I have a 4 week old girl today. She is purley breastmilk. I breastfeed her during the day and night and my husband feeds her my pumped milk through bottle aswell at night. She only sleeps 1 to 2 hours through the night and thats only if she is in our arms. If she is in her bassinet she cries until we get her. If I gave her a formula bottle will that help her sleep longer at night? Should I not think of doing so? If not, how do I get her to sleep more than 20 min at night by her self? The longer you can keep her on breastmilk exclusively, the better off she will be.
The issue with her does not necessarily appear to be that she's hungry, but rather that she needs comforting at night and doesn't like to sleep on her own. She is just a newborn, and that is typical of many newborn babies.
Have you considered co-sleeping? Sometimes newborns just like to have the extra reassurance of knowing that Mommy is right there, and it helps them to sleep more soundly. You can purchase a co-sleeper bed that attaches to your bed, or just put her in bed with you if it's big enough. Just make sure you take some common sense safety precautions, like no drinking, smoking, or drug use, no waterbeds, and no thick pillows or blankets near the baby. I wouldn't give her formula, if you can help it. Just keep up the breastfeeding. Have you thought about trying co-sleeping? It helped my son a lot. He started sleeping thru the night at 4 weeks and I base that purely on the fact that we co-sleep. formula will not help it takes a while for babies to learn how to sleep alone. it should get a lot better around 6 weeks. hang in there! No, formula wont help her sleep. I had the same prob you did. My solution? Co-sleeping. She can nurse when ever she wants and I barely have to wake up. No, formula will not fix anything.
And your situation is very normal, babies wake at night, it happens.
Just keep up with the nursing and cuddles, and she will eventually sleep longer and longer.
Co-sleeping could really help, if you're interested ---
http://www.naturalchild.com/jan_hunt/fam...
http://www.attachmentparenting.org/artbe... well you can try to breastfeed at night see if she will sleep then but i dont think it will hurt her if she is getting formula i mean if it will help her sleep and you not go crazy id say go for it i mean you are still gonna breastfeed during the day so id say yeah All breastfed babies have different schedules and she could either be going through a cuddling phase or a growth spurt and NEEDS to eat that often.
If it were me, I wouldn't add formula just for this. It could be over in a week and she'll be sleeping lots more. Give it more time - she will adjust. Make sure you're eating and drinking enough fluids to keep up production. Formula won't make a baby sleep longer.
I kept the bassinet right next to my bed and if she'd start to get fussy, I'd roll over and reach in and rub her belly. She just needed to know someone was there. Though that didn't happen often. Oh please, formula will not help her sleep better---even baby cows don't sleep through the night and formula is essentially bovine breastmilk. Formula is quite difficult for babies to digest and will only create more issues.
Read Dr. Karp's "The Happiest Baby on the Block". It is wonderful, and there's a DVD too. Of course she wants to be held---you held her for 9 months, why stop now?
For better sleep, I recommend:
--tight swaddle
--prewarm the sleep spot with a hot water bottle
--create 'walls' by the footboard, sidewall, and rolled up blankets for the head and side. She was used to being able to have full body contact
--somewhat loud white noise (it was NOT quiet inside you)
--motion....try an Amby swing bed
--swaddle in a t-shirt with your scent (breastmilk)
--co-sleep and nurse laying down
--a sling
She's only 4 weeks old. I know you're tired, but this will get better :) Formula won't make a difference, co-sleeping will. My daughter is 2 months now and she is given breast milk by bottle or breast only.
I know how you feel. I don't think that changing her to formula will help her sleep longer. I know that you've heard how much better breast milk is for her.
For some reason, when babies are about 3-4 weeks old, they go through a fussy stage. I considered giving up breastfeeding too! However, someone here told me to just keep doing what I was doing and that she would pass through this stage!
I'm glad I listened. Now she is two months old and she is much more relaxed. She is sleeping at least 4 hours at night. She just wakes up to eat and goes right back to sleep!
My point is don't get discouraged. If she will only sleep while you hold her, just hold her while she goes through this stage. Make sure that you are burping her so that she doesn't have a lot of gas. Once she is over this, it will be a lot easier for you and your husband. Of course, always talk to your child's doctor. They can give you lots of tips! Hang in there! It is very normal for your daughter to be waking frequently if she is breastfed. It is true that formula fed babies will sleep longer.....formula does not break down in babies system as fast as breastmilk. But unfortunately, you can't just give your baby one formula bottle at night while breastfeeding the rest of the time and think that will do the trick- it won't....believe me, I tried it. Those miracle babies that are sleeping 5-6 hours at a time at 4 weeks are fed formula all day long.
