Wondering whether to wean onto formula or not

[tullyma]

I posted this on the bottle feeding board but on the advice of Alex I'm posting here too

My DS is 5 months. ATM he is breastfed. I've been struggling with trying to extend his naps for 3 months and it isn't working! Every now and then DS will sleep 2 hours, but most of the time he wakes at the 40 min mark and it's SO hard to get him back to sleep. It usually takes 20-40 minutes to get him to resettle. The late catnap (5pm) is a nightmare! He doesn't settle well at all. I'm wondering if it's hunger.

I'm considering weaning him onto formula as my milk supply has dropped significantly in the past 6 weeks or so. His weight gains have gone from being excellent to being pretty bad. I haven't yet tried anything to increase my supply (I definitely should drink more water!). He is generally happy, but gets grumpy about 1-1.5 hours after a feed (even when I'm playing with him) and I don't know if it's tiredness or hunger. I also don't want to get in the habit of feeding all day long. 3-4 hours apart is fine but more often than that would be annoying!

Just a quick question for those who weaned their babies after the 4 month mark - Did you LO nap for longer and generally seem happier? I don't want to wean if he'll still be grumpy (it might be his temperament?) and still only nap for 40 mins. On the other hand, if I get a happier, more settled baby, I'll gladly wean him. I only want whats best for him and if he puts on better weight with the formula, that can only be a good thing.

Oh it's so hard!!!

Sorry I should have added! - He has been sick. He caught bronchiolitis and then an ear infection. He is better now but still not putting on good weight.

I've been topping him up with formula at night every now and then and he does sleep well at night. He used to sleep through (for about 5 weeks) but started waking again when he got sick. Last night he skulled 180mL of formula so I'd say he definitely is hungry 

Alex, you mentioned that the calories in breastmilk and much the same as those in formula. But if he's getting more formula at a feed (than he would with my breastmilk), then he'd put on more weight?

His EASY is generally as follows:

E 6.30am
S 8.00am (usually 40 mins followed by lots of struggling to get him back to sleep. But sometimes like today he will sleep 2 hours)
E 10am
S 12pm (40 min catnap and struggle again!)
E 2pm
S 5pm (getting harder and harder to settle him for this one)
E 5.30pm
S 6.30pm (after a top up, sometimes bm but mostly formula)
E 2 or 3am (but this morning it was 5am!)

[NoelleChristine]

I weaned my 2nd son at about 4 months to formula due to sleeping problems.  It didn't make one bit of difference in his napping or his night sleep.  The only difference was I was then trekking up and down the stairs to heat up a bottle in the middle of the night.  It also caused his eczema to flare up terribly and caused terrible constipation.

Not at all saying it will happen to you.  My first son was also formula fed and he slept through at 3 months and was a wonderful napper.  He also sucked his thumb.  I think a good routine helps significantly but, in my experience, it's mostly temperament that's going to determine how well a baby sleeps...or doesn't sleep. 

That's my experience.

[15milner]

Here's the link to the original post - you can see my reply.

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=124880.msg1326343#msg1326343

Alex

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

I wanted to post but getting ready for school so will write when i get back.........

Kate x

[Jocasta]

Dont do it!!!!!!!!!!  At the end of the day it's your decision hon but imho, formula should only be used when it's really NEEDED and as a last resort!  I've found out lots of scary facts over the last few months (I preach far too much so wont now but if you want to hear more, pm me) about formula and if it can be avoided, seriously, please avoid it!

As for his sleeping, this is more likely down to a routine glitch as opposed to a breastmilk one!  I wish I could type more but baby screaming...

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

Ok hugs to start with.....

Have you noticed any signs of 'GS'? I had a ibg 1 that lasted pretty much 2 weeks and i was feeding every 2hrs (i thought i was going mad). His naps were all over the place and like you i was lucky if i got 40 mins for the whole day . About a week ago i posted on the nap board and they suggested i just go for the 4hr EASY and to make sure i had a good winde down routine (about 15mins) and it has orked a treat. At times he still works adfter 40-45 mins but if i go in and sh/pat he will most of the time go back down.

