For those of you who breatfed

  • Thread starter Thread starter lovelavender
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Thanks everyone for all your advice. I still haven’t made a decision yet. Some days are good and some are bad, so yeah I have to take the whole family into consideration here. I have to consider the fact that my mood affects the whole family. Sometimes when I get down I get really moody and that just brings all of us down.

I’ll check out the link for the LaLeche league and see what they have to say about the med I would take.
 
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lovelavender:
The reason I ask is because I have been mildly depressed recently. I used to take antidepressants before I Dear mom,
dperession is a multimodal illness ( wonderful book by Sherry Rogers M. D, which describes some of the hidden reasons; lot of psychiatrists due to time constraints or ignorance , refuse to bring up…
Easiest to address would be food sensitivities - esp. dairy and grains (including corn syrup,such as in soft drinks , pancake syrup)…sometimes even eggs , orangejuice …
Many breastfeeding moms are told to drink plenty of milk - and that is fine as long as you or the baby are not sensitive …
Often it can also make the baby gassy, colicky etc; adding to your stress…
Almonds ( high in fats and calcium , protien ) and all the wondeful items in the legumes group , black beans, red beans …are also a rich source of calcium, protien, carbs, fiber .and can help to replace dairy and related problems …
A diet very low in cholesterol can also cause depression - have chicken soup, with good bit of onions and garlic sauteed in butter 👍
A diet high in suagrs ( even juices , dairy , cereal ) can cause yeast growth - another source of depression…
Learn the power of praise - sing out loud :Halleliujah!( for Our Lord is Risen…we are headed Home …)and it would drive out unwanted intruders …read and sing to the baby "the Lord is my Shepherd 🙂
Remember reading somewhere in the Scripture about breastfeeding till 3 y.o - may be a good guideline …
God bless!
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Cupofkindness:
I would say that, all things being equal, your mental health is more vital to your baby than breastfeeding. Five months is a wonderful start for your baby. but it’s better for you to taper off and wean your baby so that you don’t have an abrupt change in your hormones. Do you think you can make it with full time breastfeeding just through Christmas and New Years? That is such a demanding time of the year anyway, and giving your baby yourself during the demanding holiday season would keep things a little more even for your baby. Also, please try to get plenty of exercise. Take that baby for lots of walks. Life is so overwhelming, but sometimes just going for a walk with your baby helps keep things in perspective.
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From what I’ve read, babies do less well developmentally and emotionally when around depressed mothers. I think you are prudent to consider this (I too struggle with depression) but I also think the advice above is wise. It probably would be best to wait until all the stress of the holidays is over.

While breastmilk is best, there really is nothing wrong with formula. Women have been unable (or sadly unwilling) to breastfeed since all milennia, hence the need for “wetnurses”. It has its disadvantages, but you are thinking of what is best for you and your baby rather than what is convenient. Not to say people here are doing this, but you don’t need the additional stress of guilt over not being able or willing to BF during this challenging time.

Good luck and God Bless.
 
According to my wife of three (3) children, Once she was bit, she quit!
 
While I didn’t breastfeed our children, my wife did (or should I say does).

She breastfed our firstborn for about 18months. He pretty much seemed to ween himself off.

Our second child is currently being breastfed (mostly just at bedtime). He shows NO signs of weening himself and in 3 weeks it will have been 3 YEARS!

My wife says she wants to call it off after his birthday. I keep teasing her that the rest of the world does it for 4 years so she’s only got one more to go. She doesn’t think that’s funny.
 
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lovelavender:
When did you stop? I have a 5 month old son, and I am thinking about stopping. But I just can’t decide. Also, when did you first give your baby solid foods?
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Stopped bfing @ 19 months
Introduced baby cereals @ 4 mths (tried at 3 but no way), veggies @ 5mths, fruit @ 6, then @ 7 mths fish & meat. by 9to 10 months DS was eating our food chopped fine and refusing the baby cereals and mush.
 
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Gwyn:
Stopped bfing @ 19 months
Introduced baby cereals @ 4 mths (tried at 3 but no way), veggies @ 5mths, fruit @ 6, then @ 7 mths fish & meat. by 9to 10 months DS was eating our food chopped fine and refusing the baby cereals and mush.
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Reading this did not sound right - actually DS self weaned. And it the last couple months it was only at bedtime.
 
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lovelavender:
The reason I ask is because I have been mildly depressed recently. I used to take antidepressants before I was pregnant and I struggled with it at times during the pregnancy also. I can’t take the medicine if I’m breastfeeding. I know some experts say you can but I couldn’t. Imagining the meds going to my baby just gives me the creeps. So I’m waiting. It’s not the worst case of depression, I don’t sit there and stare at TV or anything all day long. I guess I can handle it. I just don’t seem to be as happy as I could be, or appreciate the beauty in life. That’s why I asked.

Would I be a better mom if I was less depressed (I have 3 other children), or are the benefits of BF worth it? That’s what I can’t decide.
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Friend,

You know yourself. If you do not feel right, then you should get yourself help. I know, I have been there as well. I chose to take anti-depressants when my daughter turned about 5 months old and successfully weaned off of them a few months ago. I have continued to breastfeed through the whole process and my daughter, now 2, still breastfeeds about 3-4 times a day.

I fear that if you stop nursing because of the depression that later you may regret it. Zoloft is what I took and really, truly, it does not pass through enough in the breastmilk to affect your baby. You can read it yourself online.

Your baby wants you to be happy, too. I regret that it took me so long to start the ADs because I look back and feel like I hardly remember a lot of my daughter’s infancy.

God bless & I’m saying a prayer for you!
 
lovelavender-

First- prayers for you with your depression.

Now, IMNSHO, I think you should use the meds your Dr. thinks are best and continue to BF.

We all know BF is FAR superior to formula, and we all know a mentally healthy mama is best for your kids.

I truly believe that this does not have to be an either/or. I believe your mental health is important enougn of an issue for you to take care of it with meds. I also believe that breastmilk with possible meds passing is still 100 times better than formula.

Please read the Dr. Hale’s info others have provided you.

Don’t let this be one more thing to depress you, you need the meds- take them, your baby deserves breastmilk- give it to him.

Prayers mama, I have a good friend who is a nursing mother of 6 (only nursing one ;)) who takes meds for depression, I could put you in contact with this great mama if you like, just PM me.

May God Bless you!
 
I believe that the American Association of Pediatricians recommends nursing for one year. I nursed both of mine until 13 months. I slowly dropped a feeding every few weeks starting several months before we quit altogether. Those last times nursing brought tears to my eyes. We especially liked those right before bedtime feedings.

If you can’t continue, you should congratulate yourself for having done it for five months. Your baby has received your natural immunity and the perfect food.

I started with rice cereal mixed with a bit of expressed breast milk at four months. I think I also gave mashed banana then. I moved on to veggies and meats at six months. I would make a delicious soup with chicken, sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes and then I would put it in the blender. I would freeze this in ice cube trays when they were young, and as they got older I put it in baby food jars. I only used Gerber when we were traveling because my kids hated it.
 
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