Need encouragement....10 weeks of sleep deprivation building up and formula looks soooo tempting

[dal21]

Hi everyone

DS is 10 weeks old and have been exclusive breastfeeding. Always knew I wanted to bfeed and was very lucky in having fab midwives who helped me get the hang of it all.

I really want to exclusive bfeed for 6 months also - but am surrounded by friends whose LO's are now starting to sleep 10.30-7 (formula fed) and I have hit a brick wall.

All I keep thinking is

• I can have my body back and exercise without worrying about impact on milk supply
• can drink alcohol (pretty much still abstaining as am concerned about alcohol and bfeeding)
• can leave DS with family and not worry about expressing etc
• most importantly - he is more likely to start sleeping longer stretches.

Bad mummy

I know there are many downsides to formula, that there are no guarantees that formula feeding will guarantee any longer sleeping patterns etc etc. DH has been doing dreamfeed already for 5 weeks with EBM...if there are any other tips that could help, let me know.

I just need encouragement to get through the next month or so (from mid dec onwards, lots of family will be on hand again to help). I really want to persevere with bfeeding and with a much more positive mindset towards it than i have now.

thanks plp. i swear i am going to become a first class lush if i have a break between bfeeding and trying for another one.

cv will read full time vino

"Your ds won't sleep through the night on just breastmilk - possibly not ever."
this is balls by the way, dd1 was sleeping 7-7 from three months and she was exclusively bf.
dd2, not so much

Good for you Dal
Really pleased that you are feeling better.

I had all of those thoughts. i had twins, and breastfed (although did give them formula too sometimes) them till 6 and a half months, and STILL feel guilty and sad I stopped a bit early...I thought once I stopped I would be thin and they would sleep through the night and life would be great...but really nothing changed much.

There are lots of times when it all gets too much, but it really is a matter of a couple days or a week then it's all fine again, just get through it. It always looks like other people's babies are sleeping more than yours.

I found sleeping with them in bed was the easiest, I barely had to wake up to feed them and it just seemed to make sense.

Hope this helps, it's only a few months, just feels like an eternity when you are going through it!!

I never minded either Fio.It was a snuggly private special time. Mind you,I wake loads in the night anyway so it's neither here nor there.

33,in a bit your baby will be able to go all day without a feed.Mine did from 8 mths (I wasn't good at expressing first time round).I worked f/t and we demand fed at all other times and continued for 30 mths.

I've never minded getting up. I think if you keep it as relaxed and snuggly as possible then they wake for less time and this time around definately sleep through quicker!