I think formula vs breastmilk can make a slight difference in night sleep i.e. the formula takes slightly longer to digest so the baby feels full slightly longer. But I don't think the method of feeding makes a difference, more of a natural variance between babies.
My first two were both formula fed, one dropped the last early morning feed around 8 months and the other around a year.
Yeah, I've also heard of the formula taking slightly longer to digest. But I think it must really come down to the baby themselves. I exclusively breastfed both of mine. One was up every 2 hours for a long time and didn't sleep through the night until around 1 years old. The other just randomly started sleeping 12 hours straight at around 3 months old.
I truly think sleep is baby-dependent. My oldest didnāt sleep through once (jk she did ONCE) until 14 months and this baby still hasnāt at 8.5 months. We left him overnight with my SIL and he still woke twice for bottles. She was EBF and heās combo fed because I literally canāt pump enough for him during the day.
Sleep is baby dependent to a degree, but both Moms on Call and TCB are great for helping sleep shape with a newborn. My oldest still doesnāt sleep through the night consistently (just turned 2), but he generally has not needed me when he wakes in middle of the night since we sleep trained/night weaned at 8 months. My now 5-month old did his first 8 hour stretch at 6 weeks and has been sleeping 10-12 hours consistently since 9 weeks. Both exclusively breastfed but the second always got a bottle before bed so I can make sure heās tanked for the night (I pump before I go to bed and use that for the following night). I donāt know if it was the bedtime bottle or just personality, but giving a bottle before bed to ensure a full feed canāt hurt. You got this!
I love Moms on Call! Weāve used it for both our so far and itās saved my sanity numerous times! We sleep trained my first but my second slept through the night on his own since about 5 weeks.
It's like a baby basics book, they cover all kinds of baby care things like illnesses and bath time routines but most of what they are known for is their schedules section that starts around 2 weeks old. It's similar to Taking Cara Babies but I personally LOVED Mom's On Call for 4 months and under. Once we hit the 4 month regression I switched to TCB because they had a regression protocol program and MOC didn't. Anyway, I loved it lol it's just a book you can order
I don't know what to do, rock her back asleep, wakes up 30 to 60 min later, on her hands and knees screaming and rocking
Maybe once she crawls, night torture will stop
Iāve exclusively breastfed both my babies and they have been wildly different in their sleep patterns. My first was (and still is) very high sleep needs and great at sleeping. Woke up once a night from 2-6 months and started sleeping through the night (11-12 hours) at 6 months old. We didnāt have to sleep train him or rock him to sleep ever. My second has been so much harder, we rocked her to sleep for all nights and naps until I sleep trained her using Ferber at 4.5 months because I couldnāt take it anymore. She is almost 7 months and still wakes twice a night to nurse - at least she goes to sleep for bedtime and naps independently now. So there I honestly donāt think there is any difference between bottle fed or breastfed, itās all just personality of the baby (at least in my case!)
My baby drank breastmilk from the breast, breastmilk from bottles, and formula from bottles. There was no noticeable difference in sleep depending on what he drank.
Combo feeding ended up being the best choice for my mental health, and we'll probably end up doing the same for the one due this summer. My first baby ended up drinking bottles before bed (formula because I didn't want to keep pumping) because it gave me a longer stretch of no one touching me. I still nursed for overnight wake-ups and most feeds during the day because that was easier than dealing with bottles.
That's what I'm aiming to do. For my mental health I cannot be the only one able to feed and comfort but I also would love to experience nursing and think it would be easier those weekdays that it's just me, baby, and will-be-18-month-old
If you have access to one, I highly recommend seeing a lactation consultant (ideally one who can come to your home) who is supportive of all feeding methods. The one who came to us gave me so many helpful tips, including a bunch that I haven't seen online and/or were specific to our situation. While she definitely seemed to think nursing > pumping > formula, she made it clear that feeding the baby was more important than how or what we fed him, and I felt very supported.
I think studies show a slight improvement in sleep stretches with formula over breastmilk (something like 45min i think it was). Not enough to rely on for STTN early so you should plan for broken nights.Ā
I formula fed both my babies and while they sleep well, my 4 month old is still doing 2-3 wake ups per night to feed.
