Advice please: should I start a formula "dreamfeed"?

[bunnybunyip]

Hello all, I've been lurking for a while but would like to ask your advice after a difficult night.

Background: DS is 7 weeks old but was only due today (arrived early due to pre-eclampsia). Was big for his gestation and has been growing well along 98th centile.

Feeding sofar: first 2 weeks fed via ng tube, formula/EBM mix gradually increasing EBM as my breasts slowly kicked into gear. Exclusively breast fed 3 hourly since learned to suck at 2 weeks old.

The problem: over the past few days, for some of his feeds he has been taking over an hour. He started feeding at midnight last night and was still at it at 2am, every time I encouraged him to try and come off he screamed. In desperation I tried to express to see if that would help but only a few drops came out so I succumbed to giving him a bottle of formula. He took 3oz in 5 mins and fell asleep for nearly 5 hours. He took a breast feed as normal this am, taking 30mins and went back to sleep again.

The question: what could be the problem; supply (is my milk drying up?) or demand (growth spurt?) What do people think about starting a formula feed for the night feed, or will this reduce supply? What about expressing milk in advance as a "topup" if needed?

Thanks.

Hi Bunny- totally sypathise with you on this problem... My 10wk old DD2 was 8wks prem and is on the same lines as your DS, fed by NGT on EBM & formula mix till about a week old, then on full EBM for a week before she latched herself, feeding well since. Though just as she had started gaining weight from the BF she became ill, was in hospital for a week and lost the weight she'd gained, dropping from the 50th to the 2nd centile.

I was bullied into giving some formula in the day to help her weight gain, and then made to give 2 bottles a day... i tried expressing when she had her FF and literally only got a drop from each side, but i'd got 100mls every 3hrs while expressing when she was in SCBU. I had a day where she just wasn't getting enough from me at all because my supply had decreased so much.

I let her feed as often as she wanted to for 24hrs and my supply was back up to her needs after that. I decided not to give any more formula after that and her weight gain has been better than when she was on the formula in the 2 weeks since!!

Anyway... I personally expect your DS is just having a growth spurt and would advise to expect a couple of days chained to the sofa, resting/sleeping when he does (if you can- i know how hard that actually is if you have other DC's) Let him feed as often as possible, get a bath with him and have some skin-to-skin etc to help your milk supply increase and hopefully that'll do the trick.

I know how hard things seem on little or no sleep- i only got 3hrs last night and am somehow running on empty, but introducing a bottle of formula may become a habit and you may have to do it until he's off milk... you say you 'succumbed' to giving him a bottle which makes me think you didn't actually want to give him the formula??... so for a couple of days constant feeding you may be able to increase your supply and not need to introduce that dreamfeed...

Hi Bunny, I know it is really tiring, but I found if you give into the fact that it is what your baby really needs it feels much better. You are doing such a brilliant thing for him, and also whatever is in night breast milk is supposed to be important for them. He is still very young and will benefit so much from getting the right stuff. He knows how much he needs and when he needs it to fit in with his growth - nature is wonderful in that way. Your milk will decrease if you introduce formula - the best way to increase it to meet his needs is to bf when he wants it. I was quite tired breastfeeding but looking back I am so very glad I kept it up - a wonderful gift to your baby.