Does formula real help a baby sleep longer? Can't do this anymore.

Oh lovey, its so hard I know. I started combi feeding at 3 months, my lo just never stopped feeding. I was exhausted and couldn't care properly for my other lo and i was starting to feel resentment.

What I do is bf through the night and during the day mostly start every feed with a bf and then switch to ff. I am 100 times happier and my lo is just as content. In fact I suspect she is happier as she actually sleeps now.

Yes I really wanted to bf completely but it didn't work out that way. I was determined to get to 6 months and then switch but she's 5.5months now and I very happy to continue as we are. I think its important to find what works for you.

X

 

Also don't make any decisions when you are exhausted. Have a cuppa and a think. You don't want to make changes and regret them.

 

perhaps try it !! my baby has the odd bottle every now and then (expressing taking too long)

i still bf most of time it has had no diverse affect on either of us - just a bit more time 1/2 a week

not convinced it fills him up anymore.................

 

My LO did something similar. As it got to the afternoon, the time between feeds got shorter and shorter until she had drained all my milk. Despite the advice that my milk would adjust, it never did, so I would have a hungry fretful baby by early evening. Now she has one, sometimes two formula bottles in the evening.

Formula doesn't necessarily make them sleep longer. Last night she had 5 oz at 7.30pm and was screaming for another feed at 10pm. admittedly, she then went until 3.30am, but I think that is more her learning to sttn, rather than the formula itself.

 

The ingredients in your breast milk help your baby sleep and you too.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/...-breast-milk-helps-babies-sleep-at-night.html
https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/prac...-/10086265/breastmilk-confirmed-as-sleep-aid/

 

Formula will fill up your baby's stomach for a length of time that is usually longer than BM does, AFAIK

 

I must constantly have morning breastmilk because my son never sleeps lol

He honestly still sleeps like a newborn, but I've never really suffered with it until I found out I was pregnant again. Now I am shattered lol

 

In my experience it doesn't work. With my eldest when giving him formula I may as well have given him red bull, and he wouldn't sleep at all until he had got the formula completely out of his system. As dragonfly has posted links about, BF gives better quality sleep overall. By all means try formula but research potential effects on gut flora first, as the general opinion is that it takes 2-3 weeks after giving a single bottle of formula for the guy flora to go back to as it was before, if you're giving formula on a daily basis the gut flora will not have any chance to return to normal. Opinions on the health implications of this vary but it's important to look into it so you don't regret anything later. Good luck! Xx

 

I really should have added that my daughter was on formula top ups for 2 months and it didn't make a shred of difference other than making her upset because she had tummy ache x

 

I haven't ever used formula but just wanted to say that feeding through the night 2-3 hourly (or more) is still normal at that age. It is very exhausting and hard but it does eventually get better.

Have you tried co-sleeping? I think that is what helped me get through the 2nd time a bit easier as I slept and fed. Since you have just the one (I assume) you can try to nap in the day too if you get a chance.

 

Bedsharing is also an option. If done safely it is a godsend for feeding. I think my 4 mo wakes 2-3 times a night to feed, but I barely notice as I just have to shuffle towards her and feed her and we go back to sleep.

 

My BF baby sleeps much better than my formula baby AND I don't have to get up and make bottles at night.

Bottles can make a bad sleeper worse.

 

LO#2 has a BabyBay (https://cdn.hans-natur.de/images/ba...asiert_0_0087ea9860cfeed87ecbcdf19b7c0ad7.jpg) but with LO#1 I just had him in bed next to me on the outside (not in the middle), arranged so he couldn't fall out. I used one, flat pillow and had the duvet over my waist and LO#1 on duvet, me with a long-sleeved pyjama top and LO#1 in a sleeping bag. I can't think of any other details but there are some great resources online.

 

I would recommend bed sharing if you're up for it. I was hardly ever tired when DD was younger as I didn't have to get up in the night to feed her. Also, bed share for naps if you can. If you're tired and she's going to have a nap, lie down with her on your bed and she might sleep longer being next to you both at night and for naps

 

You may be able to get hold of one cheap second hand. It's what we did and they're easy to clean.

LO#2 definitely sleeps longer with me next to her and LO#1 was the same.

 

I tried giving my EBF daughter a bottle of formula to deliberately try and make her sleep longer. She still woke at her usual times to feed!