Formula / breast Impact on sleep

[Sleepy sue]

Hi ladies
Well I don't know what to do, except know I can't continue like this!
Samuel is 4 weeks old and has Bern bf from day 1 he's doing really well with hid weight and going from strength to strength. However he feeds day and night between 1 and 2 hrs. In the day I can cope but the nights are killing me.
He won't go down in his Moses basket and trust me I've tried everything but I don't know if combine feeding and giving formula at night will mean he will sleep more or atleast eliminate hunger as a reason for waking

Sorry for the rant but I'm trying to ask do ff babies sleep better during the night than bf?

Do you think it's worth trying combined feeding?

Any help is appreciated I need sleep!!!!!! x

 

[pinkyprincess]

Just because a baby is on formula doesn't mean they'll sleep better I read! If they do its because it's Harder for them to digest it in their tummys unlike b milk. You'd have to be careful about your milk supply too I think night time is when it's built up the most by baby.

 

[Lilelephant]

I don't really know about ff sleeping better than bf tbh
O is ff and he has slept thru since about 9 weeks old bit I think he is just a good sleeper an a hungry eater in the day . Like pinky said u got be careful of ur supply. Can u express some so OH can some of the night feeds maybe?

 

[Rachaellius]

I know it's so so hard the sleepless nights I don't know now how I got through it but I really think its more to do with his age than anything else its taken Phoebe nearly 4 months to start sleeping through and she's formula fed. Are you able to express for night time feeds and maybe get your OH to give you a hand? Might be worth seeing if your HV has any suggestions too? x

 

[Rachaellius]

Oops didn't read Lilelephants comment before I replied lol x

 

[Lilelephant]

Oops didn't read Lilelephants comment before I replied lol x

Great minds

 

[cosmicgirl]

Bf babies do cluster feed for a while to start with (I can't comment on ff)
Believe me it does get better.
When I was bf the twins I felt like I was up all night. I'd try to feed them lying on my side so I could stay half asleep iykwim then I'd gently pop them back in their baskets. You say lo won't sleep in his basket? x

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

I bf one and ff the other and I can genuinely say they slept exactly the same! Have you tried sleeping with the Moses basket sheets before putting them on, just so LO gets your smell in there?xx

 

[positivity :)]

I have to agree I think it's down to the baby. Will has also slept thru from 9 weeks and is FF but I think that's just luck. He deffo didn't at 4 weeks xx

 

[Sleepy sue]

I know I'm probably expecting a lot and being unrealistic, but I think I'd give my house away for a couple of nights sleep!!!
As for the moses he hates it I've tried my t shirt being the sheet, sleeping bags, swaddled, blankets,tilting the basket he's having none of it.
I'm going to try a travel cot tonight to see if that makes a difference,unfortunately we can't get his cot bed in our room.
I don't want to give up bf as I do love it and its so convenient but was just looking for anything that could help (desperation and the fact you ladies have prob gone through what I
now)
Xxxx

 

[pinkyprincess]

It's controversial but some nights then and now when he's being fussy I co sleep. It makes bfing in the night a doddle and baby is happy now going between cot and bed (I think most people have similar problems) really worth a try! Just do it safely

 

[Rachaellius]

Its awful. People kept telling me it'll get better and its no use at the time and you dont believe it ever will but it does! Have you tried putting a hot water bottle in there while you feed and take it out just before you put him down? x

 

[Sleepy sue]

We tried a hot water bottle but I think I was a bit girlie and didn't do it hot enough so prob didn't have the effect. So will try that again

I do end up co sleeping with him on my chest or curled round him but it's not like real sleep. I think im just having a bad day x

 

[Mrs N]

Have you tried putting him in a crib? HArry never had a moses basket so I dont know if he would like it or not but he likes to be able to see me at night when he goes to sleep and he lies up against the bars with his hand out to me!! Maybe he will be the same?!? As for the bf ff thing, I do a combination and I dont find that there is much difference in how long he lasts between feeds, all I know is that harry feeds like a fiend in the evenings to build up the calories. He also doesnt sleep past 4 (bed at 7) so he is tired!!
xxx

 

[Mrs. KM]

I combination fed for the first 5 weeks and we always gave formula at night because we thought it made her sleep better. I have been exclusively bf for almost two weeks and she sleeps the exact same as before. Do you swaddle? I'm not sure what else to suggest but hope things get better! Xx

 

[Mrs CW]

We have a crib for D and he too liked to see me when he went to sleep and would put his hand out. I think it really settled him. Does he sleep in the Moses in the day?
As for bf/ff we did a week of combination feeding at 7weeks but LO didn't sleep any better after the bottle than the breast. He's now completely ff due to me having my 3rd lot of antibiotics and at the beginning it felt like we'd gone back to day 1! We're just getting there now so it does take time x

 

[Dustbunny]

Have you tried taking the Moses basket off the stand and putting it on the floor? Apparently some babies just don't like the heights. This worked for us when Chloe hated her basket and she soon got used to it like that. Also maybe try rolling up a couple of towels and laying them either side. It helps keep them snug and secure without restricting them.

As far as feeding, Chloe goes 2 hours during the day and is combination fed and sleeps almost straight through. She did this from about 5 weeks but at that time she was still exclusively BF so nothing to do with the formula.

You're doing a wonderful job, I hope it gets easier for you soon.

 

[Sarah13]

Its a myth about ff making them sleep more, can you not express and get your oh to do the night feeds? Believe me it does get easier you get used to the lack of sleep! I still feed Kynon between every 1-3 hours day and night at 6 months and have done since day one, some babies are just more needy and want to be close to you than others. Last night he fed at 8pm, 10.30pm, 12,30am, 2am, 3am, 5am, 6.30am then last feed was 8.30am and he's just started moaning for another! This is a normal night for us so totally understand, infact I wrote a moany post about it yesterday as I'd had enough! I just remember that its not forever only a few months out of your life like being pregnant and it will end, I just keep telling myself breast is best and refused to give Kynon formula when I have milk to give him plus it wouldn't change anything anyway! You do get used to being tired, probably by the 6 week mark and lots of babies settle then. I just eat tones, you wouldn't believe how much and still lose weight and I go to bed quite early so I can get as much broken sleep as possible! I also take fenugreek to boost my milk, drink lots and try not to expect much of myself.
I've just put him back on again while writing this lol! Greedy, needy boy!

 

[jojo_2012]

I FF Charlie, am BF Lewis.

I can honestly say Lewis sleeps much longer at night than Charlie ever did, I was like the walking dead with Charlie!

It does help that you can just pull him into bed to feed laying down then either sleep in the bed with him or pop him back before he's really ever awake. It's important to not disturb them too much especially as they get bigger, they think it's play time.

I think it's the individual baby myself.

 

[BevG]

im combo feeding and alyssa only usually has boob at night unless im in agony or shes screaming and she has always fed around 12 then 3-4 then 8am so i dont think it makes much difference hun. i feel for you tho id deffo try to express so your oh can let you snag a few hours even during the day if needed