Expert after expert, likely including your own health care provider, extols the virtues of breastfeeding. All that rhetoric serves mothers who breastfed well, but it stings a little for those who planned on breastfeeding and aren't able to. You may have a difficult time coping with what you perceive as a second-best choice for your child. You may also worry about your child's development or wrestle with feelings of failure. The good news is that while you may not be able to breastfeed, you can work through your feelings about formula feeding so you can enjoy your time with your new baby.
Step 1
Research all possible options so you never have to wonder whether or not you made the absolute best choice for your baby. Work with a lactation consultant and your doctor to try to improve your baby's latch, your comfort or your milk supply. If you've done all you can and you still can't breastfeed, the situation is out of your hands and it may be easier for you to accept that you can't breastfeed if you know this.
Step 2
Talk about your feelings with a support group, counselor, lactation consultant or trusted friend. It's important to allow yourself to feel your feelings and mourn the loss of your breastfeeding ability, according to BabyCenter.com.
Step 3
Find other ways to nurture and bond with your baby. Feed your baby in similar positions as you would if you breastfed. Try feeding topless to mimic the skin-to-skin contact that comes with breastfeeding. Make eye contact as you feed and hum, sing or talk to your baby.
Step 4
Attend your regular well-baby visits to see proof that your baby is gaining weight, growing and developing right on schedule. A happy, healthy baby is the ultimate goal of any pregnancy, and having medical proof of this may ease your worries.
Step 5
Think about the positives associated with formula feeding. Enjoy bottle feeding's convenience. Rejoice in the fact that once your milk dries up, you won't have to worry about sore, leaky or engorged breasts. Focus on the positives as much as possible.
Step 6
Talk with your health care provider about postpartum depression. Continual feelings of sadness and low self-worth may not be solely related to your inability to breastfeed. Your doctor may be able to recommend talk therapy or prescribe medications that help you feel more like yourself.