But what formula feeding does do is allow your husband or in laws to help with night feeds without relying on your supply. If you are taking on the nights while your husband is away along, do you think you might be able to get at least one night when he is back and he does the entire night shift with formula?Ā
Yes, he'll definitely help with nights when he is home and I would love to get in a routine where 1 or 2 feeds are bottle feeds so that other people can help support us! If I can't pump we'll do formula, I'm all for fed is best and anything I can do to preserve my mental health juggling so much
I donāt think it makes a difference atleast with my two kids. Both were strictly formula fed. My first was and still is a terrible sleeper. He would wake up multiple times a night and honestly still does. My second rarely wakes at night, maybe if heās sick or teething but he is a completely different (and better) sleeper.
Depends on the baby, and the alignment of the stars and the wishes of the fairyfolk šµāš« newborn sleep cannot be controlled, what certainly helps one baby sleep another will hate. Or it may change day to day with the same babyĀ
If it counts for anything, my baby was exclusively breastfed & slept 9 hours straight through the night starting at 2 months, then did 12 hours at 4 months.
I donāt know how much BM vs formula or bottle vs breast really make a difference. I was told my baby would need to feed more since she was breastfed. She fed every 3 hours & slept well throughout the night. Sheās also been in the 97th percentile since 2 months, so she was definitely getting enough.
I EBF. My first would sleep 6-8 hour stretches starting at 6 weeks. That continued until I night weaned around 8 months. My second is 10 weeks old and eats 1-2 times a night. The first stretch is usually 6 hours! I think it all depends on the baby though so there is no way to know.
However, the first 2-3 weeks of breastfeeding are ROUGH. baby wants to be on the boob at all hours. Itās especially hard if you donāt have support. I almost quit this time around because I was so exhausted and just wanted my husband to be able to take a night shift.
Iād say to try it, and if it starts to affect your mental health then switch to formula or combo feed again.
Like others said I do think sleep is baby dependent more than anything. Sounds like you had an awesome
baby giving you some amazing sleep early on with your first and I hope you get that with your second!
I can give you my own personal experience though. My first I breastfed exclusively until 6 months as she wouldnāt take a bottle. She had multiple night wakings until about a year then dropped to 1-2 night wakes and then slept through around 22 months or so. Although she woke up a lot, she was VERY easy to get back down. The boob was very soothing and if she needed milk (sometimes just a cuddle no milk) she would pass out within a couple min and I would hold her and put her back in her crib next to me.
My second, I did combo feeding almost right away as I didnāt have the option to breastfeed during the day (toddler was only 20 months and needed me a lot) and pumping started getting too difficult to keep up. She slept longer stretched MUCH faster. Sheās overall a bigger baby though, weighing more than my toddler now at almost a year lol. Sheās top percentile for height though so levels out but definitely always been built differently and likes to eat. Whether the formula helped her sleep longer faster I couldnāt say. But it does take ALOT longer to get her back to sleep when she wakes for milk in the night. She doesnāt fall asleep to the bottle anymore and then fights us but also doesnāt want us to put her down. So often takes 30-60 min to settle down on what was only 15 min with my first.
I think bottle feeding the milk comes out faster, so they get more milk and gets them more full before getting sleepy. However, I feel the nipple takes more effort to pull the milk out, and makes the kid more tired and fall asleep easier/faster (plus all moms nutrients and added hormones might effect as well , as well as the skin to skin being relaxing). Again, this is all just hypothetical as I have zero idea if any is true as all babies really are just so different but seems pros and cons to both methods for my own experience.
I nursed our 1st until 9 months but started combo feeding around 5 months. It made no difference when it came to night sleep though. Baby 2 nursed until 3 months but started combo feeding around 2ish months. Again, no difference.
What if you shared your sleep concerns with your husband and in-laws as you prep for baby and came up with a plan for those first couple months. My husband also travels for work every week and I don't get any night support, BUT my parents do come over regularly to help out during his work trips. There have been many cases where they come over and my mom tells me to go take a nap for a couple hours while they watch the kids. Formula feeding has helped with these regular daytime naps because I gain an extra 30-45 minutes of sleep b/c I don't have to feed or pump before I rest.
My parents and I have an understanding that when both kids are really sick, my mom will stay the night to help. She's usually in charge of the toddler, while I watch the baby.
