Making the best decisions for your child is hard work.
I found it especially hard when it came to deciding to formula feed Blake.
It wasn't an easy decision for me as I really wanted to breastfeed.
I had read books and information online but nothing really prepared me for what it was going to be really
like and how damn hard it actually is.
I had actually read that as soon as your baby is born it is best to try and breastfeed your baby as soon as possible to try and get breastfeeding established.
Now when it came to us Blake was born by an emergency C-section and unfortunately we didn't get skin to skin straight away and I didn't even get help to try and breastfeed for over 12 hours.
When I finally did I really struggled to get Blake to latch on and as he was getting so hungry it
was recommended that we mixed feed.
So for the first four weeks of Blake's life he was mixed fed and I found myself in a lot of pain whenever I was breastfeeding and was feeling sore, tired and emotionally drained.
I felt like Blake was hungry all the time and whenever I was breastfeeding I was sat there for ages trying to get him to latch on and we were both getting frustrated.
It didn't help that I was constantly worried about Blake loosing weight.
The hospital had informed me before we had been discharged that if he wasn't getting enough milk then
if he was loose too much weight he would most likely end up back there.
This obviously didn't help with the way I was feeling.
It was then that I realized that I had to make a tough decision to formula feed even though I had really wanted to breastfeed. After all isn't it your child that is the most important? and making sure that they have the milk they need even if it is formula?
To me all that is important is that your child is fed and is happy.
happy baby equals happy mummy.
Blake is flourishing and such a happy baby that I feel that I made the best decision in the end.