Breastfeeding, introducing formula ?

[HT96]

Hello! So when I had my DD she was mix fed due to her not waking up to feed so breastfed /pumped milk / topped up with formula and for some reason I just assumed it would end up being the same with DS!!

(I stopped feeding DD at 3 months due to a procedure I had to have done)

He is currently 6 months and exclusively breast fed! Which is great but I also said that once he got to 6 months I would put him on to bottles / formula... now I really can't be bothered with that 😂 cleaning and sterilising multiple bottles a day whilst running after 2 children in lock down does not appeal to me!!

But my problem is he has started feeding more at night! He is now waking 3-5 times a night for milk I have tried offering him milk more frequently through the day to fill him up but it doesn't change his sleep!

If I was to introduce a bottle at bed time would it help him sleep longer? And how would it effect my supply?

Thanks 😄

In my experience, adding one bottle of formula a day affects neither supply nor sleep! If you think about it, babies don't drink exactly the same amount of milk every day so breasts need to be flexible with the amount of milk they are capable of producing in one day.

Your baby is not necessarily waking up because of hunger, try offering a bottle of formula or even water during the night. This usually appeals less than the breast, meaning he might wake less often.
Both of mine were more or less weaned off night feeds at that age, it didn't mean they slept through though. But their sleep did improve massively.

In my experience of 3 babies, bf first to 3 months, 2nd mixed fed to 11 months and 3rd to 2.5 years. They’d all wake more and feed more at night when teething started. So I would say they are feeding For comfort because of teething. I don’t know if ff will solve this. I believed ff would make my eldest sleep
Through and it didn’t, I just ended up having more work to do.

6 months is a trying time, teething, becoming more self aware and mobile, sleeping through becomes difficult.

Whatever you decide good luck, but be aware ff may not be the answer to your prayers.

Ahh ok! I won't bother then hopefully he will start sleeping a bit better soon! I will also try the water trick to 😊

My baby definitely started sleeping better at 8 months when he was weaned from the breast. Just my experience.

@Rubyroost he had calpol last night and slept 8-2.30am had a feed then slept till 7 so it must be his teeth! 😥

Excellent, I always find that the bit where the tooth is still under the gum the worst. My b fed bsby is currently up nearly all night

My little one randomly started night nursing at 6 months too . I was told it was a growth spurt . I love breastfeeding so I put up with it and around 7-8 months he slowly weaned off the night nursing and by 9 months he completely slept through the night .

He’s 14 months now and still is sleeping through the night .

If you love nursing I suggest sticking with it because night nursing won’t be forever . My little one suddenly self weaned completely recently and it broke my heart . I would do anything to go back to the night nursing days right now .

@MichelleOR84 He woke up every hour last night after 1.30am! Hope it does get easier soon 🤞🏻

@HT96 I promise it does and you will weirdly miss these days 🥰

I introduced a bottle of formula around 6 months and got another hour out of my DD at night. It does fill them up more. Just express at the same time and keep the milk for when you need it!