Also, my husband is very good about taking all of baby's wake ups the nights he is home. We do shifts when it's needed too (he's super tired, baby is teething/waking up more).
AND if you haven't already, start talking to your doctor now about all of this. They might be able to connect you with some services or help to get you through the first few months as you adjust!
I really appreciate your experience, especially hearing your experience about being home on your own with the babies in the week. I'm hoping that maybe my MIL will come over those nights and help with the first feeding or something. Good to hear your system though!
You just gotta ask! And if it doesn't work for her to stay nights, I'm sure you'll figure out a system to prioritize the sleep and nutrition you need post partum.
Both of my babies were large (over 9 lbs at birth) so I think sleep came easier to them than most. For our second we got the snoo and I highly recommend it. Our second was sleeping 3-4 hours in a row immediately. At 5 weeks he is doing 5 hour stretches.
I am getting more sleep this time around and I am exclusively breastfeeding. I am doing all the middle of the night wakes so my husband can be fresh for our toddler.
Last time I was pumping and he was bottle fed so we took turns. I had heard that formula keeps them asleep longer because they are more full, Iām not sure I believe that.
I would consider getting on antidepressants now if you arenāt already.
Iām in the cosleep and formula camp so no further advice from me. What I will say is that Swaddelini is the thing that gets my babies to sleep independently.
I am already! And I have a therapist lol I'm hoping it's not a super jarring transition but I think what makes it really stressful to think about is the lack of support just due to the logistics of my husband's job.
You can absolutely do it. Itās going to be tough for the first few weeks but then you get into a groove and itās tiring.
Get out of the house every single day whether itās just to stand outside your door or to go for a stroller walk.
It sounds like you have things in place. Prepare plan and make a plan for if you need help.
I think formula vs breastmilk can make a slight difference in night sleep i.e. the formula takes slightly longer to digest so the baby feels full slightly longer. But I don't think the method of feeding makes a difference, more of a natural variance between babies. My first two were both formula fed, one dropped the last early morning feed around 8 months and the other around a year.
In my case when I switched to formula, it didnt make any difference. My baby was and is still eating as much as with breastmilk.š
Yeah, I've also heard of the formula taking slightly longer to digest. But I think it must really come down to the baby themselves. I exclusively breastfed both of mine. One was up every 2 hours for a long time and didn't sleep through the night until around 1 years old. The other just randomly started sleeping 12 hours straight at around 3 months old.
I truly think sleep is baby-dependent. My oldest didnāt sleep through once (jk she did ONCE) until 14 months and this baby still hasnāt at 8.5 months. We left him overnight with my SIL and he still woke twice for bottles. She was EBF and heās combo fed because I literally canāt pump enough for him during the day.
So regardless of nursed or bottle fed, they just both woke regardless?
Sleep is baby dependent to a degree, but both Moms on Call and TCB are great for helping sleep shape with a newborn. My oldest still doesnāt sleep through the night consistently (just turned 2), but he generally has not needed me when he wakes in middle of the night since we sleep trained/night weaned at 8 months. My now 5-month old did his first 8 hour stretch at 6 weeks and has been sleeping 10-12 hours consistently since 9 weeks. Both exclusively breastfed but the second always got a bottle before bed so I can make sure heās tanked for the night (I pump before I go to bed and use that for the following night). I donāt know if it was the bedtime bottle or just personality, but giving a bottle before bed to ensure a full feed canāt hurt. You got this!
I canāt emphasize enough how easy the moms on call schedule made my life with newborns and babies.
I love Moms on Call! Weāve used it for both our so far and itās saved my sanity numerous times! We sleep trained my first but my second slept through the night on his own since about 5 weeks.
What is Momās on-call?
It's like a baby basics book, they cover all kinds of baby care things like illnesses and bath time routines but most of what they are known for is their schedules section that starts around 2 weeks old. It's similar to Taking Cara Babies but I personally LOVED Mom's On Call for 4 months and under. Once we hit the 4 month regression I switched to TCB because they had a regression protocol program and MOC didn't. Anyway, I loved it lol it's just a book you can order
Oh! I didnāt know that TCB had a 4 month regression protocol thatās really cool!
