Topping up with formula in evenings?
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Topic: Topping up with formula in evenings?
Posted By: Inlove28
Subject: Topping up with formula in evenings?
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 11:55am
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Bubs is 10 weeks old now and seems I am nearly the only one with a baby that doesnt sleep more than a 4 hour stint at night in our coffee group. Have heard from a couple of other mums that they would give their babies a bottle of formula for the last feed so their babies would sleep through the night.
Who does this and have you noticed a problem with your milk supply? A friend told me to think about it carefully as it could be the end of me breast feeding which I really dont want to happen but I feel that myself and bubs need better nights sleep. Would love to hear your views |
Replies:
Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 12:08pm
I'm pretty sure you'll get those 
At 10 weeks, waking every 4 hours for a sleep is completely normal. It's what babies are designed to do - it helps them get the nutrients that need and helps keep your supply at the level they need (and then the cycle continues). If you ask on here how many BF 10 weekers wake during the night, I'm sure you'll find quite a different result to your coffee group! I would not be switching my 10 weeker to a FF so we would sleep more if there was no other indication for it . Your baby doesn't necessarily need to sleep more - it's just doing what it should be doing at this stage. FF is no guarantee that you/they will sleep better. ETA: introducing the bottle can affect BF. If you do it, choose the type of bottle and teat carefully - get one that mimics the flow of the breast cos you don't want the baby preferring the bottle (which is what happened here). I also think that, at the end of the day, only you know your particular circumstances and only you can make the decisions you need to for your family. So please don't feel I'm slamming you. I did introduce a night FF at 12 weeks becuase my son had had heart surgery, I was a mess physically and emotionally, he needed to put on weight and I did need some sleep. I don't regret that and it was right for us. But it did have implications for BFing, and I regret it from that angle. I would encourage you to continue as you are for a bit longer - once bubs hits about 3-4 months, you may well find they start sleeping a bit longer (not through the night necessarily, but longer) and it will make a difference. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Inlove28 wrote:Posted By: Inlove28
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 12:20pm
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Thanks Flissty, its only an idea at the moment and I just wanted to hear peoples views on the topic lets hope it doesnt get heated. I understand bubs is feeding as required and for supply, you hear so many different suggestions from different mums.
Reason also being is that she only sleeps around 10 hours whereas she should be 14-16 at this age... |
Posted By: mumtooboys
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 12:20pm
What she said. 
For ME, formula did NOTHING for DS1 and his sleep. He was on 'top ups' at 4 weeks, fully ff in the day by 5 months and prematurely weaned from bf altogether at 9 months which was NOT my intention when we started them. They were started because he apparently didn't weigh enough, but it is just who he is. He was waking every 3-4 hours overnight for food until he was 11 months, even when he was on 3 solid meals a day and we did CC with him (which is something I would never do again) and wish we hadn't done but you live and learn I guess. I would have loved 4 or more hour stretches of sleep at 10 weeks with DS2. LOL He was ebf for 7 months, he was on average a 3 hourly feeder, except during growth spurts when it could be every hour. I was soooooooo  He did 3 weeks of 10+ hours at night at 7 months, all on my milk I might add, then stopped again and didn't "sleep through' consistently until he was 13 months old and that was with him being gently night weaned at 11 months.------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 12:39pm
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When Daniel was that age I was expressing so DH could give him a night feed so I could sleep.. I got sick of expressing so we switched that feed to formula. It did not affect my supply at all. I always had a ton of milk. And I have to say that as soon as we did that he slept for longer stints.
Just do whatever you think might work for you
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Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 12:43pm
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I never BF so can't help with that but must say that formula doesn't always make them sleep longer.
DS1 never slept thru thenight consistently until about 14 months and that was with full time formula. |
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 1:00pm
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My DS1 was fully formula fed after about 8 or 9 days and he slept through from 4 months. But I mainly put that down to him starting daycare and solids. He is a brilliant sleeper and almost never (except once when sick) wakes in the night.