But there is good news. Even breastfed babies start stretching out their sleep routine. By 12 weeks (and possibly sooner) even exclusively breastfed babies will start to sleep 5-6 hour stretches. It is very important that you introduce your baby to a feeding schedule during the day....at 4 weeks of age, feeding every 3 hours is a good schedule. That means you may have to wake your baby up to feed on schedule....which is ok. In a few weeks, your baby will wake up instinctually. Make your last "scheduled" feed at 10pm. Then from 10pm to 7am, don't wake her. Only feed her if she wakes up. Like I mentioned, by 12 weeks she should only be waking once during that period for a feeding....probably somewhere around 3-4am. I think it is worth a try. A little formula isn't going to harm her in any way. I know lots of mother's who breastfed during the day and formula fed at night. They told me that it allowed the baby to sleep for a longer time.
My son was the same way. He would only sleep an hour at a time and then nurse for an hour. I am due in a few weeks and I would definitely be willing to try formula at night. If it doesn't work, then I will just continue to nurse at night.
Good luck! Being a mother is about doing the best you can do. Just follow your instincts. At this age, expect to be awake fairly often at night. It will get better. Nurse her when she wants to nurse, she's getting your milk supply where it needs to be. She can't nurse too often.
Remember that she was used to being held in a small confined place when she was in your womb.
Try swaddling her and then cuddling her to sleep and then laying her down in her bassinet.
How to swaddle:
鈥? Lay a blanket on a flat surface and fold down the top-right corner about 6 inches.
鈥? Place your baby on his back with his head on the fold.
鈥? Pull the corner near your baby's left hand across his body, and tuck the leading edge under his back on the right side under the arm.
鈥? Pull the bottom corner up under your baby's chin.
鈥? Bring the loose corner over your baby's right arm and tuck it under the back on his left side. If your baby prefers to have his arms free, you can swaddle him under the arms. This gives him access to his hands and fingers.
I hope that helps! :) No, formula fed babies don't necessarily sleep longer. It's kind of funny, I have three children of my own boy-7 yrs, girl 2 1/2 yrs and another boy 3 months. My girl was my hardest and she slept in our bed from the time she came home til just recently...sometimes she still sneaks in. Our newest addition is in the crib and doesn't seem to care if he goes in our bed. Our first, I breast fed til 11 months, 2nd I breast fed for 3 weeks (I had a breast reduction in between and wasn't sure if I would be able to nurse) I gave it a go again with the 3rd and only lasted 3 weeks again. But looking back it was our girl that we were always up through the night with, rocking....rocking....rocking! I'm not a professional but if I was you I'd try to keep going for as long as you can breast milk is best...but remember it should not be difficult. Know your limits and your husbands, don't stress, formula fed babies do grow up perfectly fine. My doctor told me that if mama doesn't take care of herself...she can't take care of the family! So the choice is yours....and if you can find a position that she sleeps well in (and you) then do it ...mine was on my back with her on my chest, with her head on my breast...so she could hear my heartbeat. Good Luck. She probably gets full enough to sleep for several hours, but wants the comfort provided by loving warm parents. Formula is tough to digest and switching back and forth makes babies (at least mine) grouchy and gassy. Try adding a little quiet noise to the background of her room so she doesn't hear outside stuff and startle awake. This could be a small fan or something made just for the purpose. It can be soothing since it provides a sense of something else in the room; she isn't so alone. Avoid switching to formula for as long as possible so your child gets all the benefit possible from your antibodies. She NEEDS to be near you when she sleeps. She doesn't know that she is in a climate controlled house with no wolves, her instincts tell her that if she lets you leave her she will freeze to death or the wolves will eat her. Also most babies need help with regulating their body temperature even in a warm house.
She also needs human contact for brain development. Skin-to-skin contact and frequent nursing particularly during the first 6 weeks ensures that you will make enough milk for the whole time she is nursing.
Put her in a baby carrier, or at least move the bassinet to where you are so she can hear you.
Will giving formula or solids at night help baby to sleep better?
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...
There's no evidence that it will help. Some babies will sleep worse, due to reactions to the formula or solids (tummy ache, etc. are not uncommon), particularly if baby is younger than around 6 months. Two studies have indicated that adding solids to the diet does not cause babies to sleep longer. These studies found no difference in the sleep patterns of babies who received solids before bedtime when compared to babies who were not given solids. Here are the two studies:
Macknin ML, Medendorp SV, Maier MC. Infant sleep and bedtime cereal. Am J Dis Child. 1989 Sep;143(9):1066-8.
