Crisis of confidence........I'm thinking of giving my nearly 6mo old a bottle of formula at bedtime in the vain hope it will make him sleep!

[LackaDAISYcal]

I was soooo determined that this time around my DC would be 100% breast fed. We are three days short of 26 weeks and in that time I have had only a handful of full night's sleep because DH has given him ebm through the night.

DH is away tonight and I'm on my own with 3 DC. I'm knackered again and the thought of another night with three feeds is making me want to cry.

I am not against formula as a choice, as my DS1 was FF after 6 weeks, but I reallllllly wanted to avoid it this time round, as I hate the way it is marketed, but....on the other hand; sleep.

I know it isn't a given that he will sleep through, but I'm at the stage where I'll try anything. My other two were both sleeping through by eight weeks; one FF the other BF.
And if I do give him some formula will it make a mockery of my peer supporter status and my wish to start my BFC training soon?

help.

that's a really interesting perspective elkiedee, thanks

and well done you for getting back to full time BFing!!

Were you April 07 as well? How are you finding the small age gap? My DD was June 07 so I have 17 months between her and DS2; it's hard work, but good fun.

I was due in April 07 and Jan 09 - babies actually arrived in May and February.

The age gap is challenging but I have a lot of support - good maternity pay, childcare (will be going back to work full time as I did for 10 months between 1st and 2nd babies), very supportive dp with job that allows quite a lot of flexibility, doting grandad (my father) not far away.

I can't imagine going back to work, but I have another (older) one as well. It would cost us too much in childcare!

It is hard, but they will be great playmates

ah, well, that's my 11.30ish alarm call!

quick update on last night......

He only stirred at 11.30 and went back to sleep before I even got to him....then he slept until 3.15, had a feed and then that was him until 6.30

Here's hoping for more of the same tonight!!

hence your name leonie ...and curse those teeth!

He is a lot more active during the day over the last week, so fingers crossed!!!

maybe LeonieNOTsosleepy?

Daisy, I can sympathise with your guilt though the situation is not exactly the same. My exclusively breastfed DS (15 weeks) feeds mostly fine at home where I use a BrestFriend cushion, but when out and about it's a lottery as to whether he'll scream, pull off, get really over wrought and then cry sometimes for hours. I have had several episodes like this lately when meeting with other mums serenely feeding their DCs a bottle with no trouble or struggle, and I have felt bad that it isn't that way for me, then felt bad about feeling bad about breastfeeding. I am sticking with it, for now at least, but I totally understand the attack on your confidence.

FWIW, my DS is mostly down to one night feed now, occasionally 2, and sometimes straight through. He just seemed to reach a point when he was ready; this seems to be how it works to me, but some people are just unlucky and end up waiting longer. Hope the sleeping is starting to turn a corner for you.