Support please- To give or not to give a nighttime formula feed?

[knittingmama]

Hi everyone
Looking for some support- DD is 5 mos old, and has dropped from 50th to 25th percentile in weight over the course of a month or so. As of late she seems frustrated at night feeds and has gone from sleeping long stretches (some nights 11 - 4 or 11 -5) to feeding every 2 hours all night for the last month.

Last night she squirmed and fought at 11pm feed, seemed to not be getting anything out. I gave her 3 oz of EBM which she gulped down, then I gave her a 5 oz bottle of formula on top of that. She gulped it all down and went right off to sleep. She did wake once in the night anyway, but it was far better than the usual every 2 hours (and rest of time attached to me!)

We started weaning a few days ago, but of course at this stage she's only tasting things, not getting much in the way of calories from the food.

I know giving bottles can be a slippery slope, but I am exhausted. I have a 3 year old as well, so resting, expressing, babymoons etc are all very difficult! Has anyone given their baby a bottle of formula every night and continued to BF for an extended time? I don't want to give up BFing at 6 mos!

Thanks for your help...

I give formula for the 11 o'clock feed and baby is about the same age. I gave it as I was ready to give up breast feeding completly as I was feeling tired and overwhelmed. It has changed my life. My DD still wakes during the night but it is much later and is only once. It has meant that I have continued to breastfeed (with no supply problems) whereas I may not have if I had continued with this feed. My husband often does this feed so I can go to bed early (rather than MN!)