at what point did the sleep deprivation hit and a bottle sneak in?

[octo]

DS3 is great - really happy baby - but big and hungry and feeding is going great. He is only 5 weeks old and exclusively bf and am really pleased with myself and do not want to give up - we were in a really good sleeping pattern at night - feeding every 3 or four hours but we are now at 2 hours and it is killing me - I don't think it is just agrowth spurt and he will get over it - I thought that last week when it started but think he is generally very hungry and I know that the extra feeds increase my supply to feed him - but I NEED some sleep! I am planning to try and dream feed him at 11pm tonight and see if I get any more sleep. But the plan this morning after no sleep last night was for dh to give him a bottle of formula - so went out and bought formula but haven't sterilised and don't feel quite ready to do it .... should I just concede and give him the bottle and get some sleep or should I persevere and hope he learns to take bigger feeds and sleep longer?

I have three children as well and for me it always worked to co-sleep as then I would hardly wake up for the feeding and wouldn't feel so tired in the morning.

There is no guarantee that formula will make him sleep longer, is there?

My dd has had a bottle of formula as a dream feed at 10pm since she was a few weeks old. I also felt guilty about it at the time - however she sleeps so well on it! She is breast fed for all other feeds and I feel so refreshed and full of milk when she wakes. She is 5 months now and sleeps till about 5/6 am each morning. I am also a much better mum for having sleep!

This is not 'official' advice, merely my personal experience, but if you're knackered (and you obviously have other children), then it does no harm and does you a lot of good if your dh gives the baby an occasional bottle in the night. But for this to have a good effect you must must must go to sleep as soon as you've done the previous feed and not get up until you need to do the subsequent feed. Even if it means you have to sleep in another room. It will make such a difference to you to have a 4-hour block of sleep, and it will give you the energy to go on and tough out this hard time without going over to bottles.

I think we probably did this about once a month or so until ds2 was 5-6m, and since then dh has given him a bottle at the first night waking. (So I shouldn't be on Mumsnet - I should be asleep in bed! )

I don't know! I'ms ure if someone asked me I'd say yes but don't actually know - doesn't it fill their tummies up for longer?

Thanks for your support

my dd definitely sleeps for longer - no doubt about it

You have to do what gets you through, but if you can stick it a bit longer ds started going a bit longer in the night at about 7 weeks. I know they're all different and there are no guarantees but they change their routines all the time without notice, for the better not just for the worst sometimes!

You're still at the stage where you might find missing a feed makes you uncomfortable and even prone to blockages. I found if I got dh to give a bottle of expressed milk at night (I had very sore nipples in the early weeks) I had to express to make myself comfy anyway. I had a very abundant supply though and was prone to mastitis.

My ds is 9 weeks, and he was like this. He now has a feed about 10, then goes through to 6 in the morning, so it does get better. Lasted about a week while he did his little growth spurt thing, but now OK again.

Where is that steriliser??? Another sleepless night - am def going to try a bottle tonight - feel awful now - hoping to get some catch up sleep this morning Hoping he has worn himself out and wants a kip too!

IME 5-8 weeks is the most difficult time and DS was feeding ALL THE BLOODY TIME at that point. After 8 weeks his feeds started to space out again. I have to admit I would have given him a bottle of formula at around 6 weeks, but he wouldn't take it and in retrospect I'm glad of that.

I'd use expressed milk rather than forula if you can. Ds2 is 19 weeks tomorrow and also big and feeds a lot (17lb 4 at 15 weeks) and I'm still exclusively bf. It is tiring, fed 6 times last night, but worth it. I co-slee which makes it easier. He's never really gone longer than 2 hours between feeds and it's usually less during the day. 4ish times a night (midnight-6am) is about the norm for him. I just try and sleep when I can, so if dd and ds1 are at school/pre-school then I'll try and nap with ds2.

I never did this, just coped with no sleep, well probably more accurately 'didn't cope' with no sleep. he wont be feeding every two hours forever that is for sure. try cosleeping, it really does get you more sleep.

oh and if you really want to give him a bottle so you can sleep and dh could give it to him then please please express, you don't want to introduce formula

Thanks for all you advice Have about 3 threads going about bf at the moment trying to get my head round what to do!

My LO was doing 16 50 minute feeds in 24 hours at that age (It really is true, I kept a diary of feeds). DH took over between 9pm-midnight and gave him at least one formula bottle in that time while I got 3 hours sleep. I would express one extra feed until I had enough ebm in storage and then the bottle of formula became a bottle of ebm!

Hope this helps!

Whatever you do today doesn't necessarily dictate what you will have to do tomorrow or next week. If something works for you and gives you a break, then it's the right thing for right now. As long, of course, as you don't give a bottle at the same time of day for two or three days running - in which case your supply will adjust downwards. But if you need a break, then go ahead and do whatever works for you now.

I must be a masochist
ds2 (now 2 years 3 months) has never slept longer than 3 hours consecutively and i am still feeding him
no help to the OP but i know how you feel