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!

Just seen above that you don’t think you’ll feel guilty, so that’s good. I know I felt a really mix of relief and guilt myself, even though I told myself I wouldn’t.

Another consideration is engorgement and supply. Night feeds are important for your supply so you’ll need to do some. A bottle of formula before bed or a dream feed is the best times to do it rather than in the middle of the night. I also wake up so bloody engorged that I’m leaking and uncomfortable if I don’t do the feed because DH is giving an expressed bottle that I ended up pumping in the night which too ages and decided I might as well just feed the baby myself as it was quicker!

Thanks @FizzingWhizzbee123 - important things to consider. I hit my target this week so I think I’ll feel fine about it. I know the topic of this discussion was sleep related but my decision doesn’t really have anything to do with her sleeping better - just me sleeping better. If I could still pump the quantities I was doing a month or so ago I’d carry on doing that for the night feed bottle. Pumping is just consuming too much time and energy right now for too little pay off. I guess I was just curious if there might be any bonus to formula beyond the time I’d save. But it seems such a mixed bag of responses that I highly doubt it!

Oh and the first feed is usually 10/11pm so I do all feeds after that at around 2 and 5 and any for random wakings where I can’t get her back down with her dummy! My body’s already used to not giving that feed so I think I’ll be fine with engorgement, it might hit me more in the morning when I’d normally do that pump I think

After a few weeks of exclusively bf I reluctantly changed to mixed feeding wit a bottle at night.
It worked wonders for us and DS settled easier. I had no qualms about doing mixed feeds with DS2 right from the beginning.

I had one combi fed baby and one EBF. The end one slept better so for me formula didn't help them sleep.

Also if baby isn't used to formula don't start by giving it at night. It can be too heavy on their little tummies and end up keeping them awake with indigestion

DC1 was formula fed from 6 weeks - didn’t sleep more than 2 hours at a time until age 2

DC2 is EBF and has been sleeping through since 8 weeks

Just try it and see. Hope it works

Sleeping through the night isn’t something anyone who wants to continue to breastfeed should aim for. Even mixed fed babies are encouraged to wake once or twice at night to breastfeed (or the mum wakes to express).

Wouldn't even take it from DH even at bedtime after 4mo and a crap sleeper til after we nightweaned at 21 mo and then it gradually (i.e. over the next 6 mo or so) got better.

He mostly, at just turned 4yo, sleeps through now and thank f* has never been an early riser (more often I have to wake him!!)

It made a huge difference for us. Introduced formula at night at 5 months and really improved the night time waking situation. Plus the fact it meant it could be DH who got up to give her the bottle and we could split the responsibility for the first time.

I had one fully BF baby and one mixed fed. The BF baby slept through first, but not until nearly a year old. Sorry but it didn't work for us.

I wish! My baby was formula fed, woke every 2 hours for a feed. Now 18 months and still wakes during the night.