DS2 is just about 9 weeks old and fully BF and he already sleeps through some nights. As in 6 nights in the last 10. So from my experience I would say it is up to the child! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 1:13pm
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I so feel your pain! I'm in exactly the same position - right down to being the only one in my coffee group not getting a decent nights sleep.
When I came to bed crying cos I was so exhausted at about 2am last night, DH suggested the same thing, but I'm not going to go there. I want to BF DD until she's at least 12-18mths so I don't want to start interfering with BF now. I'm just battling through, telling myself that although it feels like it now, it won' t be forever, and one of these days she'll let me sleep
My current strategy is to make a huge effort to get the day sleeps sorted in the hope that it might help the night sleeps. I've discovered these tired signs people talk about really are key. If I get it right, it takes a few minutes to get DD to sleep - if I get it wrong... 
So when I'm really struggling, I make the mission of the day to really nail the day sleeps and to hell with everything else. DH can deal with dinner and the farm jobs and washing... and anything else can wait. I'll let you know if it works once I've actually acheived it consistently for a while ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 1:24pm
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Interesting you bought this up, We had the 6 week check the other day and I mentioned to the doctor that Cooper doesn't go any longer than 3 hours between feeds (more often its 2 hours and sometimesv 1 at night), his suggestion - FF at night. I'm definately not going down that track, I don't mean to offend anyone who does, but its just not for us -------------  
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Posted By: E&L+1
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 2:11pm
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Esme is almost 4 months and last night she woke at 11, 2, 3, 5.30 which admittedly was a bad night. Atm her nights are usually feed between 1-2 and 4-6. She goes down between 7-8. So you are definately not alone being up in the early hours!
Her day sleeps are shocking and generally last only 45mins so we are working on that at the moment too. Before adding in a FF I would try getting more into her during the day and/or topping her up at night with some EBM ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 2:23pm
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At 10 weeks it is completely normal for your baby to still be waking.
Mine was still waking until 10months...and he had been on formula since 8 months. A bottle at night is definitely not a guarantee for a good nights sleep. It may also affect your milk supply. ------------- 
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Posted By: jano1
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 3:15pm
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One last thing- 10 hours is pretty amazing at night with a few wake ups for food.
We had a FF feed before bed from around 8 weeks and she still woke for feeds in the night until 5.5 months. While it seems like forever this will pass (the night waking). ------------- http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=UBB&utm_campaign=tickers"> |
Posted By: Inlove28
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 4:02pm
lol 10 hours in total not at night
TRex nice to hear from u... Its a mission eh. The 45min thing is normal, its how their sleep cycle works and DD wakes during the day at bang on 45mins but im ready and go back in and put dummy in or rock her and she goes back to sleep from 30min to an hour. Bubs normal night is Down at 8.30-9.30pm (this takes 20-30mins of rocking bassinet) wakes up after 10mins then put back to sleep. Wake at 12-1am Wake at 4-5am Wake at 6-7am Wake at 8.30am She seems to cluster feed in the early morning, and is only up for around 30-45 mins each time. So I honestly get hardly any sleep... I think I might try FF every second night and see how it goes. Will also talk to plunket first too. |
Posted By: BeLoved
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 4:13pm
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I tried FF at night for DD and it did nothing, so went back to BF and before long she was sleeping through, I have no idea why she slept through but think it might have had something to do with me kind of starting a bit of a routine in regards to our days starting at 7amish and ending at 7pmish, that was the one change that seemed to make a difference but then again it could of been completely unrelated to the sleeping through.