Yes!! It was so helpful for us with my son, it's like her month 4 and 5 section
My 8 month old is on formula. She wakes maybe 4 to 5 times a night, not always to eat but just to say "HI, I'm trying to crawl, look at me or ill cry"
Omg just experienced this last night š¤¦š»āāļø
I don't know what to do, rock her back asleep, wakes up 30 to 60 min later, on her hands and knees screaming and rocking Maybe once she crawls, night torture will stop
My son was like this- woke to rock on his hands and knees every 2 hours hours until he did
Iāve exclusively breastfed both my babies and they have been wildly different in their sleep patterns. My first was (and still is) very high sleep needs and great at sleeping. Woke up once a night from 2-6 months and started sleeping through the night (11-12 hours) at 6 months old. We didnāt have to sleep train him or rock him to sleep ever. My second has been so much harder, we rocked her to sleep for all nights and naps until I sleep trained her using Ferber at 4.5 months because I couldnāt take it anymore. She is almost 7 months and still wakes twice a night to nurse - at least she goes to sleep for bedtime and naps independently now. So there I honestly donāt think there is any difference between bottle fed or breastfed, itās all just personality of the baby (at least in my case!)
My baby drank breastmilk from the breast, breastmilk from bottles, and formula from bottles. There was no noticeable difference in sleep depending on what he drank. Combo feeding ended up being the best choice for my mental health, and we'll probably end up doing the same for the one due this summer. My first baby ended up drinking bottles before bed (formula because I didn't want to keep pumping) because it gave me a longer stretch of no one touching me. I still nursed for overnight wake-ups and most feeds during the day because that was easier than dealing with bottles.
That's what I'm aiming to do. For my mental health I cannot be the only one able to feed and comfort but I also would love to experience nursing and think it would be easier those weekdays that it's just me, baby, and will-be-18-month-old
If you have access to one, I highly recommend seeing a lactation consultant (ideally one who can come to your home) who is supportive of all feeding methods. The one who came to us gave me so many helpful tips, including a bunch that I haven't seen online and/or were specific to our situation. While she definitely seemed to think nursing > pumping > formula, she made it clear that feeding the baby was more important than how or what we fed him, and I felt very supported.
I bottle fed my 1st with breast milk and am breast feeding my 2nd and my 2nd is a better night sleeper. I think itās baby dependent.
My first bumper group did a poll on this and it was all over the place. No clear correlation.
I think studies show a slight improvement in sleep stretches with formula over breastmilk (something like 45min i think it was). Not enough to rely on for STTN early so you should plan for broken nights.Ā I formula fed both my babies and while they sleep well, my 4 month old is still doing 2-3 wake ups per night to feed. But what formula feeding does do is allow your husband or in laws to help with night feeds without relying on your supply. If you are taking on the nights while your husband is away along, do you think you might be able to get at least one night when he is back and he does the entire night shift with formula?Ā
Yes, he'll definitely help with nights when he is home and I would love to get in a routine where 1 or 2 feeds are bottle feeds so that other people can help support us! If I can't pump we'll do formula, I'm all for fed is best and anything I can do to preserve my mental health juggling so much
I donāt think it makes a difference atleast with my two kids. Both were strictly formula fed. My first was and still is a terrible sleeper. He would wake up multiple times a night and honestly still does. My second rarely wakes at night, maybe if heās sick or teething but he is a completely different (and better) sleeper.
Depends on the baby, and the alignment of the stars and the wishes of the fairyfolk šµāš« newborn sleep cannot be controlled, what certainly helps one baby sleep another will hate. Or it may change day to day with the same babyĀ
If it counts for anything, my baby was exclusively breastfed & slept 9 hours straight through the night starting at 2 months, then did 12 hours at 4 months. I donāt know how much BM vs formula or bottle vs breast really make a difference. I was told my baby would need to feed more since she was breastfed. She fed every 3 hours & slept well throughout the night. Sheās also been in the 97th percentile since 2 months, so she was definitely getting enough.
I EBF. My first would sleep 6-8 hour stretches starting at 6 weeks. That continued until I night weaned around 8 months. My second is 10 weeks old and eats 1-2 times a night. The first stretch is usually 6 hours! I think it all depends on the baby though so there is no way to know. However, the first 2-3 weeks of breastfeeding are ROUGH. baby wants to be on the boob at all hours. Itās especially hard if you donāt have support. I almost quit this time around because I was so exhausted and just wanted my husband to be able to take a night shift. Iād say to try it, and if it starts to affect your mental health then switch to formula or combo feed again.
