Will weaning or introducing formula help her sleep longer??

[mendipgirl]

DD2 is EBF thus far, 20 weeks old and her sleep at night has really started deteriorating the last 3 weeks. We have gone from last feed at 7pm, dream feed at 10pm, one night waking (3-4am) and then up at 6-7am to 3 night wakings, basically every 2 hours. I find it so hard, especially when having a 2yr old DD1 to look after as well.

DD1 slept through at 12 weeks and was formula fed so am wondering if this is the difference? I really wanted to make it to 6 months but am really struggling with the lack of sleep. Should I make her dream feed formula instead or start giving her baby rice?

You could try either of those, don't know if it will fix it but anything is worth a try right?

You could try that but for some babies suddenly doing this actually makes their sleep worse as it changes their gut flora .... Good luck what ever you try...

I think there is a sleep regression at about 20 weeks.... Maybe stick it out a bit longer and see if things improve on their own...

There's a sleep regression at around 4 months that effects many babies - it is related to development with them making developmental leaps during the day rather than hunger though.

This happened to us around 17/18 weeks and ds ended up waking hourly! It lasted a few weeks and in the end we moved him into his own room at 5 months and did the dreamfeed at 11pm and another feed at 3am, and if he woke in between those times DP settled him without feeding. I also stopped feeding him to sleep and DP rocked him to sleep with a dummy instead.

My ds was already having formula for the dreamfeed, and we weaned at 22 weeks - neither made any difference to his sleep I'm afraid! It was a developmental/behavioural thing rather than food related.

Probably not, to be completely honest. I did find a bottle feed (but could have EBM in it or formula we used both) before bed helped. I think maybe she got a bit more in, because it was less sleepy than a cuddly bf.

However 12 weeks is pretty young to sleep through! It might just be that DD2 has a different schedule and nothing is going to make any difference to that.

So I would definately wait and see, I remember nearly weaning DD at 4mths and deciding to leave it 2 weeks to see if it was just a phase. 2 weeks later her first tooth turned up!

maybe moving her to her own room would be a start (thanks rita), I might try that as a first try before changing the feeding. Sometimes I wonder if she would settle herself back to sleep if I didn't feed her as soon as I hear her.

nope. sorry!

There's no evidence that a FF top up will make your DD2 sleep longer and early weaning should really only be done on the advice of a paediatrician. My DDs sleep very differently, 2.9 yo DD1 wakes up a LOT and 4 mo DD2 is very easy to get to sleep and wakes up less than her sister- both raised exactly the same way. I think it's just down to their personalities rather than what you feed them! Have you considered co-sleeping?

four month sleep regression. Would second cosleeping. Apparently it's not recommended to put them in their own room till six months due to sids risk.

In a word no. I have vast experience with non sleepers.

Dd2 was an awful sleeper, formula fed from birth, made absolutely no difference. Dd3 is 20 weeks and is having a formula feed at 6.30ish, dreamfeed at 10.30, up once through the night and then up from about 6.30am.

No, it won't [sorry]. Many babies have a sleep regression at 4 months and again at 8-9 months.

I think it really will help - the baby is obviously hungry. Try formula at bed time

Not with DS - neither did a dreamfeed, starting solids, 3 meals a day, starting to crawl, starting to walk. At about 14mths he just decided it was time to sleep through -ho hum!

ferncottage, why is the baby "obviously hungry?"

That strikes me as quite a hurtfull (and ill informed) thing to say.

Formula is harder to digest so some babies sleep more on it. Lots don't and loose the bennefits of bf to boot.