great thing. Don't kick yourself if you can't hack it anymore..your happiness and his happiness should come first. You can still hold him close no matter what you choose, right?

mama, why not just nurse him for comfort, without all of the tubes for awhile? Give the lactaid a break, and make a decision in a week or two-- it doesnt have to be right now. And if all he does is nurse for comfort for the next month or 6, then you are still meeting that need for him, kwim? He is old enough he shouldnt get nipple confusion at this stage of the game, and even if he does, there are things that you can do to help it. You can even use a cup to give him the formula if need be.

I am sorry you are having such trouble.

Avraham Chaim can't safely nurse but I am letting him comfort suck after I pump. It is the closest we will probably ever get but it is so sweet and simple.

I wouldn't quit all together now. You have come so far.

thank you for the hugs. this week has been better! :)

I am so happy to hear that!!

:cloud9: :heart:

Just wanted to send some positive thoughts. You are an awesome mama w/ a really lucky babe. I went through a lot of bfing struggles w/ ds2 and it was difficult to make some of the decisions that I made. I hope that you figure out what works best for you as a team and can be at peace with your decision :)

do you want my avent microwave sterilizer ? you just put 7 oz of water in it and microwave for 4 minutes, works great. Just lmk

do you want my avent microwave sterilizer ? you just put 7 oz of water in it and microwave for 4 minutes, works great. Just lmk


Thank you! I don't have a microwave, though. :drop:

Waiting on an update with you, Sara! Do share!@

Thank you! I don't have a microwave, though. :drop:

Waiting on an update with you, Sara! Do share!@

LOL I have considered buying a microwave for sterilizing bottles and pump parts. We don't have on either.

I just have to laugh - I just came across this post by accident. ;)

Well, I did make it another 3 months after this post with the Lact Aid, and then another 3.5 months nursing with just the bare breast (and bottles as needed.)

So, to update, I am glad I stuck it out - it was HARD, but no regrets looking back on my original post 1 year later

:)

:heart:

Oh my goodness...:heart:

:hbeat: YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!

I'm not sure how old this post is, but if there are any other moms out there fighting with the tubes and bags and all the 'joys' that go with it I have one thing to say-- Get thee to a LLL meeting! I too used the Lactaid supplimenter as my daughter had difficulty with a proper latch (Mouth too small, nipple to big) and I had difficulties with supply. She ended up using the supplimenter from 4 weeks to 5 months. She FINALLY got it and is still nursing like a champ at 14 months. The ONLY reason that I stuck with it that long was because of the support that I received from my local LLL group. I still go just so that I can lend a hand to the other moms that may be on the verge of insanity due to similar challenges. Using any SNS can be a great challenge on top of trying to care for yourself and your new babe. So finding a support person or group dramatically increases your feelings of retaining your sanity!

I stopped the insanity.

I "comfort nursed" but that didn't last long at all -- he wanted MILK from those boobs and it was too much work to just suck them for not. And the hoses bothered him and he would gag if they were placed wrong, it was a fight to use that system. And a fight that left him mad and me in tears. He learned were is fingers were very early on, so comfort was not on his agenda.

I lost my milk supply due to hypothyroidism. It did not come back despite extremely exhausting measures of medications for my thyroid, DOM for milk supply, pumping, SNS, herbs, etc.

I don't regret my decision to stop the insanity and get back to being a mama to my other children. I do regret not getting hypothyroid medication until it was too late. I should have been treated in 2005 when I thought that was what was going on.

I know my son would have been better off if I had been able to give him breastmilk for a longer time period. I wish things had been different, but I can not regret something that was physically impossible, no matter how much I wish it were possible.

Hands down it's the hardest thing to do! Bravo to the mamas who make this work.