Do what feels right for you and if you want to try FF every second night then go for it, she is your baby and if it does not make any difference you know that you tried it. And just so you know, I remember hearing the NZ baby whisperer saying that the whole "coffee group" culture can create unrealistic expectations, and that just because someone says their baby is sleeping through it does not necessarily mean that they are. |
Posted By: jano1
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 5:20pm
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Sorry I didn't realise it was 10 hours total
I say go with what you feel is right, we had a terrible time trying to get Ava to sleep at around the same age and I remember the exhaustion. Like Heidi's mum said coffee groups can create unrealistic expectations and many of those mums who say their babies are sleeping through mean 5 hours in a row. You are not far off
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Posted By: SpecialK
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 5:29pm
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Well, H was having formula top ups since day 1 so I can't say that it made him sleep through. But what did work was the introduction of a consistent bed time routine and a dreamfeed at about 9 weeks.
At first the dream feed (which DH gives him) was EBM, then EMB and formula, and then just formula as he started drinking more and more and I stopped expressing during the day. As soon as he started having dream feed he started sleeping from 10.30am to 4am, and then at about 13 weeks started sleeping through about half the nights. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Kellz
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 7:53pm
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I quit my coffee group cos of the stress and pressure I was putting on myself by thinking I was doing something wrong because of being the only one with an unsettled baby and the one with no sleep, especially after 6 months when they were all getting great sleep and Isla still hadnt slept for more than 2 hrs in a row day or night.
Sleep is so important, and lack of it sucks! I too dont want to introduce formula- Isla had dairy allergy so theres no way Im gonna risk givng Aiden formula encase he has the same prioblem which is likely since he already reacts by becoming much more unsettled to diff things in my diet. I am however going to express each am and get DH to feed Aiden a bottle of EBM at night so I can go to bed early and hopefully get a longer block pof sleep. We are starting it tonight,...wish me luck!! |
Posted By: E&L+1
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 8:55pm
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Good luck! We are going to head down that track shortly too if Esme doesn't start sleeping better again. (She was doing 7-9hours in a row and now we are lucky to get 3!) ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 27 February 2010 at 11:13pm
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Formula worked for both my kiddies
Caden was fully formula fed from 4 weeks and was sleeping through from about 8 weeks, and Isabella is breastfed and formula fed, she has a bottle before bed and sleeps until 7ish, only waking in the night if she needs her dummy etc. You never know until you try Good Luck!
ETA- I also never had an issue with my milk supply, plenty of milk! In the early days I would just wake up with full as boobs. ------------- |
Posted By: Lulu
Date Posted: 28 February 2010 at 11:58am
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The last feed of the day being FF worked for me and didn't affect my BF'ing. J was sleeping through about 7-9 hours from 12 weeks. ------------- Lou http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 28 February 2010 at 12:26pm
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I know this isn't for everyone but I coslept most of the time with DD and she would often wakeup and feed and although I would sort of wake up too it wasn't nearly as disturbing to either of our sleep as having to get up etc... but as I said it's not for everyone.
------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: RoSee
Date Posted: 28 February 2010 at 9:38pm
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I started formula top ups when Ty was 7 weeks because he always seemed hungry after feeds. It definitely affected BF for me, he became 'lazy' and it would be such a struggle to get him to BF, by 3 months he was completely FF. He has always been a fantastic sleeper, I'm not entirely sure if it was because of the formula or because I have always had him in quite a strict routine. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
 September '11
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Posted By: X
Date Posted: 28 February 2010 at 10:36pm
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I just wanted to second the comment about coffee groups. In my experience, a lot of women in coffee groups say things like "my baby sleeps through the night" because they'd like to project an appearance of having everything perfectly under control. In reality things are sometimes very far from the picture they paint.