If your worried about supply you can still do this but using EAEAS till weight gain is back to normal.

For example:
E 7am
A 7.30
E 8.30 ish
A 9am ish (winde down in cot)
S hopefully x

This is what i started off doing and with a bit of luck lo will last 10.30 ish. If lo does wake early (40mins) try to get in to settle before the screams. I know i drop everything in the hope he goes back down.

To help up supply you could always pump straight after a feed for 5-10mins, don't worry if you don't get a letdown the stimulation is good for sending the right signals.

Try to drink as much as you can before and after a feed if you can.

Its a lot of work i won't lie, BUT its very rewarding when it works out (it did for me).

Please think it through before you make your mind up, it really can work if you want it too.

More hugs Kate x

[tullyma]

Thanks so much for your replies . You ladies are so great. DS has come down with a cold yet AGAIN today, which is probably why he was more unsettled than ever yesterday. I've decided to take everyone's advice and keep breastfeeding. I bought some nursing tea today to try and up my supply. I will feed DS more frequently for a few days to try and bring my milk back in. I've also been drinking water non-stop today and I even had a 1/2 hour nap on the couch with DS this afternoon! Unheard of  . DD was at preschool so I decided to have a rest and I felt so much better afterwards. But I really want to continue the nighttime formula bottle as it seems to help him sleep well at night. Then again, we worked on the night wakings at the same time as I started topping up with formula, so I don't know which bit helped, or both. If my supply picks up in the evenings I'll drop the bottle.

FWIW, I'm really not worried about giving him formula. I was adopted as a very young baby, so was entirely formula fed and there's nothing wrong with me! (hick) I rarely got sick as a child and I hardly ever get sick now either. I also know lots of young children who were ff and they're perfectly healthy and smart little kids. I would just prefer to bf DS because I enjoy it, it's giving him some immunity and health benefits (I hope!) and it's much more convenient.

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

If you feel comfortable giving the ff then theres nothing wrong with combo feeding and your baby is still getting the antibodies from your milk for most feeds. I was also a ff baby and im fine too. Just one thing if you want you supply to grow so that you can drop that ff you will need to pump at that time too, you could even add the pumped milk to the formula for that last feed.

Hope things work out for you

Kate x keep us posted

[*Nicola*]

Sounds like a great solution Luci.  Hope things work out well x

[EllenS]

I'm really glad you are going to try continuing to bf!  Just to reassure you, BF is the best thing for your baby, no question - yes you have to be flexible on feed times to keep your supply up to growth spurts, etc, and yes it can be annoying, but going to ff is not a magic sleeping potion, baby's sleep issues are just as likely to be developmental.

Check out the sleep/naps boards - ff babies have just as many problems with short napping and sttn as bf babies do.  5 months is a big age when the short-nap monster hits.  EBF is a great thing to do, I wish I could have done it myself (I had to combo feed b/c of supply issues from the time dd was 5 days old).  She still had crazy naps at 5 months, and periodically thereafter.  She also STTN (10 + hours) regularly from the time she was about 10 weeks old, but then STOPPED at 6.5 months, and didn't STTN regularly again till she was well over 1 year.  So obviously the formula didn't make her sleep better.

And FWIW, I was ff from 6 weeks and I have nearly every health problem under the sun that ff raises the risk for, except cancer (knock wood).  My brother the same.  Sure, we're alive and perfectly functional adults, and I'm really glad we didn't starve (my mom lost her supply due to diabetes) but here's the thing - except for lifelong weight problems, you can't see most of the health issues that ff impacts, unless you know the person and their health history intimately.  Just to say, all that scientific evidence is real and it is based on real people, even if they are not always visible.

Hugs!  I hope everything works out for you.  Fenugreek + blessed thistle was a lifesaver for me in getting/keeping my supply up, especially in growth spurts.  And sometimes I had to drink up to 5L of water a day to have enough milk - it's SOOOO important, keep drinking!

Hugs!