Keane V, et al. Do solids help baby sleep through the night? Am J Dis Child 1988; 142: 404-05.
Formula requires a baby's digestive system to work overtime as baby tries to digest something not specific to the human body. Formula is harder to digest than human milk; thus formula-fed babies tend to go longer between feedings. While this may seem like a benefit, it's probably not something we want for our babies' bodies unless there are no other alternatives. There are also risks to formula use (see What should I know about infant formula?). It certainly has a place in infant feeding but probably shouldn't be used whenever mom's milk - either directly from the source or expressed - is available.
Studies on normal infant sleep
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/...
Reverse Cycling
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/revers...
What is reverse cycling?
Reverse cycling is when baby nurses frequently at night and less frequently during the day.
Why do some babies reverse cycle?
* Newborns may reverse cycle in the early days or weeks simply because they have their days and nights mixed up.
* Distractible (and/or very active) babies or toddlers may nurse more at night to make up for missed or shortened nursing sessions during the day.
* If mom is very distracted or busy during the day, baby may nurse more at night to make up for missed or shortened nursing sessions, or simply to get more uninterrupted time with mom.
* If mom is away from baby during the day, baby may take just enough milk (by bottle or cup) to "take the edge off" his hunger, then wait for mom to return to get the bulk of his calories. Baby will typically nurse more often and/or longer than usual once mom returns. Some mothers encourage reverse cycling so they won't need to pump as much milk. Reverse cycling is common for breastfed babies who are away from mom part of the day, especially those just starting out with the bottle.
Tips for handling reverse cycling
General coping tips for interrupted sleep:
* Sleep late or go to bed early when possible. When you're at home with baby, nap when your baby naps.
* Keep baby as close as possible during the night to maximize sleep for everyone. Some options are to have baby in bed with you, in a bed adjoining your bed, or in a bed in the same room.
* More tips:
o Maximizing sleep when baby nurses frequently
o If you need a nap and your toddler doesn't
o Nighttime and Sleep Resources
If your newborn has days and nights mixed up:
* During the day, keep the lights on and go on with your normal daytime activities -- don't keep things dark and quiet where baby is sleeping. Play with and talk to baby during waking times. Wake baby to nurse every 2-3 hours.
* During baby's night wakings, keep everything calm, quiet, and dark (if you need a light to breastfeed, try using a smaller light like a nightlight or closet light). At some point you may want to begin a bedtime routine (such as bath, story, breastfeeding) to signal that nighttime has begun.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/freque...
Maximize sleep
Nap when baby naps. You've probably heard it a million times, but we say it because it helps! When baby goes to sleep, don't jump up to do housework - lie down and rest and try to go to sleep. If you can't sleep, then read a book, listen to music, watch a movie... but don't run around the house. If you get some sleep now, you'll have more energy to do what you need to do later.
Consider sleeping with or nearby baby so you can get more sleep. Co-sleeping (for naps, and/or during the night) is a lifesaver for many nursing moms. The closer you are to your baby, the less your sleep will be interrupted for night waking. Here are some tips on side lying nursing, and information on safely sleeping with your baby. Getting more rest can make life with baby much easier.
Do you feel trapped at home?
Many new moms feel like they're trapped at home with a frequently nursing baby, but most young babies are incredibly easy to take out and about. It can really help to get out occasionally. Here are some tips for going out:
* Get a sling. Other baby carriers can be nice, too, but with a sling (and a little practice) you can nurse your baby while you walk around the park or the mall.
* Put baby in a sling or other baby carrier or a stroller, and go for a walk.
* Go to a movie. Most young babies simply sleep and nurse through movies. And if you're nervous about nursing in public, a dark movie theater can be a good place to start. Go here for commentary and tips on nursing in public.
* If you want to go out by yourself for a bit, you don't have to leave a bottle. If your baby normally goes an hour or two between nursing sessions, then nurse baby right before you leave and plan to be back before the next nursing session. If you have a cell phone, take it with you so Dad or another caregiver can call you if the going gets rough. Even if you can only expect 20-30 minutes between nursings, go for a walk by yourself while someone watches baby. Every little bit helps, when you're feeling "touched out.".
http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detsleepth...
