formula guilt

[csemum]

Recently I emailed the woman who wrote the book I have been using re routines etc. She recommended that I give my baby a formula feed once a day at 11pm. She said this would make her sleep through more effectively. So... for a week, I have formula fed her at 11 and she IS sleeping much better. BUT I FEEL SO GUILTY! No logic I know, but please please please could you make me feel less guilty if poss (personal anecdotes welcome!)

How old is your DD?

Formula can make some babies go longer between feeds as it's harder to digest then BM.

But if it works for you and your happy with it thats great. If your not then drop the formula and go back to EBF. I don't think anyone can make you feel less guilty thats down to how you feel.

Personaly I'm not a great believer in routiness, babies sleep when they need to (some times with a little help if overtired) and feed when needed. They don't know how to read a clock and set routies don't always take into account that babies change so fast and need different amount of milk on different days espicialy if BF.

Motherhood is a neverending mine of guilt. If it bothers you that much, then drop the formula. If your DD sleeping longer at night is keeping you sane, then keep doing it.

Lucky duck, I have formula fed 3 dds (dd3 only 14 weeks) and it hasn't made a jot of difference to their sleeping. Very slightly jealous.

Did she recommend anything else, like topping up with ebm for instance? Personally, I wouldn't be happy with that kind of advice. It could be that your baby is sleeping better because of the formula, or she could have just slept better at that time anyway. She obviously isn't giving out information that complies with the WHO recommendations.

There is some information on formula and sleep here on Kellymom.

Don't feel guilty. If it works then stick to it. Having had two babies who would do nothing but feed all day and night for 1 year (DD1) and 20 months (DD2), I know how you feel. This time, I'm also giving one formula feed in the evening. It means I can get to sleep at 9.00 and my husband can give the formula feed at 11ish, then I feed at night. This baby feeds only two or three times a night instead of every hour, which my girls did. I am human again and can have a nice time with the girls and my baby and not feel like rubbish all day. It is about considering the whole family this time. The baby still gets breastmilk and I get to enjoy this time, rather than being totally knackered all the time. Good luck and keep up the good work!

If it works great! You have nothing to feel guilty about, I also had the same feelings when I switched to mixed feeding then EFF. My ds is thriving and a very happy healthy little boy x

dont feel guilty, enjoy the sleep, its ONE FEED. loads of people do it

though mine did not sleep more for it, anyway!

Don't feel guilty I've ff at night too not for the sleep reason but because of pain when bf. I suffered awfully bf DD1 but this time round I'm so much happier mix feeding DD2. unfortunately as a mum who has ff and bf the ff has not made a bit of difference to how much they sleep or how long between feeds. Babies do what babies do :).

Migril where do you get the information that tells you formula is harder to digest. Sorry but it's those comments which don't help women who are having difficulty with guilt issues of ff. How do you know it's harder to digest. Some babies find breast milk hard to digest. Ther are many other factors in play. And I do wonder what those statements are based on.

Dotty - I think it's well known that formula is harder to digest, that's why breastfed babies feed more often. Hungry baby formula is made even harder to digest so babies feel fuller for longer.

I don't see why that would induce guilt? It makes sense that cow's milk is harder for a human baby to digest than human milk!

I'm sorry if it make's people more guilty but it is fact formula is harder for a babies gut to digest. BM is so well digested that there is offten little waste which is why a formula fed baby should poo everyday but a BF baby can go week's without pooing.

You can read more hear
www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-sleep.html

I felt guilty too when I started to mix feed my DD but it soon passes and looking back I wish I'd started giving her a bottle of FF a day sooner. Every BF counts and you have to do what works for you. In a few months no-one (including yourself) will give a monkeys about how much you BF or FF :)