FOLLOW ON MILK FOR NIGHT FEEDS

[gillythekid]

My DS is 27 weeks and has been exclusively breast fed. We have recently started weaning and all is going well. I have always expressed for his 7pm, 11pm and middle of the night feeds for my wonderful DH to give. I'm now at the stage when I'm utterly exhausted having to get up and express in the middle of the night (so is DH!) and am thinking of giving DS some follow on milk at 11 to see if it will stretch him out a little longer in the night. He wakes any time between 3 and 5.30am and has been getting only 70ml of EBM.
How do I minimise engorgement? I've thought about expressing at 7 and 10pm as that should produce enough for the following nights 7pm feed and a little extra to mix in with his baby rice/mashed veg. Do I simply express less and less at 10pm in the hope that my breasts will hold out till 7am without leaking and getting sore or do I have to put up with discomfort for a while?
I fully intend to keep BF in the day until DS is a year old, is this possible if I drop the night feeds?

If you still get up in the middle of the night would it not be easier just to feed rather than express? I am a bit confused by your expressing as you seem to me to be creating a lot of work for yourself. I have expressed full time for a few weeks when ds was in scbu and whereas expressing is a matter for fully waking up and doing things with pieces of plastic (and in my case even writing labels for the scbu fridge) bf a baby is a half-asleep latch on put back kind of thing

I would say use simple suitable-from-newborn formula if you decide to introduce ff. Imagine being used to that lovely made to measure easily digestible stuff and then someone puts a brick in your tummy

I think giving a bottle of formula does not actually make them sleep longer unless they were ready to do so anyway. 27 weeks is still a very normal age to need a nightfeed.

My ds did not phase them out until 10.5 months.

I know it seems crazy madmouse but we've tried several times to breast feed in the night, he thrashes about and wakes himself up and just ends up taking way too much and refusing his 7am feed. We've gradually stepped his feed down so he's only getting 70ml which sees him through till 7 but if I try to bf then it all goes a bit awry!
I really want to be able to continue bf in the day but think it's time to introduce a ff for the night as I'm coping with PND and feeling really exhausted.

sounds like you have your reasons, and if it works for you go with it. PND must be horrible.

although if he has a big feed at say 4 and he doesn ot want to feed at 7, why not feed him at 8? he is still so small and if he takes that much than he must be hungry.