Human children are designed (whether you believe by millions of years of evolution, or by God, it doesn't matter) -- to nurse *very* frequently, based on the composition of the milk of the species, the fact that all higher primates (Primates are the zoological Order to which humans belong, higher primates include monkeys and apes) keep their offspring in the mother's arms or on her back for several years, the size of the young child's stomach, the rapidity with which breast milk is digested, the need for an almost constant source of nutrients to grow that huge brain (in humans, especially), and so on. By very frequently, I mean 3-4 times per hour, for a few minutes each time. The way in which some young infants are fed in our culture -- trying to get them to shift to a 3-4 hour schedule, with feedings of 15-20 minutes at a time, goes against our basic physiology. But humans are very adaptable, and some mothers will be able to make sufficient milk with this very infrequent stimulation and draining of the breasts, and some children will be able to adapt to large meals spaced far apart. Unfortunately, some mothers don't make enough milk with this little nursing, and some babies can't adjust, and so are fussy, cry a lot, seem to want to nurse "before it is time" and fail to grow and thrive. Of course, usually the mother's body is blamed -- "You can't make enough milk" -- rather than the culturally-imposed expectation that feeding every 3-4 hours should be sufficient, and the mother begins supplementing with formula, which leads to a steady spiral downward to complete weaning from the breast. Human children are also designed to have breast milk be a part of their diet for a minimum of 2.5 years, with many indicators pointing to 6-7 years as the true physiological duration of breastfeeding -- regardless of what your cultural beliefs may be. I can provide you with references to my research on this topic if you wish to read more.
The same is true of sleeping. Human children are designed to be sleeping with their parents. The sense of touch is the most important sense to primates, along with sight. Young primates are carried on their mother's body and sleep with her for years after birth, often until well after weaning. The expected pattern is for mother and child to sleep together, and for child to be able to nurse whenever they want during the night. Normal, healthy, breastfed and co-sleeping children do not sleep "through the night" (say 7-9 hours at a stretch) until they are 3-4 years old, and no longer need night nursing. I repeat -- this is NORMAL and HEALTHY. Dr. James McKenna's research on co-sleeping clearly shows the dangers of solitary sleeping in young infants, who slip into abnormal patterns of very deep sleep from which it is very difficult for them to rouse themselves when they experience an episode of apnea (stop breathing). When co-sleeping, the mother is monitoring the baby's sleep and breathing patterns, even though she herself is asleep. When the baby has an episode of apnea, she rouses the baby by her movements and touch. This is thought to be the primary mechanism
Have you tried one of those bassinets that vibrate. That might help also make sure you have her wrapped up (swaddled) it might make her feel safer and sleep better. Just a side note:
My formula fed baby sleeps horribly.
Formula WONT help her sleep longer...it will possibly give her some GI problems if she is used to breastmilk and cause her to be awake more w/ gas.
Co-sleep if you are comfortable...or swaddle her tight. Formula will NOT improve the situation...and this situation is totally normal.
Hang in there momma, it gets easier I promise. she doesn't really need the breast milk since formula is has just about everything they need. but thats your call. I just wouldn't do it past 3 months my neice and a couple other babies I have seen that were on the breast for a long time. gained a lot of weight and learned to crawl an walk later than they would have if they were on formula. my daughter is 10 months old now and she has been drinking skim milk for 3 months now. she also has been eating many different foods. but her cousin who is 2 1/2 months older is at the same stage but drinks whole milk. every child is different.
good luck Formula will not help a baby sleep through the night. I'm sure there are many moms out there that feed their babies formula exclusively can attest to that.
A lot of people have suggested co-sleeping, which could help. My three-month-old twins sleep in their cribs at night, but when they wake up to nurse, I nurse them in lying down in bed. If we fall asleep, so be it. Then when I wake up, or the other twin wakes me up to nurse, I move the first twin back to her crib. It does take a bit of practice to nurse lying down, especially with a little one, so keep that in mind. But once you've both figured it out, it's the best of both worlds!
Another thing that comes to mind is that the bottle may be making her gassy. Make sure your husband is burping her after her bottles at night. cosleep.
let her snack more at night. at her age, she cannot be "trained" to do anything. she is at the cusp of a growth spurt too... she needs to eat a lot. frequency w/ breastfeeding is everything - for baby and for you're body to respond properly.
and saying that formula fed babies sleep longer being some great scientific fact... is absurd. that person should really look up some breastfeeding info - how it works and ~why~ it is that SOME formula fed babies sleep longer at night - it's not a good thing. all babies this young should eat a little bit, with more frequency. just like it's not healthy for me, at 32 years, to eat a huge double sized meal twice a day.
better to eat healthier food, in smaller portions, many many times daily. ask any nutritionist/dietician - that basic principle applies to ALL HUMANS. our baby has always slept through the night and is formula fed. try it if you want to. formula fed babies do sleep longer and that is NOT a myth. |
