Can't take this any more - is it time to switch to FF/mixed feeding? Pls share your experiences...

[curlyLJ]

DD is 7m and I EBF until 6m and then introduced 1 bottle of FF at midday as she was getting so distracted (we are usually out and about during the day) and she took this much better than boob.

She is now not feeding particularly well during the other feeds (that was a whole other post a few days ago!) although I can handle it if I take her to a quiet room etc. Night feeds are fine, except there are more than I would like

For the last week or so, DD has been waking much more at night though, and feeds don't seem to help her go back off. She has been staying awake for 2 hours sometimes at a time .

Last night she woke at 10.15 (2.5hrs after going to bed) and was still crying/screaming after 2 hours of DH patting/shushing, a feed, a cuddle etc. In the end, out of sheer desperation, DH made a bottle of FF (5oz) which I doubted she would take. She proceeded to guzzle it down in no time and slept till nearly 6am .

He now thinks these wakings are real hunger and that my milk isn't satisfying her. Could he be right? If I make the switch to FF, will this just make night feeding harder?
I was so upset that she took it in some ways, but releived to finally get some decent sleep!

Please share your experiences, as I know if I make the switch there is no going back...

Hello again. After MN conversation couple of days ago, I too switched to FF for DD2 late morning feed. Still not detting on with new pump so gave up. Not going to feel guilty tho' what a relief that mixed feeding is now acceptable. For DD1 it was not so

Anyway, the night time feed thing. Your DD is not likely to be hungry as not wanting more in daytime and many if not most are sleeping thro' at 7mths. Could she be teething? Just wanting nightime comfort of BF rather than nutrition?

Should mention that DD2 has always had a FF top up after last BF of day (about 10.30 when we're going to bed) she was tired too and too lazy to BF for more than her immediate satisfaction

If ur DH was trying to console a crying baby for 2 hrs without BF or FF I'm not suprised she guzzled down 5oz!!

Sorry, re read ur message, u did BF in those 2 hrs.

Could just be a bad night. Be easy on yourself 2day.

Thanks ArmyBarmy but she did have a feed in that time...

She woke at 10.15 and I fed her about 10.40 after trying to get her back off without first (as she usually doesn't wake until after midnight from a 7.45ish bedtime) but she wouldn't re-settle afterwards.

Just before DH gave her the FF, I had also had her on my boob - although I think some of that was comfort sucking, although there was some swallowing... That's why I was so suprised she guzzled the FF!!

She doesn't appear to be teething, as the drooling is not excessive and she's not biting everything in sight like she was when the bottom two were imminent.
I am jsut at a loss as to why she keeps doing this

sorry, crossed posts!

Curly you could be me. My just over 6 month old dd is doing exactly this. She goes down at 7.30 and is up again at half ten for a good two hours. BF, cuddling, nothing works. It's been going on for a week now and i'm shattered.
No ideas though! We are going to try formula and see what happens.
We have just started weaning and i wondered if that may be having an effect

it's getting close to bedtime and I am dreading what the night may bring...

Do I BF or get the kettle one for FF - or both?!

Has anyone got any words of wisdom?

Try the FF to see if that gets her back to sleep? If it does, then hunger. If not, could be something else mid try it tonight and make a decision from that?

Sorry, dodgy typing. I meant I'd try it tonight not mid!

I think you have to decide what is right for you. Your DD will be fine whichever you do but you must look after yourself.

If you could take all self-judgement out of the equation what would you like to do? Don't have to answer, just be honest to yourself.

Hmm, that's the problem isn't it. Sometimes things can just be one-offs!

I don't really want to switch to FF entirely (I don't think it necessarily makes things easier), but am now wondering if she needs a FF top-up at her first wake up to help get her through the night...

Nothing wrong with FF top-up at night. It sounds like you would all be more content that way. You can still BF in the day. Sleeping til 6am sounds good

could well be tething

Babies are so random Curly. I have read/commented on a few of your posts as I think my dd is a couple of months ahead of yours and you always seem to be going through what I've just been through iyswim. At the moment I feel like just when I think I've got it sussed and into some kind of routine she does something random that I don't understand.

When dd was waking after a couple of hours of sleep I think it was because she wasn't really tired enough to go to bed for the night, but had drifted off after a feed. We put bedtime back by an hour and she slept much better. She still has at least one feed during the night and I can't really work out when and why this will be - RANDOM!

I tried a formula top up at night but it gave dd bad wind and she kept being woken up by farts! But if it works go with it. If my dd is anything to go by, even when something seems to work really well, it'll have stopped working in a couple of weeks time!

Oh, and at 7 months there is NO reason not to mixed feed IMO. If your baby is weaned then formula milk is as good (or better) than some of the other stuff she'll be eating. No guilt!

Is she eating solids as well?

My dd is 6 months and I've started her on solids - I use formula to mix the baby rice / porridge as I never got on with expressing. Apart from that she is breastfed as I want to avoid bottles if possible (she has had some formula from a sippy cup though).

She still doesn't sleep through and I just grit my teeth and go with it now - she breastfeeds back to sleep.

I'm hoping solids will help her sleep through at some point!

Do you want to give up bf-ing? Because I don't see why you can't mix feed if you want to?