I also felt like a bit of a failure because my DS wasn't sleeping through the night from a young age "like all the other babies in the coffee group". That was only until we had a catch up which included the fathers & DS told me afterwards how ALL the other fathers were complaining of babies waking up during the night (remember these are the same babies whose mums were saying they were sleeping through the night like little angels). I really don't understand the logic behind it, but I'd just like to suggest that you take what mums in your coffee group say with a pinch of salt. Anyway, up to you what you do re formula feeding at night. I personally would avoid it if you are keen on BF for a long time. I have heard it interferes with your supply, & I agree that it may not help your baby sleep any longer at night. Needing a feed every 4 hours sounds pretty normal to me. I know it is hard to beleive at the moment, but this time really will pass & soon enough you will be getting more sleep & everyting will seem much better. Just try hang in there. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mumtooboys
Date Posted: 28 February 2010 at 11:01pm
The 'logic' is that how well, or not, your baby sleeps seems to be the measuring stick against how 'good' a parent you are. It is a load of rubbish of course, but I have found that when it comes down to it that whether you bf or ff, had a vaginal birth or a c-section your value as a mother seems to be strangely linked to how much sleep your baby gets. I think it also has to do with what people are classing as 'sleeping through'. Most parents seem to think they aren't sleeping through unless they are doing 12 hours without waking/feeding, while the actual definition is any ONE 5 hour or more stretch of sleep. I have 'poor' sleepers by society standards, but though I got less sleep with DS2 I actually found him to be our 'better' sleeper. I think some mothers tend to exaggerate alot of things because they fear being the 'odd one out' or somehow feel that if their baby isn't doing what everyone else's is that there must be something wrong with their parenting. Well that is my 'logic' anyway. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: myonlineself
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 12:05pm
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We occasionally get a 6 hour stretch at night (three times so far I think), but we get at least one 4-hour stretch most nights. I have to say, the days where I make sure we get good naps are the ones we get the best nights... she really can only cope with 45 minutes to an hour awake and then I have to get her to sleep... rocking, dummy, wrap... and after she wakes sometimes at 45 minutes, I resettle her...
personally I would just give it a few more weeks ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 3:42pm
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DS1 was FF from 8 week sand it didnt really help him night sleep..he was a reasonable sleeper before that ....i am considering the FF at night...i am more worried it will make me leak more rather than less lol.. and I am reasonably sure it wont affect my supply but of course your boobs do get used to not feeding at that time if you are doing it every night...i say do what works for you as lack of sleep is soo hard and sometimes for your health and bubs you need some!:) having said all that we are also thinking of going down the EBM route first to see how we go.. anyway i sympathise and understand!!:) ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 4:02pm
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DD had one formula bottle at her last feed 10ish so that DH could feed her and I expressed that feed each night to build a supply of expressed milk for daytime feeds as I went back to work for the odd day here and there. I don't know if it helped with sleeping but she was sleeping thru the night from about 14weeks.
That was our routine and I wouldn't want anyone to look down on me for doing it, it worked well for us. But it was our routine and I also wouldn't want anyone trying it just because it worked in our situation. Good luck, don't feel the need to start doing it purely because it works for some others. ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 4:11pm
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Cant be bothered reading all the responses because I can pretty much guess at them anyway .
I used formula at night for both my babies (still do it now ) haven't noticed a problem in my milk supply and I like that Ty can take a bottle . ------------- 
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 5:52pm
Coffee groups...pffft! We have a purpose built coffee group based on the fact our babies or now toddlers don't sleep through!
 Do what is right for you!
Personally I'm lazy & a boob is easy & I'm cheap & a boob is free 
side note: been doing formula trials for about 3 or so months now & it doesn't make a difference to C sleeping. The only major improvement was getting him in his own room where he couldn't smell me. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: Inlove28
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 8:23pm
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Well I gave her a bottle just before bedtime at 8.30 last night. First mouth full she wasnt sure then gulped it down. Took about 10mins less to get her to bed. We settled into bed later on and lol she woke at 12.15am pretty much right on cue for her feed, then again at usual times... So havent bothered trying again tonight.
Nice to know that if need be she will take formula 
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Posted By: mummytobesep08
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 9:13pm
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I agree- it is still normal for baby to only be sleeping 4 hours, but it's cetainly not IDEAL!
