Please help - EBF 5 month old but thinking of introducing formula?

[Mummy2BI]

Hi, I read a lot of threads on here for advice but rarely post so please bear with me.
This is my 3rd dc but the only one were bf has gone so well. Never had any problems from day 1 and DS is a big boy, 98th centile at birth and still there at almost 5 months weighing nearly 19lb now (is starting to grow out of his 6-9 month clothes) so must be feeding well.

The problem is he still feeds as frequently as a newborn, every 1-2 hours which I can just about manage during the day even with school and nursery runs to fit in but he also feeds every 1-2 hours throughout the night! This I am finding really difficult as I am exhausted!! He doesn't do even 1 longer spell like my other 2 used to do so I am getting no rest at all.
I have tried expressing but it's difficult to find the time when feeding so frequently and when I do I don't manage to express much so am thinking would introducing a formula feed at bedtime give me a few hours rest? I'm not asking for sleeping through just a couple of hours sleep in one block!

Sorry it ended up so long but wanted to explain my situation and any advice or suggestions would be really appreciated!!!

Ooh I've been there and it is so tough!
Have you tried things like the No Cry Sleep Solution? I used that when mine got back into the habit of hourly wake-ups and it snapped him out of it.

MMh that's a tough one.

We're in a slightly different position (DS is 8 months, has been sleeping for stretches of 4-5 hours since he was 3 months), but I think that the mindset is the same: you either go with the flow and give in to his waking pattern, or you impose a pattern on him.

Now... that's the way I personally look at this. Not gospel.

So... I think that you should try and shush-pat him back to sleep (or something of the sort... anything that doesn't mean feeding). Because clearly, although at 5 months you wouldn't expect a baby to sleep from 7pm to 7am, he can at least sleep for 4-5 hours in a row.

The problem is SLEEP (haha): you're so sleep deprived that you don't have the strength to do anything else than feeding at night. It's so easy to whip out your breast. I'm assuming that he falls asleep on it or something?

Maybe wait for the weekend, when hopefully DH can help. Try and get a few hours of rest, then get in there: at the first sign of waking up, settle, shush pat, do anything to force him back to sleep without feeding. Try for a few days in a row. Hopefully you'll see a change.

Anyhow, hope this helped! Good luck.

Thank you for your replies, it's like you say I need to do something other than feed him but I'm so tired I just do what I know will get him back to sleep!

I haven't tried the no cry sleep solution so might have to get that book and will try and find the strength to shush pat when he wakes rather than automatically feeding first, it's such a shame as he took to bfing so well but I think this is now the problem as assume he is using me as a dummy for getting back to sleep a lot of the time rather than actually needing to feed in the night this often!

Have you tried feeding on your side and sleeping through feeds? I have had times when it's the only thing that got me any sleep. The other thing is to try sleeping in another room, he may not wake if he can't smell you.

He's not using you as a dummy, a dummy is a fake you! In the UK we focus so much on breast feeding we forget that it's not just about the food, those comfort feeds are just as important to him, you just need to find a way to fit them into your sleep pattern.

OH yes - sleeping on your side and sleeping through feeds - that's the best (I mean: the best when you're too tired to do anything else other than feed. Once you recover a bit of energy, again - I would recommend a bit of sleep training).

I meant: feeding (lying) on your side and sleeping through feeds.

Oh yes, feeding while sleeping is ace!

How long is it until you are going to start weaning? That may help, if you really don't want to use formula.

I would love to be able to sleep through feeding, but I can't seem to get co-sleeping to feel right, I might have to give it another go but not really sure how it works! Does ds sleep on his side to face me and feed? Or does he sleep on his back until he wakes then I turn him to me to feed? I have never co-slept so any advice on how it works would be helpful.

I know a lot of this is comfort not just for feeding and I dont mind that at all, this will be my last baby and im trying to enjoy every bit, but I'm just so shattered all the time!!

Weaning I am trying to hold out to the full 6 months (ds is just turned 21 weeks) so I can do BLW but know that this won't make much difference to his sleep as they don't actually eat a great deal at first. Although ds can already sit up well, grabs and puts everything straight to his mouth, and loves sitting in his highchair at the table with an empty dish, spoon and sippy cup so is raring to go! He just chews on them while we eat!

You lie in a sort of C shape, knees pulled up and your arm out to the side, pointing down. Baby goes in the space you've created, you can use your hand to keep him facing you. Either sleep topless or leave your bra unclipped and he will find it as he needs it. You'll probably stir (when you're used to it) to make sure he's attached OK, but shouldn't fully awake. Try practising during the day when you can watch TV/ doze.

If he's that far along with preparing for BLW then try giving him things, he'll either gnaw and spit or he'll eat but it'll be totally up to him, unless you definitely want to hold out for 6 months.

Thank you to everyone who has replied so far, great suggestions which I'm going to give a go rather than introduce formula at this stage. I am enjoying bfing so don't really want to start reducing it yet as know it will come soon enough once weaning is fully underway!
DS is full of cold today so know that feeding will be even more frequent at the minute as he doesn't feed for long when has a stuffy nose!

My DS 2 is nearly 20 weeks and feeds every 3 hours through the night not quite 1-2 hours but sometimes feels a lot with the school run in the morning, similar to you DS is a big baby and will be my last. I am not that comfortable with co sleeping not sure why just like my bed and am a fidget. When I feed through the night I drop off for the feed and set my alarm for 15mins then switch sides and do the same again. I do actually fall a sleep and then just put him back in hus cot when finished. I keep him in with us on the last feed ( no strict time just if its after 5:30am as we get up at 6:45 and fall a sleep. It's amazing how they will turn to find the nipple in the dark x