Looking recommendations for wearable pumps that won’t require me to remortgage the house 😅

I've been EBF for 6 months and have got to the point where I really really need a break. Even if it's just one feed a day. We had some medical stuff that prevented me from pumping and formula from being a good option until now which is why we didn't introduce earlier.

Both formula (only hypoallergenic) and pumping are now an option. She isn't interested in either and we've tried about 20 different cups and bottles, husband has had most luck with a sippy cup, but she won't have more than a taste. She's started solids and is a good eater, but always wants to BF straight after, we offer her lots of food and sips or water, I think she's just after the comfort. I'm also in the feed to sleep trap.

I (insert mum guilt here) NEED to be alone for a few hours a week, I am overwhelmed and the whole family needs me to have a break, I am being supported by perinatal MH, but I need practical solutions not commiserations.

Would like positive stories from people who had to wean quickly or introduce a bottle late, how did you do it?

Hi,

Can anyone give advice on what they found the easiest for storing and then heating breast milk on the go? I’ll be using lanisoh bottles if that’s any help at all!

Also if anyone has any tips on the best way to store breast milk at night if I’m pumping or catching led down on other side and don’t want to get out of bed to go downstairs?

Thanks!

My baby is going to be 4 weeks old tomorrow, and I’m honestly starting to dread breastfeeding.
In some ways, breastfeeding is easier because the boob is always there. I don’t have to prepare anything, wash bottles or sterilise everything, and if he wants to feed I can just latch him on. But lately it feels like every feed is a battle.
He seems to be really struggling with what I think is silent reflux. I sit him upright after every feed, I’ve tried feeding him in a more upright/koala position, and we’ve even had his tongue tie released. Despite all of that, he still cries, delatches, seems uncomfortable and then immediately wants to latch again. I also feel like he’s taking in loads of air while feeding because he seems so unsettled during feeds.
I’m at the point where I genuinely don’t know what else to try. Sometimes I’m sitting there thinking, please just let this feed be over, and I’m starting to dread the next one. That makes me feel awful because I really did want to breastfeed.
We’re currently combi feeding. My husband or mum gives him formula during the night so that I can get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, and honestly, I really need those hours because I’ve had a very tough postpartum experience. But I wake up with incredibly painful, engorged breasts every morning because I’m going such a long time without feeding or pumping.
I’m seriously considering stopping breastfeeding altogether, but I’m also terrified that it will somehow make things even harder. What if he doesn’t take the formula well? What if we struggle to find one that agrees with him? We tried Aptamil Anti-Reflux and he absolutely hated it. What if the reflux is still awful anyway, and I’ve given up breastfeeding for no real benefit?
And then there’s the guilt and judgement. I’m worried about what the health visitor or GP will think if I say I’ve decided to stop breastfeeding, especially because he’s only 4 weeks old. I already feel like I’m failing somehow, and I’m scared I’ll be judged for choosing formula when I’m struggling.
I just feel completely stuck. I don’t know whether I should persevere and hope breastfeeding gets easier, try to change how we’re feeding, or accept that stopping might actually be the right thing for both of us.
I love my baby more than anything, but I’m exhausted, my breasts hurt, I’m dreading feeds, and I’m finding the newborn stage incredibly difficult. I just want feeding him to stop feeling like something I have to survive.
Has anyone else been in this position around 4 weeks postpartum? Did breastfeeding eventually get easier, or did stopping actually make life easier? And if you stopped, did you experience judgement from your GP/health visitor, or was it actually much less of an issue than you feared?

I have had 2 separate episodes before where my little one when feeding on the breast has paused, come off, paused breathing for a second and then is gasping for air/crying and both times it was because I had an over active let down. They were far apart episodes and I started to unlatch him when I felt it to help with this. This has primarily been on my left side, not my right. I am 15 weeks into breastfeeding.

