Does formula really help at night?

[EmmaInParis]

Sure I’ll get blasted for this in breastfeeding week and all, but curious to know if any previously EBF mums noticed a difference if they introduced a formula bottle at night?

My partner has always given an expressed bottle at night as our DD’s sleep has been a shocker without really much discernible improvement since she was a newborn (hourly waking on a bad night, 3-4 wakings and a 5am start on a “good” night).

So we’ve been sleeping in shifts to survive. Only I’m suddenly not able to pump enough milk for the night time feed anymore.

I always gave myself a target of 6 months to EBF and I’m nearly there so wondering about giving a bottle of formula at night now. Some people I know said it helped their babies sleep a little better, but all the research I’ve seen says it doesn’t make a difference.

Know it’ll only be anecdata but I’m curious to hear what others’ experiences are. She had formula as a newborn until I was able to establish breastfeeding and it wasn’t some miracle sleep elixir then!

I don’t know much about combi feeding and whether it would affect my supply? Any other tips from combi feeding parents gratefully received!

To add to the above - I know night wakings are totally normal infant behaviour and I’m trying my best to be patient and not have unrealistic expectations until she’s developmentally ready. Just doing what I can to survive for now

Anecdotally, yes.
3 of my children started sleeping through pretty much the same time I switched to formula about 8-9 months.
We used to give a bottle of formula at 10pm from 4/6months so I would breastfeed at bedtime then bottle at 10pm then wouldn’t breastfeed again before 5am - if they woke between 10-5 partner would go in with cuddles/water/dummy.
This is just my personal experience and not a recommendation!

Once you introduce solids your baby is no longer ebf and formula is just another food. Do what works for you.

Worked for us. Bottle of formula at 10/11pm dream feed.

Meant to say breast fed as well for 12 months

My FF baby never ever slept through…. So I wouldn’t pin your hopes on formula being the answer 😬

No

Yes. It helped all of mine.

I'm currently combi feeding my 7 month old (started adding in bottles since 5.5 months) and I also did similar with my eldest until stopping BF altogether by 9 months.
ATM sleep is horrendous, he can settle off to sleep with dummy but will only do 45 min max naps. Nighttime slight improvement, will do 7.30-10.30 dreamfeed (often wakes for this) then 10 30-1.30, then every 90 mins. I BF for 90% night wakings after dreamfeed as dummy not his preference to settle back to sleep.
From previous experience, his sleep probably won't get better until I night wean him (water, cuddles) which I'm not ready for until he's further along with weaning.
So formula not the magic bullet (but did give me confidence to sleep train when I felt the time was right- about 8-9 months last time).

I did extended bf and combi feeding to various ages 2-4.5 years

Without fail as soon as I stopped breastfeeding they slept through I found it quite interesting I assume it’s because I drink a lot of coffee 🤷‍♀️

I think it depends on the child but ime no, not at all.

I didnt notice a difference, in fact if kind it more of a faff and tended to give a bottle at the screaming witching hour of around 4.30 - 5.30 and at night hair feed while we both dozed. It didn't help them sleep any longer

Nope.
I ebf for 3 months but lost my confidence when baby was getting fussy so combi fed and try to express as much as i can but its too exhausting to do enough exclusively. Baby used to sleeep soooo much better bf through the night which sadly he wont do no more since preferring the bottle.

Thanks for the responses everyone, interesting mix. Considering it more out of necessity (for my sanity) than any hope of a miracle sleep fix but really grateful to hear all your own experiences. I don’t think it’ll make any difference personally because they’re definitely not all hunger wakings anyway (our nights currently sound a lot like yours @emlingccfc - solidarity!)

That’s a really good way of looking at it @zoeydollie, that it’s just another good once solids are introduced, and has helped me reframe it a bit so I don’t feel guilty or that I’ve “given in” - so thank you for that x

*Just another food, that should say

Not for me, switched to formula at 6 months and it didn't make one smidge of difference. Reintroducing a dream feed at 7 months however made the world of difference!

Made a huge difference to us. We had hourly wakings until 5m when ebf. DS was a bottle refuser but finally gave in at 5m and would do a 5/6hr stretch at the start of the night. A month later we moved totally to formula and then he only woke once per night. You could try it and then pump as well to keep your supply in case it doesn’t make a difference?

I used to think it would until I had my second. My first I breastfed until 2.5 and she only slept through after I weaned her.

My second is 3 months old. Mixed fed until he was 3 weeks old. Fully breastfed since then and he started sleeping through at 4 weeks.

He goes down at 8pm. Wakes up for a little feed (sleepy tho) around 5am and goes back down till 9

But my friend said when she switched to formula at 6 weeks her dd started sleeping through

Honestly it's just the babies!

I just fed mine in bed during the night, worked fine. Couldn't imagine getting up to make a bottle

@gogohm it’s just the one feed and my husband that would have to get up while I sleep for a bit in the spare room so I don’t mind

Didn't work for me although I had really pinned my hopes as I was just so tired. I still remember the disappointment when she woke up at the usual time.

In my experience (2 dc) yes

I tried formula a few times but in my experience no, it didn’t help with sleep but it also didn’t make it any worse.
DD started sleeping through most nights at 8.5 months when she was eating three meals per day and in her own room. Could all be coincidental though!

Didn’t make mine sleep longer but was much better for us on most fronts as she wasn’t having to cope with my too fast let down. Poor thing was being waterboarded.

DS1 was combi fed then gradually switched over to formula entirely by 8 months and he was a shit sleeper! Formula did not help him.

My friend’s EBF baby was sleeping through by 5 months.

If you want to introduce formula, then feel free. But decide whether it’ll bother you that you didn’t hit your 6 month goal or not. It can be a complicated thing and often laced with unnecessary guilt, regret etc. Babies wake for all sorts of reason, not just hunger. You might introduce formula and it makes no difference. How would you feel then? If you won’t mind, no problem. If you might feel like you gave up on your 6 month goal for nothing, then think hard before you do it.

No, maybe worth a try though 🤞