continue breastfeeding or not

[andreasmellgood]

i am not really making a lot of milk. maybe 2 oz every 4 hours. my baby needs a lot more than that. i supplement with a 2 oz bottle of formula after nursing each feeding, atleast.

since liam is in the NICU i have to follow there schedule instead of nursing him around the clock. so they put me on reglan to help my milk production. i have been nursing him for over 6 weeks now, which is what i feel to be the most crucial time to do so.

i am considering stopping nursing altogether in 2 weeks... bc i have ADD & panic attacks. it's been very hard being off my meds this long. i feel like i will be a much better mother to my little boy if i can keep myself straight. i hafta take care of myself to be able to take care of him to the best of my ability.

you see my problem? what would you guys do?

[lismom2]

Hugs mama, it's really tough to be off a med that works well for you. I would see if there are any nursing friendly alternatives that would be safe/effective to take while nursing. I'm sorry to hear that your lo was in NICU (dd was in for a few days, cousin's baby was in one for months). She pumped until 6 weeks. For her it was a combination of low supply, a 2 hour drive to the hospital, work, and the stress of not having her baby home. She felt really guilty and when she told me she quit pumping, I think it was to make sure I wasn't going to bash her for her choices. It really is your call an no one should judge you for whatever you decide. While I encourage you to exhaust every option before quitting, you're the one who has to pump every two hours. For the age of your babe, you're doing really well with just a pump!! :) Also keep in mind that once you're off the pump, you'll produce more when your lo is on the breast (I'm assuming you aren't directly nursing...). The situation you're in now is only temporary and many times, it gets better and much more enjoyable.
http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/antidepressants-hale10-02.html
Hugs mama, you're doing a great thing for your lo.

[Loveprincess00]

I was on anxiety medicine before i got pregnant with my DD. I stopped them when i found out i was expecting. I was also on migraine meds. It has been a very personal decision to breastfeed. When it began to get to stressful for me, (when DD was about 3 months old) I decided to supplement with formula. Now she gets formula when she is with the sitter, and breastfed with me. (Evenings, nights and early mornings) And on the weekends i try my best to make sure she gets both to keep her feedings as normal as possible. I dont want her to give the sitter a hard time on mondays. I do pump at work. but not on a regular schedule, just whenever i feel full. I have been doing this for a month now. So far so good.