Basically my hubby wants me to go to formula. I've bn EBF since Emily was born 18 wks ago. It has bn hard but I'm so chuffed with myself for keeping up bf, I find it easy now. Although sometimes she does have her moments of fussing while feeding, but generally alls good.
The problem is that she was sleeping through 7 till either 6 or 7am. But for the last couple of weeks has bn waking up through the night and hard to settle.

I have gone through everything from teething to being ready to wean but it's none of these I'm sure.

I'm just really peed off and upset that all my bloody OH goes on about is all his other friends with babies that have gone onto formula and all sleeping through and don't need feeding so often. And he's trying to get me to start her on baby rice!!!SHE IS NOT READY!!! arrgghh it gets me mad. His mother is just the same, maybe not to my face but I know he talks to her about it.

What shall I do?!?!?! Do I cave in and maybe do one formula feed before she goes to bed?!? I'm totally shattered but feel I've got this far ebf so why should I stop.

Claire xxxxx:cry

Sorry no advice as such as my baby is younger than yours and ebf. I'm sure I have read threads where people either do ff or have switched for this reason and their baby still wakes. Remind your OH that when she wakes in the night and your are ff a feed will need preparing rather than mummy's boobies being right there on tap.

Could it be a growth spurt? I have heard other ladies give advice about taking it one day (in your case night) at a time, I've always thought that sounds really sensible when you are having a bad patch.

If you don't feel ready to give up breast feeding I would say try to stick with it. Sit your OH down and explain to him why it is so important to you (and your baby).

(that was a lot of waffling from someone with "no advice!")

My son started to wake at a teeny bit older than this, I will say this to your hubby - I gave him formula one or two nights because EVERYONE pressured me and I caved. Boy, do I wish I hadn't. Did it work? Not on your nelly. He started sleeping through again about 4 weeks later, when he would feed for maybe 1 min and fall asleep again. It had become clear it was a habit, possibly formed after a growth spurt, which they do have around 4 months, and us going away for 2 weeks all over the place visiting relatives. We would shhh him and pat him and after 2 nights of not feeding when he woke, he was back to sleeping right through and still is at 12 months.

I know, I really do, how intense the pressure is. You stick to what you think, but I promise that formula is not the magic 'sleep through' solution that your husband thinks it is. If it were, ff babies would sleep perfectly (they don't) and bf babies wouldn't (they do)

Massive hugs x x x

Might I just add that he started sleeping through again on bfs alone, I hadn't even started weaning (but that's another story...)

Hi,

I had a tough time around 4-5 months too. He was sleeping through at 3 months but then went to waking in the night for one maybe two feeds. At one point i was feeding every 2 hours through the night and i had suitcases under my eyes!
The signs were flashing growth spurt but boy was it a long one! Not sure if it was linked to teething too, his bottom ones came through a 25weeks.

I went to a support group who mentioned trying to break the habit of night waking with a cuddle off dad or offering a drink of water rather than boob. It did actually work and cut out one feed so that could be worth a try? Although you feed on demand, you dont want to get into a habit of night waking for food as it could become hard to break.
We were at 7 months when he started to sleep through again.

With regards to weaning, we weaned slowly from 19 weeks (he was more than double birth weight and showed all the signs). I think its difficult to try and get bf babies to the 6 month mark, ff babies are moved up to hungry milk but unfortunatley we only have 1 type of the good stuff which is easily digested and results in more feeds!

Don't go to formula - it could upset her more and theres no guarantee she will sleep through with it. Its hard to go back to breast once you've switched.

If its between early weaning or supplementing with formula which would you prefer?

Well done you for keeping it up and staying strong even though you've got others pressuring you to stop. Youre doing an amazing job, 18 weeks is such an achievement.

Nicola
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Why don't you suggest to your OH that if you switch to FF and she still wakes up in the night he needs to do half of the night feeds as you will no longer need to be soley responsible for it if she's not bf any more. Bet he wouldn't be quite so keen then, lol. I have been bf my lo for 20 weeks now and she still wakes through the night - about 3 and a half to 4 hourly. The way I see it she is going to be weaned soon enough and I will probably start introducing a bit of ff once she has reached 6 months so it really isn't for much longer. I'm sure I'm going to really miss bfing so want to make the most of these last few weeks before I'm not doing it all myself. As others have already said, well done for staying strong this long and don't let others pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do. It would be horrible to give in and then spend the next few months regretting it x

kas i totally disagree. if he pressures her into going to ff and the baby wakes in the night, it is so much more hassle than bfing so he does ALL the feeds!!!
babies wake at 4 months. it is in the birth to 5 book. find it and show it to him. remind him that ff babies go longer as their digestive system takes longer to digest the formula, its not better for them!

dont be pressured!!!! and n my experience MILs should never be listened to. nod and smile and walk away.