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Bottle of formula before bed...3 weeks!

18 replies

hayleybop · 22/11/2008 21:26

Hi I am toying with the idea of a bottle of formula to make the lil one sleep longer. I know the score that it may upset her gut. But i have DD1 19 months who aint a good sleeper. Sometimes she sleeps through most times, sometimes she dosn't. When she does wake up I go in and say lye down and sit with her for a few minutes and she's back off to sleep but meanwhile DD2 has woken up and I'm fighting a battle each night so far. I know it's early days and it's very hard work for me getting not much sleep. DD2 wont stay in her moses basket (poor thing is just recovering from a cold which she caught from DD1 when she was a week old). The 1st time DD2 has woken up for a feed i have been bringing her into bed with me and lying down to feed her. I have ofen fallen asleep with her next to me or lying ontop of me because i am soooo exhausted but I am creating bad sllep habits. So I was thinking I could maybe give her a bottle so that she will sleep longer and also so my partner can help out. She takes a bottle fine and is well established with breast feeding, no nipple comfusion.
Or do I do let DD1 cry it out when she is put to bed. I usually sing to her to help her drop off, but this is taking about half an hour to get her to sleep. She has a strict bedtime routine....Any ideas on how I can get thenm both to sleep better and also myself to get some kip.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
hayleybop · 22/11/2008 21:26

Sorry bottle of formula for DD2, 3 weeks old.

OP posts:
moondog · 22/11/2008 21:28

The baby's tummy is tiny. The size of a walnut.It needs filling regulalry.At 3 weeks, (or indeed at any time) formula will make no difference.

It's hard with 2 so close together.
Can't your dh see to the older child while you sleep with the bay and feed through the night?

LaDollyVita · 22/11/2008 21:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hayleybop · 22/11/2008 21:35

Yes but he is useless. He has never got up in the night and when i have tryed to get him up to help I get abuse as he is still asleep. He could sleep through an earthquake.

OP posts:
moondog · 22/11/2008 21:36

He needs to bloody well help!!
You can' and indeed shouldn't deal with all this alone!

nickytwotimes · 22/11/2008 21:39

Yep, he needs to help.

As for formula, ds was ff by that age and slept for 2-3 hrs max, so I don't think it would help much tbh. It might in the future, but still too early i think.

LaDollyVita · 22/11/2008 21:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

poppy34 · 22/11/2008 21:39

at 3 weeks old you won't be creating bad sleep habits - so I'd carry on with havng her co sleep if that is safe. re bottle you could try it.
no real advice re dd1 - but I would try and keep her routine - does she have anything like a night light, toys etc that help her stay in her cot?

Pannacotta · 22/11/2008 21:41

If your DH is rubbish in the night, then cant he help with DD1 at bedtime?
DOnt think formula will help a 3 week old baby to sleep, as moondog says they have tiny stomachs at this age and need to feed little and often.
Try and find ways to get your DH to help if you can, show himthis thread if that helps?

FWIW we had both DSs in with us for the first few months, makes it much easier for everyone to get some sleep I really dont think you are creating bad sleep patterns when they are so tiny. It also means you can breastfeed in the night lying down and go straight back to sleep, no need to get up.

poppy34 · 22/11/2008 21:42

good idea re dh doing bedtime thing - don't know why but bedtime is my own personal hell hour - maybe even more than getting up in middle of night

poppy34 · 22/11/2008 21:42

good idea re dh doing bedtime thing - don't know why but bedtime is my own personal hell hour - maybe even more than getting up in middle of night

ilovemydog · 22/11/2008 21:45

I think that some babies have different sleep patterns than others.

A friend has a 3 month old, exclusively b/f and sleeps from 11:00 pm - 06:00.

Personally, I like co sleeping or DS sleeping with me - mainly because all I have to do is roll over and feed, rather than the sleep walking thing...

Don't worry about bad sleeping habits.

Pannacotta · 22/11/2008 21:47

By the way, I didn't mean we had both DSs in with us at the same time, I meant we co-slept with each baby for the first few months.
And agree you need to be firmer with your DH, he really should deal with DD1 during the night while you feed/wind/settle DD2.
Good luck....

ches · 22/11/2008 22:33

My DH swears like a trooper if you wake him up. I keep kicking until he's all the way awake and the abuse stops.

WobblyPig · 22/11/2008 22:37

Big myth IMO that formula at night does any for sleeping.

LentilMoussaka · 22/11/2008 23:01

Saw this the other day - bf babies sleep more!. Not that it helps with your DP, sounds like he does need to be a bit more useful.

chloemegjess · 22/11/2008 23:13

Oh no. This will be me in April when DC2 comes along! DD will be about 15-16months old!

My DH was useless like that with DD when she was little, but we got to the point that him not helping would break the relationship if he didn't start doing more. I got really touch on him when I feel pregnant again and it was make or break. I am afraid it did feel like having a teenager rather than a husband for a couple of weeks as I had to spend so long dragging him out of bed to help (would have been quicker for me to do it myself). BUT it completly broke the cycle. Luckily for us, DD usually sleeps through now but on his days off we now take turns in getting up with her in the morning and the other has a lie in etc. It has REALLY helped.

Not sure how this will work with the new baby as like you I will be breastfeeding, but I am hoping to express after the first few weeks so he can either help in the night or get up with them both in the morning.

Anyway, sorry if that is no help but thought I would share!

Is your DC1 in a seperate room or still in with you?

sweetkitty · 22/11/2008 23:16

hi hayleybop I asked the very same question a few weeks back in desperation to get some sleep and the general consensus is that no a bottle of formula makes no difference at all and some thought it made things worse by upsetting the babies tummy.

Also on my postnatal thread I had a pole of BF v FF babies and sleep and there was no difference in what ones slept through more.

I have coslept with all 3 of mine and it's how I get the most sleep you won't be creating bad habits, she just wants to be close to her Mummy, she's so tiny and if cosleeping gets you the most sleep now then do it, all mine went into a cot fine when the time was right and sleep fine now (well apart from the 4 month who is in with me)

I have 2 18 months apart and I know how hard and knackering it is. In our house because I do all the BFing at night, DP gets up for the other two, that only fair, some nights he gets up more than me sometimes not at all.

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