Formula at night

laurie wrote:

I really hate to even ask this question, but to be fair, I feel I need to.


Opinions on if formula may help him sleep longer, therefore possibly making the
night less miserable for everyone involved? Or will he be just as likely to
wake up regardless, since I'm not there? I know nobody has a crystal ball, but
I'm pretty nervous about this. Thanks!



No. If there's plenty of EBM, give that to him. It's soooo much
cheaper. Has your husband priced formula lately?

Jeanne

laurie wrote:
I really hate to even ask this question, but to be fair, I feel I need to.

Much to my dismay, I'm starting the night shift on Friday. I'll be working 7 pm
to 7 am 2 nights a week. Christopher still eats a couple of times during the
night, likely more out of habit and cosleeping than out of necessity. I put
him down in his crib at bedtime and usually cosleep with him once he wakes up
for the first time for the rest of the night. Sometimes I will put him back
down but more often than not, I'm with him * at least* 50% of the night.

My husband thinks that if he gives him formula at bedtime (just the 2 nights
I'm gone, of course), maybe we'll have better luck with Christopher sleeping
longer. He could be right, or more likely, he's waking out of habit- but who
really knows. I really hate the thought of giving him formula when there will
be plenty of breastmilk available for him, but I'm afraid it's going to be
*really* hard for him to wake up and find me not there. And for all I know, he
won't even take formula.


I wouldn't give him formula if breastmilk was available. FWIW, I
formula-fed my first child and breastfed the 2nd, and I didn't see any
noticeable difference in how often they ate, or how long they slept at
night. They were very similar.


Clisby

"laurie" wrote in message
...

Opinions on if formula may help him sleep longer, therefore possibly
making the
night less miserable for everyone involved? Or will he be just as likely
to
wake up regardless, since I'm not there?

I'm now feeding Liam (18 weeks) 50/50 normally formula during the day and bf
before bed and during the night, but on occasional night that I have to work
a late shift or have a glass of wine too many and he gets formula before
bed, he doesn't generally sleep any better. Some nights he sleeps great,
some nights he doesn't, which is just the same as the nights that he is bf
before bed.
HTH
--
Marie
Mum of 3
DD born 03/98, DS1 born 11/99, DS2 born 08/03

Irish Marie wrote:



I'm now feeding Liam (18 weeks) 50/50 normally formula during the day and bf
before bed and during the night, but on occasional night that I have to work
a late shift or have a glass of wine too many

AFAIK, it's pretty hard to have a glass too many...even if you were too
drunk to legally drive (0.08 blood alcohol here in Canada)the baby would
only be getting 0.08% alcohol, iow, practically none. Consider that to
get a 0.08 blood level, you had to drink a fair bit of 3-40% alcohol
drinks (beer-liquor) and that gripe water with alcohol is 3% alcohol.

I have read that babies who's mums have had alcohol nurse more
frequently but consume less milk while the alcohol is present...I
presume it alters the flavor of the milk somewhat?

Willing to stand corrected with some sort of source

Dawn

"laurie" wrote in message
...
I'd be wary of DS waking *more* often due to digestive upset or gas, too.
Which is a problem that can occur with bedtime solids as well as with
formula,
so proceed with caution on that front.

Holly

Yeah, I thought of that too. Just to clarify a bit, the formula thing IS
NOT
part of the plan, I just thought I should be fair and at least *consider*
it.
I'm so glad you all agree with me. Unfortunately, DH sees all his
friends/family/etc giving formula at night and their babies sleep longer,
so
there you go. And of course my 3 week old niece is now on rice cereal
(sigh).


laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and
Christopher, 7.5 months

Wow 3 weeks. I shouldn't say that because I think I might have started my
kids on rice cereal at 2 months or something like that. I can't remember
but when I have this little guy I am gonna have to get back on this thread.

Crystal
37 weeks 6 days & counting!!

"KC" wrote in message ...

I think it is a myth that formula makes them sleep longer at night.
With my first dd after 1 month I only pumped rather than bf and I
combifed her because I never had enough ebm for her, so I was in the
position of being able to experiment with the formula making them
sleep longer myth. I found that my dd slept longer at night with ebm
rather than formula given at bedtime.

I think some people think babies sleep longer at night with formula
because they top off a baby with formula at night and then with a
fuller tummy from that topping off the baby sleeps a bit longer than
he would have from the normal night bf, but IME a topping off with ebm
brings more sleep than a topping off of formula.

KC

I agree that formula at night won't make a baby sleep longer.

I think that EBM from the bottle makes them sleep longer as they don't have
to work as hard for it, like they do at the breast. Also I find Kami can
spend some time at the breast, then he gets tired then has a break, (about
10 mins), then carries on with the feed. After EBM their tummies are fuller
faster then they sleep a little more soundly, because they don't need to
stay awake to have the other half of the feed.

--
Andrea mom of 5 - latest addition Kamron David 6 months still nursing strong
with 2 teeth!

"Dawn Lawson" wrote in message
news:6JNBb.644632$6C4.175756@pd7tw1no...


Irish Marie wrote:



I'm now feeding Liam (18 weeks) 50/50 normally formula during the day
and bf
before bed and during the night, but on occasional night that I have to
work
a late shift or have a glass of wine too many

AFAIK, it's pretty hard to have a glass too many...even if you were too
drunk to legally drive (0.08 blood alcohol here in Canada)the baby would
only be getting 0.08% alcohol, iow, practically none. Consider that to
get a 0.08 blood level, you had to drink a fair bit of 3-40% alcohol
drinks (beer-liquor) and that gripe water with alcohol is 3% alcohol.

I have read that babies who's mums have had alcohol nurse more
frequently but consume less milk while the alcohol is present...I
presume it alters the flavor of the milk somewhat?

Willing to stand corrected with some sort of source

Dawn

That's interesting! Good to know too because obviously with a few glasses
of wine it is MUCH easier to bf than go sorting a bottle out.
Thanks Dawn :-)
--
Marie
Mum of 3
DD born 03/98, DS1 born 11/99, DS2 born 08/03

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts! I didn't think formula would help him
sleep longer either, so it's good to hear I'm not the only one.

laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and
Christopher, 7.5 months