Got to 6 months but not sure if I should stop

[apple_20]

Need some positive sleep stories. I don't know if this is a growth spurt but my baby (6 months tomorrow) who is ebf has always been a rubbish sleeper never done more than 3 hours at a time at night I was okay with this as I picked her out of her cot ( which is attached to our bed a co-sleeper) fed her abd she'd settle back quickly. Now she's up every 1-2 hours and doesn't like going back in the cot so often I fall asleep with her in bed. Which isn't great as our matress is not safe for co-sleeping and I don't fall into a deep sleep knowing she's there.

I know this isn't caused by bf but she does sleep longer when I'm not in bed next to her and I'm wondering if she knows I'm there so she's asking for milk for comfort? I she eats every 3 ish hours in the day but it's on demand so sometimes sooner sometimes longer (easily distracted).

This plus my toddler starting to wake up a lot. I'm so tired.

I'm seriously contemplating going to formula at least at night as everyone I know who ff has babies who sleep better.

But bf is much quicker easier and cheaper.

Sorry for rambling

 

[lisa1980]

My DS1 was an awful sleeper so I tried bottles of formula at night to see if it helped but unfortunately it didn't make him sleep any longer and I was even more tired due to having to get up to make the bottle

Saying that, in your position I would (and did!) think of maybe trying a bottle in the evening just to see if it helped. It might not help, in which case you can scrap it, but I'd probably give it a shot.

Does she take a dummy? Sometimes I've found a quick re-plugging of the dummy when he starts to stir can make my DS go back to sleep without necessarily having to feed him.

 

[apple_20]

Thanks that's I'm worried about making more work for myself!

She used to take a dummy which would settle her at night she has now rejected it just wants mummy.

I think she figured out she was being tricked!

 

[lisa1980]

How about trying a bottle as the last evening feed rather than overnight?

Then maybe you could get your OH to feed her whilst you go to bed early to at least get a block of sleep before she wakes for the first night feed. Then you also don't need to faff about getting a bottle ready in the middle of the night.

 

[apple_20]

Yeah thanks I think I'll give that a go. I love bf so much but this stopping me sleeping.
Like newborn stage again
No idea what's going on with my toddler!

 

[lisa1980]

Sleep deprivation is awful. DS1 woke 1-2 hourly until he was over a year old. I think I was completely out of it for most of his first year

A bottle before bed may well help either way. We tried this for a while with expressed milk or formula as it meant I could go to bed ridiculously early and let DH feed him so that I'd at least get a few hours before he woke again. Of course, all of this is much harder if you've got more than one child. You must be exhausted - you definitely have my sympathy Hopefully your toddler waking is a weird phase that will settle down asap

 

[londonangel]

To be honest I think the 'babies sleep better with formula' thing is a myth. E had formula for last feed from 8 was old. She did not do more than four hours at a stretch u til 7 months. G is ebf and does 7-8 hrs at a stretch at night. More likely being in your bed is what is disrupting her more, in my opinion. But ebf to six months is fab so just do what you think best!

 

[londonangel]

Oh and if I was up every two hours I would give mine a bit of formula just so hubby could take some of the strain!

 

[justmeinlove]

Try joining the facebook group breastfeeding older babies and beyond. People on there are v helpful. I wouldn't stop with breastfeeding, no guarantee she will sleep, and then life is harder :-\ I still breastfeed now and it's So helpful!

 

[justmeinlove]

Maybe teeth? Maybe a wonder week?

 

[apple_20]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not going to stop bf but I'm seriously considering one bottle as the last feed.

I'm also thinking of biting the bullet and putting her into her brothers room (though since he's not sleeping well it might have to wait a bit longer)

my OH is very good and takes her downstairs in the morning when she gets up even if it's 5am

Going to et my son a new big boy bed this weekend !

 

[Lemonade]

Are you starting solid foods now? Having food in her stomach other than milk might help her to be less hungry at night.

I'm going to he honest and say my LO started sleeping 11 straight hours most nights only when she was completely on formula and started solids. I breast fed until 6 months, but gave a bottle of formula before bed from about 4 weeks and this didn't make any difference, she still woke for breastfeeds multiple times a night. Of course it could have been a coincidence, I read that some babies do start sleeping through around 6 months...and there are plenty of bf babies who sttn and plenty of ff babies who don't!

 

[apple_20]

We have just started blw so not much going in yet as she's not learnt to swallow yet. She does have formula if I leave her with anyone to go out (very rare) as I don't have time to pump.