Is formula my last resort?

[spennie]

My DS is 21 weeks old and we have been v lucky with him. he has slept from 7-7 from 12 weeks and during the day feeds every 3 hours (give or take). He has loads of wet and dirty nappies and is tracking on the 75th centile so no concerns there. His feeding was sometimes only 10 mins so I introduced a bottle of express bm before his goes to bed (7oz) so i know what he is getting for at least one feed. I pump before I go to bed to get this express for the next day.
In the last week he seems a lot more hungry and has started by the 5 feed to get frustrated - pull off and cry and when I pump before I go to bed im only getting 2oz as opposed to 8oz before.
He is also waking up at 4 am for a feed now (before we would have to wake him) - im not complaining as we have had it so good but im worried about my supply. Im not sure i have enough to satisfy him so suspect i may have to go down the formula route. Clealy he is going through some growth spurt but perhaps my supply has been affected by him sleeping through the night for the last few months?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not brilliant at bf so I saresay someone else more qualified will answer too!

However. You're probably expressing less as he's taking more. Your supply will catch up but will need a little time and encouragement to do so.

Also, at 21wks he's not far off the 26wk start weaning age so he may well be getting hungrier esp if he's a big boy. So it may well be that your supply will increase but he will still need to feed a little more often until weaning is properly established and he gets some calories from solids rather than solely from milk.

All the above is from observation rather than science but I'm sure someone will tell me if I'm wrong!

I'm no expert either but it really sounds like a growth spurt. If so then feeding is the way to go.

Like button I'm not a BFC but what I would say is waking just one during the night is pretty normal. If it is really bothering you, there are lots of alternatives to formula. Agree that he will be more efficient at getting the milk out than you and he may be taking more at the moment. Give yourself a few days to get your body to adjust.

Some things you could try are pumping twice a day instead of once, feeding more during the day for a while, say every 2 hours instead of every 3, getting someone else to try to settle him at 4am.

Despite what the formula companies would have you believe formula doesn't always mean more sleep. There are plenty of threads on here along the lines of "I introduced a bottle and now my baby wakes all night" or "my ff baby feeds every 2 hours day and night".

Have a read of Will giving formula or solids help my baby to sleep better?

As for the pulling off at 5pm, it could be lots of things not just hunger. Is he teething?

Before you make a decision I'd give one of the helplnes a call and talk through your concerns with a BFC. Have you got the helpline numbers?

hi thanks for the replies. i am not concerned about the sleep as I know I have been very lucky and that it is normal for them to wake. I am worried that my supply has diminished and is not enough to get him through this growth, I think it is hunger from 5 onwards as when I give him express he demolishes it. Im running out of my express and I dont want to obivsouly distress him in anyway so hence why i think i may have no other choice.
lll give one of the helplines a call.
thanks again

Glad you are giving one of the helplines a call spennie but if he is hungry the best thing you can do is feed, feed and feed some more.