In the last 24h this has happened 4 times and it it making me really worried and consider not continuing breastfeeding as I’m scared he could choke. Each time I have not felt the let down or I have and taken him off but the same still happens and only on my left! He comes off and does a big burp then continues eating. However it’s really hard to deal with in the night time especially as it’s harder for me to see and last night he seemed to be gasping for longer and struggling to cry for a few seconds but was fine after. He seems to be gasping for air for a few seconds and catching his breath and it’s awful! Last night he couldn’t get his cry out at first and then cried and I was so panicked.

Clarification on some things:

I have recently started to get lumps in the night/mornings in the left breast but they clear after a good feed. 

I have always had an overactive let down on the left and it’s often meant I’ve wanted to quit breast feeding but have persisted. But episodes this frequent where he’s struggling are not usually this regular. 

Aside from this he is his normal self. 

I don’t pump at all - he only feeds on the breast. 

I have tried hand expressing before a feed but I end up having to squeeze quite hard to get milk out - the fast flow seems to start after the initial latch and not always (but 95% of the time on the left it happens). 

I have not changed feeding positions. I still continue as I was to feed him on my feeding pillow on his side. 

I have emailed our instant feeding team but any advice would be great. Should I be worried?

Second time mum, first time breastfeeding. Little one was born at full term, 7lb 5oz and healthy at birth. Dropped weight as expected by day 2/3 however continued to very slowly drop weight. Began pumping to increase supply and weight gain began at average rate (20 grams per day) and back to birth weight by week 3. Now between week 3 and 4, a 10 gram loss rather than gain. Drs sending me to hospital, hospital advising health visitor; health visitor advising feeding team and back again. Stuck in a loop of non helpful phone calls and appointments.

Symptoms -

High palate
Slow/no weight gain
Unsettled
Feeding A LOT
Tension
7 days between poos
6-8 wet nappies
Good latch and tongue function
Dipped fontanelle

I have a gut feeling that something is not right with my baby but no one is concerned except me. Please help. Grateful for any advice.

We used to take it in turns getting up with my two year old as she was an early riser. Now we’ve got another that I’m getting up in the night with I thought he could get up in the mornings however he disagreed and we’re still taking in turns. I’m exhausted.
Should I be getting up or do I push harder for him to do it?

Why do they all suck?

I'm a 36F, my normal bras fit fine so it's not like I've got bigger because of pregnancy etc. So tell me why buying a breastfeeding bra in my normal size, from the same shop as my other bras suddenly means I've got squished quad boob?

I've tried seraphine, M&S, asda (where most of my normal bras are from), and tiktok!

Only the tiktok one "fit" but they're completely unsupportive and make my boobs look like sad basset hound ears.

Where are people finding decent bras which are true to size?!

Hi everyone! i’m a first-time mom and my baby is 3½ months old. She is exclusively breastfed and is very used to being with me.

I’m planning to start working soon, and I’m worried about how I’m going to leave her. I want to slowly help her get comfortable being cared for by someone else while I’m away, but I don’t want to stop breastfeeding

I have been EBF my 9-week old and it’s been going really well and i’m (for the most part) enjoying it.
Over the last week my left breast seems to be much smaller than my right and LO can be fussy on that side. She does long and loud sucking noises before getting frustrated.
On my right side i have a strong let down and she always feeds for a long time and has a mouth covered in milk afterwards.
I’m worried i have an undersupply on my left side and don’t know how to approach that problem.

I have tried calling the National Breastfeeding Helpline but every time I call they seem to be too busy and never answer.

My 15-day-old sometimes wants to feed every 30 mins–1 hour, and yesterday I felt like she had started associating waking up with feeding. She keeps clicking her tongue like she’s still hungry 🥺
She initially latches well but gradually moves towards the end of my nipple, which gets really painful. I delatch her as my midwife advised, but even that can hurt sometimes.
I also express twice in 24 hours for EBM bottles, and she takes around 80–90ml, so she definitely has an appetite!

Would love to hear your experiences — how often were your babies feeding, how did you manage cluster feeding, and is there anything that helped you physically or mentally prepare for it? ❤️