If you breastfed your first child did you breastfeed your next child? And why?

[Cleanqueennot]

I’m so exhausted with my baby at the moment. He is 6 months old and overnight he wakes every 1-2 hours, only breast feeding will settle him. Don’t want advice on settling techniques as have tried loads and not a fan of any training methods/theories. He is usually quite easy to settle back to sleep but the short bits of sleep are really not enough for me as I often can’t get back to sleep after settling him. During the day I am constantly on the go because he will only nap in his pram so I go for 1 long or 2 short walks a day to get him to nap but then by about 5pm he needs another nap but I just can’t do another walk! Im exhausted and talking to others it seems like they get to put their babies down for a nap and chill out for an hour or so during the day, I don’t even get a minute to myself as he will only nap on the move. Please don’t suggest a sling, like I said I’m not really looking for sleep methods for him I’ve tried them all. Husband recently has been working late and doesn’t get home until 6 or 7pm most nights and does what he can when he’s home but by the time he’s home I’m already at my wits end and exhausted. I honestly feel like I have nothing to look forward to. I just live for the weekend when husband can take over more! I feel guilty because it’s not how I thought I would be spending my maternity leave tbh.

All the other mums I meet at baby’s classes etc say their babies at a similar age are sleeping at least 3-4 hours at night and they can put them down for naps. All these babies are formula fed. Is it just coincidence that mine is breastfed and I’m going through all of this? I don’t want to quit breastfeeding him so please don’t suggest I do. Im more interested in hearing from mums that have actually breastfed as I don’t know anyone that has IRL. Im questioning whether to change my mindset and if I have another baby wondering whether formula would be better for them in that they would be a happier, more settled baby.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading. Please be kind. One sleep deprived mama here! X

I BF my first until 20 months and my second until a little over 2 years. Lots of other things were very difficult and exhausting but we were fortunate that BF went smoothly. I am lazy and thrifty so it was definitely easier than bottles would have been.

However- whatever you do or don't do, there will be exhausting tough times, and I promise each phase will pass. You are doing brilliantly even if it doesn't feel like it right now. Big hugs to you.

I breastfed my daughter for 18 months, she woke hourly until I stopped breastfeeding.

I'm pregnant with number 2 and I'm planning to combi feed and do not plan to breastfeed as long this time, I don't think my sanity could take it!

I BF my eldest then BF my twins. All terrible sleepers mind you but I don't think that anything to do with BF

DD - breastfed for 6 months. Slept for 4 hours stints from around 3/4 months old and once weaning began, went onto longer stretches until she slept through the night for 11/12 hours at around 1yo.

DS1 - breastfed for 11 months. Terrible sleeper but was very unwell as a baby so put a lot down to that. Has frequent hospital stays where sleep is more difficult wi tbh frequent obs, bright lights etc. He is now 5 and does sleep through the night but only in the last year or so.

DS2 - breastfed for 12 months. Absolutely fantastic sleeper from very early on. Napped for 2 hours at a time pretty consistently from birth. Slept through the night from around 3 months for 12/13 hours. Now 3 and goes to bed at 7 and wakes up at half 7.

Firstly OP, it sounds like you’re having a tricky time. You have my empathy. Sleep stuff is hard.

To answer your question, I breastfeed DC1 until he was 2.5 years old. He self-weaned, and was a brilliant sleeper.

I am breastfeeding DC2, who is almost 15 months, and is definitely not an easy sleeper.

They are both so different in character.

Breastfeeding is hard, and some days, I get really touched out and almost hate it, but I am proud of it. I will keep going until DC2 self-weans.

Yes- although my second was harder to latch, when my first was so easy. Mix fed my first after a month but my second wouldn’t touch a bottle for 4 months. They are all so different - same with sleep OP

Currently breastfeeding number 3, also awful sleeper. My second child nearly did me in with the constant feeding and lack of sleep but I was so, so, so glad I did it that I am doing it again!

This is a thread where the title is specifically asking for breast feeding mothers and the nature of the post is asking for solidarity/moral support. It really isn't indicative of breastfed babies sleeping worse

op I've breastfed 3. One slept really well from about 8 weeks. One didn't sleep through until 9 months and then was a brilliant sleeper. One slept through from 4 weeks until 6 months when he stopped and he still has issues sleeping now - he's 11

I doubt switching to bottle will make any difference to your babies sleep.

I’m exclusively breastfeeding my current 4 month old since 8 weeks she’s been sleeping 3 or 4 hours at a time. I also tandem feed my 2.5 yr old he finally sleeps through 12 hours a night and has done since 18 months.

do you offer both breasts to your little one at each feeding?

Every baby is completely different. As this is my second child she is sometimes put down while I see to my son and she’ll cry for about 5 minutes but then will fall asleep in her cot/pram. Ufortunately I’ve never been able to give her many contact naps because I have my first born to see too. So I think she’s better at self settling to sleep for this reason.

Emma again! Are you stalking me? 🤔

I don’t think your son’s specific habits can be used as a sweeping study for all babies, do you?

I was told by a baby ward nursery nurse (who has settled literally thousands of babies) that breastfed babies sleep worse but they’re not allowed to tell mums that for obvious reasons.