For me, I became perfectly ok with doing a formula feed at night. Why? Because it gave me an extra hour sleep. And for us THAT was worth a lot more there any 'bad' things about having a bottle (and ONE formula feed is absolutely fine, it's not gonna hurt them! Bubs is still getting all those lovely nutrients from breast-milk during the day) I see some people said it didn't make a difference- you could try it for a few nights and if it doesn't make a difference then go back to breast milk only. Your supply will be fine and if you're real worried you could always express at night before bed (that's what I did for a bit too) (((hugs))) for you. Give it a try if you think it will help and if it works for you then poo to anyone else who doesn't agree! Every baby is different, as is every mum and every family situation ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
Angel babes '07 & '10- <3 <3 |
Posted By: Katep
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 10:28pm
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In my opinion, I wouldn't simply do it because you feel like your baby should sleep longer. When my DD was 7 weeks I introduced a FF before bed as I found BF'ing so stressful as she would feed for up to 90minutes at a time during the day.
Using FF and BF worked well for me, she knew FF meant bed time. It didnt affect BF'ing, although she did self wean at 5 months which may have had something to do with ff'ing? Not sure! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Mum to the Gorgeous Leah! 7 months |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 01 March 2010 at 10:36pm
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Kate - could also be a change in the flavour of the milk because you were UTD
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Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 02 March 2010 at 8:44am
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I've been avoiding this topic as I know nothing about formula feeding but I just have to add some input on sleep - your baby sleeping is something a LOT of mums fib about. Very few babies sleep through all the time at such a young age. And it can be really hard to admit that they wake up a couple of times a night when somebody else is telling you "my baby has been sleeping 9pm to 6am since they were X weeks old" because you feel like a failure in comparison. PLEASE don't believe every thing you get told about someone else's baby. ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 02 March 2010 at 9:04am
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Every baby is different. DS is not a great sleeper even at 7mths. He's FF now, but BF till 4mths. Before that we had tried one FF at his dream feed in the hope it'd make him sleep longer - it didn't work.
Yeah and I agree with above comment about other mums telling you their bub sleeps through. People have different meanings for 'sleeps through', I've heard the defination as 5hrs straight, that's just 7pm till mid-night! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 11:26pm
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Well, my thing about this 'sleeping through the night'.... I don't want my boy to sleep more than four hours coz
a. my boobs get too full (and I had breast abcess needing an operation, not pleasant) b. I want to use breast feeding as our main contraception (haha yes risky we KNOW) So personally, I don't think sleeping through is all it is cracked up to be (please God, don't bring back AF til the four hourly feeding sessions stop). I like to think Liam is a good sleeper at night even though he wakes every four hours or so! What about trying to reduce the time she is awake during the night feeds? I guess you don't do any play sessions then but does she drift off and still suckle while asleep? I know this isn't much time but if you can cut the time she is awake/suckling to 20 minutes it will add up and you might find it easier to get back to sleep. Also...have you tried settling her back down in the middle of the night? I did this one night after Liam had gone to sleep at 12, then he woke at 2.30 and I rocked him without feeding and he went back to sleep and to my astonishment he did not wake up again til 5.30...my boobs didn't like that tho hehe. I only did it coz I was so exhausted that my brain was not functioning properly! Finally, I read somewhere that sleep promotes sleep so maybe once she settles better during the day, she will settle better at night. Goodness knows Liam is a shocker during the day but I have noticed when he has good sleeps in the morning he sleeps in the afternoon better as well. sorry about the novel hahahahahahahaha ------------- 
Oct 11
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Posted By: tiptoes
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 12:39pm
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We introduced a bottle of formula around 6 or 7 weeks so DH could feed too. I don't think it made much of a difference to my supply as that's around the time I started expressing and was getting heaps. You could maybe express at the same time for awhile so you're not losing that feed and see how the formula goes?
Around that time we did start getting longer stretches of sleep, like 7 hours but then after that he'd wake 3 hourlyish. But for some random reason the last fortnight that 7 hours has all gone out the window and he started waking around 10-11pm for some reason, though a lot of the time we can resettle him without feeding him. I'm not sure if that 7 hours was because of the formula or not though, and if it was just before or after sorry as I stopped writing everything down. ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com">  
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