Changing from BF to FF

[Tinsel12]

DD is 6 wks 3 days old, has BF really well & gone from 7lb 2oz at birth to 8lb 9oz last week. I'm seen similar posts where baby's doing well & Mum's not.I'm struggling with lack of sleep, 2 hrs some nights, 5 hrs others although in stages. I'm finding BF on demand really hard as every day is different & there's still not much of a pattern emerging. About 10 days ago my BF supporter & GP suggested I give a bottle of formula at 10pm to help her sleep longer in the night. Some eves she's taken 3 to 4 oz on top of BF but it hasn't helped her sleep any better. A couple of times I've given extra formula at 5am as she's crying on both breasts as if there's none left.

BF supporter said things would settle down at 6 weeks when the milk's mature but there's no change yet. A 2nd BF supporter said by giving that much formula at night it would reduce my milk as that much is a feed in it's own right. I feel I'm on a merry go round & can't get off. I don't mind whether I top up, mixed feed or change to FF, I just want to be able to enjoy my baby & it's a bit of a nightmare at the moment. Thought about changing to FF at 3 wks & numerous times since but held on to 6 wks to see if things settled. Am I expecting too much too soon? Don't want to change to FF if that's still at random times & therefore no better.

BF supporter said this wk the 10pm feed isn't helping with sleep so try giving it earlier or later so I now don't know what to do.

Someone told me their baby settled to a routine when they changed to FF but there's no guarantee. Have friends who FF from the start & seemed like normal human beings just with a baby. I feel a mess, struggle to make it out of the house or cope with a visitor.

Am struggling to eat/drink enough to compensate for BF so FF would help that.

My most to be trusted midwife said feed on demand, other people have said try to get her into a 4 hourly routine. Baby not keen on waking to feed when asleep.

I'm a 1st time mum who stupidly thought a baby would feed for 1/2 an hr then sleep for a couple of hrs when I could get my knitting out, oh what a shock it's been! Any help would be appreciated. I feel if I could just make a decision on which way to go at least I'd see light at the end of the tunnel.

I know exactly how you feel. DS is 5 weeks and 1 day and is feeding often and for long periods. Just as I thought things were getting better where he was sleeping for 5 hours at night he then goes back to 2 hourly feeds! As hard as it is (I myself am at breaking point!) That's just a sign that your DD's routine will change and get better! My DS is umbelievably greedy and feeds for long periods at a time.. He was 9.6 at 2 weeks and 10.4 at 3 weeks!

Poor you it's sounds like you are having a really hard time. I felt very overwhelmed when I had my first ( just had second). I felt I really needed a routine to help me cope but my LO had other ideas and failing to implement a routine made me feel hopeless. I also didn't have any luck wih adding in a FF, she still woke just as much.

I do know that boobs work on supply and demand and if you start cutting out feeds your supply will diminish. I found the breast feeding support network ( trained mums who actually have some evidence based knowledge rather than opinion!) really helpful, I will dig out their number.

I do wonder f your baby is having a growth spurt and that why its particularly tough at the mo? You could consider increasing the number or times you feed in the day if at all possible to see if that helps at night.

The most important thing is for you to get sleep, is ther anyway you could express some milk and hand over a feed to someone else for a few days and get your wad down for a few hours - life will feel much more bearable if you can do that.

Big hugs (it will get better)
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Thank you, I'd wondered about ringing that helpline but felt too worn out/would rather have some sleep (!) but will do it tomorrow. Baby has fed less than normal this eve so I thought (1) milk had settled at 6 wks & I was onto a winner (2) I was in for a bad night. But she's just started like mad so I don't know.