It’s anecdotal of course but if you look at the ‘no sleep, at breaking point’ threads on here, 80% of the time at least the baby is breast fed.

why?? because all that's needed is to shower. no sterilizing or buying equipment. stick the little one on the boob where ever and whenever. all bought and paid for.

Op asked ‘All these babies are formula fed. Is it just coincidence that mine is breastfed and I’m going through all of this?’ so I answered that.

I said if she wants to carry on then obviously she can 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s just funny she was met by a barrage of replies about badly sleeping BF babies, all with the caveat ‘they’re not all like this though’ 😂

Yes, it’s coincidence. My FF nephews have never slept through the night. They’re 7 & 6. My youngest niece, their little sister, was breastfed and is also an awful sleeper. Their elder sister who was breastfed is the best sleeper of the 4.

I commented first hun. And that's bullshit. Its down to the baby!

@Holidayhomehell during the day I feed him every 1.5-2 hours. He seems to need to constantly have his tummy full. I think he doesn’t like the empty feeling. I’ve already had GP check him for the usual suspects reflux and allergies. He doesn’t have any other symptoms of anything and is healthy and alert but for the sleep issues.

No, I haven’t had my iron levels checked. I didn’t think I have low iron/anaemia tbh. Considering I’m sleep deprived and exhausted, I have a surprising amount of energy (think I’m running on adrenaline ha) and my milk supply is fine as if he doesn’t feed as regularly on the odd chance then I have plenty of milk in breasts. He is putting on weight well and has enough wet and dirty nappies so I think the milk supply and quality is fine. Not sure how likely it is to have an abundant supply but it not be of a good enough quality? I will have a look into though!

I combi-fed both my DC. DD slept much better at night by about 8 months - she was a Velcro baby who we could not transfer & the barest puff of air would wake her. Combi-feeding allowed DH to take some of the strain at night. To be fair though DD had some medical issues (silent reflux) which meant she was harder to get down but after a year she was & still is great sleeper.
DS was a much easier baby (no medical issues) & could be transferred but he took a lot longer to stop waking at night - at least 1.5yrs & we had to do some proper sleep training with him that took longer than DD. He now too sleeps well.
Both used to have super long afternoon naps (2-3hrs) which was my saving grace tbh, which lasted till they were 3yo.

I breastfed all of mine til exactly 16 weeks (and then stopped). I needed my sleep by that stage and everyone was much happier!

I breastfed both because it was easy. Never had to get out of bed to feed in the night or plan bottles to take out on in the day. DC1 we battled to get to take a bottle at about 4 months. It was loads of hassle and with DC2 I totally couldn't be arsed.

Sleeping wise I don't know. Pretty much everyone I knew chose to bf so I don't have much to compare to. DC2 slept better than DC1 but both were fed the same.

I breastfed and have been able to put my babies down. My ten month old napped for 2.5 hours in her cot today and she's never had any formula.

I bf DC1 for three months and stopped because he fed two hourly day and night, I was exhausted and also going back to work.
Ditto DC2.
They both slept much better once ff and I gained some sense of self as a routine and semblance of normality resumed.
The minimal 'hassle' of making formula was far far outweighed by a more equal sharing of the load and several hours undisturbed kip every night.

Breastfed my first for 12 months and found it really hard, FF my second and it was a doddle in comparison!

BF both mine because once established I found it easy and convenient. It just suited me. I get why others oils feel differently though!

Yes. My first was premmie so it was really hard work, he was tube fed to start with and I expressed. Then whenever I was with he we breastfed, he was cup fed when I wasn't with him. We left hospital fully breast feeding when he was a month old and I fed him until he was about 6 months old but because I was worried about his weight gain I started bottle feeding so I could monitor how much he was eating. I fed my second until he was 3, he was full term, it was super easy and he went from 50th percentile when he was born to 99th in 3 months! So I had no worries about how much he was getting.

Why because it was easy, free, great for him, convenient, no sterilising etc a great way to bond a quick way to settle him to sleep and comfort him.

I breast fed first and was miserable. Started combi feeding at about 2 months and much better. Beat myself up but then realised I was just as bonded with her bottle feeding as formula feeding. Second and third bottle fed from birth and they only woke once a night and were content babies. I had more confidence to do that as I was
t as scared that they’d always be I’ll or I wouldn’t bond if didn’t breastfeed as I was with oldest. I don’t follow the bottle making advice to the letter though which probably makes it easier. I’ll make up a bottle before bed with boiling water and is just the right temp before baby wakes up in the night and have a ready made and sterilised bottle ready for the morning. Means no getting up and making bottles in the night which would be a faff. Do the same in the day. It could be just coincidence but bottle feeding was a much more pleasant experience for me. Anecdotally most of my friends who have described waking up every hour for 2 years have breast fed, but I do t think the research shows this. I like that my husband can share the feeding load too. Do what works for you and your family and don’t get too pulled into other people’s opinions either way. For us the priority has always been the most amount of people getting the most amount of sleep has led to a more content and happy family life. Best friend extended breast fed for years and completely respected that. She respected my choices too. Can you try combi feeding and see how your baby/family responds and then can go back to fully breastfeeding if it’s not for you?