Choosing not to breastfeed

[Arimeh]

Thanks Rebecca and to everyone else for understanding!!! Sometimes thats all you need in here, to express your deepest feelings, and for people to come and sympathise with you. Thanks heaps all. :-)

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

If you want to exclusively pump for your baby I could suggest no better resource than a book called "exclusively pumping" available at Mothers Direct - follow the links via my signature (mods, I know this is against etiquette, but I am fairly confident this is the only place in Australia that has the book)
The key to getting a good milk supply via pumping is pumping early and pumping often. YOu might want to start by hiring a breastpump, and if things are going well, buy one.
It sounds like your baby's birth and early breastfeeding experiences are still painful for you. Your baby is still young, are you expecting another one yet? Either way, you may find it useful to debrief about the situation with a midwife, a Lactation Consultant or a breastfeeding counsellor. The first few days can feel like you are in a pressure cooker - so much to get your head around, especially if you are unwell.
Many people find things go quite differently the second time round, and they go onto breastfeed fine. You might not be at that point of even being able to contemplate that now, but as you heal from what happened you may feel differently
Warm regards
Barb

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

To be honest, I would try breastfeeding again if I were you but enlist the assistance of a lactation consultant. The closeness that baby gets from breastfeeding is very beneficial, and if you can get things going, it's wonderful for you too.

But if you don't want to do that, I would say definately express instead of formula. I highly recommend getting an electric pump though, I have a manual one and I need to keep one breast full all day to get just one small bottle! With an electric one, you just turn them on and sit back, i believe. They're expensive (which is why I got a manual one) but you can pick up some second hand ones around the place (which is fine as long as you sterilize them) and the breastfeeding association rents them out.

[sirenz]

hello Aricyn's mum

i just wanted to let you know i am a full time pumper.. i had serious probs getting ds to attach... so much so that feeding him was a very stressful and unpleasant experience for both ds and myself.. he would just scream.

now feeding is a happy and relaxing occasion that dh, ds and myself can enjoy.

I don't find it hard at all to express with my electric pump and i just do it in the lounge room whilst watching tv.

please don't let anyone make you feel bad for bottle feeding your baby.. you have to do what is right for your child AND for yourself too.

good luck.. i am only new at this too but i am here if you have any questions i may be able to answer for you.

[Arimeh]

Thanks Sirenz, its good to know that it is possible. I've been thinking about what everyone has written here, and been pondering for quite a while now, and I think that I may just FF the next one. Maybe by the time I have a third one (because I am planning for three) then my memory would have faded enough to actually feel comfortable with the idea of BF again, instead of not wanting to even contemplate it.. iykwim.... :-)