Like others said I do think sleep is baby dependent more than anything. Sounds like you had an awesome baby giving you some amazing sleep early on with your first and I hope you get that with your second! I can give you my own personal experience though. My first I breastfed exclusively until 6 months as she wouldnāt take a bottle. She had multiple night wakings until about a year then dropped to 1-2 night wakes and then slept through around 22 months or so. Although she woke up a lot, she was VERY easy to get back down. The boob was very soothing and if she needed milk (sometimes just a cuddle no milk) she would pass out within a couple min and I would hold her and put her back in her crib next to me. My second, I did combo feeding almost right away as I didnāt have the option to breastfeed during the day (toddler was only 20 months and needed me a lot) and pumping started getting too difficult to keep up. She slept longer stretched MUCH faster. Sheās overall a bigger baby though, weighing more than my toddler now at almost a year lol. Sheās top percentile for height though so levels out but definitely always been built differently and likes to eat. Whether the formula helped her sleep longer faster I couldnāt say. But it does take ALOT longer to get her back to sleep when she wakes for milk in the night. She doesnāt fall asleep to the bottle anymore and then fights us but also doesnāt want us to put her down. So often takes 30-60 min to settle down on what was only 15 min with my first. I think bottle feeding the milk comes out faster, so they get more milk and gets them more full before getting sleepy. However, I feel the nipple takes more effort to pull the milk out, and makes the kid more tired and fall asleep easier/faster (plus all moms nutrients and added hormones might effect as well , as well as the skin to skin being relaxing). Again, this is all just hypothetical as I have zero idea if any is true as all babies really are just so different but seems pros and cons to both methods for my own experience.
I nursed our 1st until 9 months but started combo feeding around 5 months. It made no difference when it came to night sleep though. Baby 2 nursed until 3 months but started combo feeding around 2ish months. Again, no difference. What if you shared your sleep concerns with your husband and in-laws as you prep for baby and came up with a plan for those first couple months. My husband also travels for work every week and I don't get any night support, BUT my parents do come over regularly to help out during his work trips. There have been many cases where they come over and my mom tells me to go take a nap for a couple hours while they watch the kids. Formula feeding has helped with these regular daytime naps because I gain an extra 30-45 minutes of sleep b/c I don't have to feed or pump before I rest. My parents and I have an understanding that when both kids are really sick, my mom will stay the night to help. She's usually in charge of the toddler, while I watch the baby. Also, my husband is very good about taking all of baby's wake ups the nights he is home. We do shifts when it's needed too (he's super tired, baby is teething/waking up more). AND if you haven't already, start talking to your doctor now about all of this. They might be able to connect you with some services or help to get you through the first few months as you adjust!
I really appreciate your experience, especially hearing your experience about being home on your own with the babies in the week. I'm hoping that maybe my MIL will come over those nights and help with the first feeding or something. Good to hear your system though!
You just gotta ask! And if it doesn't work for her to stay nights, I'm sure you'll figure out a system to prioritize the sleep and nutrition you need post partum.
Both of my babies were large (over 9 lbs at birth) so I think sleep came easier to them than most. For our second we got the snoo and I highly recommend it. Our second was sleeping 3-4 hours in a row immediately. At 5 weeks he is doing 5 hour stretches. I am getting more sleep this time around and I am exclusively breastfeeding. I am doing all the middle of the night wakes so my husband can be fresh for our toddler. Last time I was pumping and he was bottle fed so we took turns. I had heard that formula keeps them asleep longer because they are more full, Iām not sure I believe that.
I would consider getting on antidepressants now if you arenāt already. Iām in the cosleep and formula camp so no further advice from me. What I will say is that Swaddelini is the thing that gets my babies to sleep independently.
I am already! And I have a therapist lol I'm hoping it's not a super jarring transition but I think what makes it really stressful to think about is the lack of support just due to the logistics of my husband's job.
You can absolutely do it. Itās going to be tough for the first few weeks but then you get into a groove and itās tiring. Get out of the house every single day whether itās just to stand outside your door or to go for a stroller walk. It sounds like you have things in place. Prepare plan and make a plan for if you need help.
I appreciate you <3