if i give formula for feed before sleep?

[Natalie143]

my son is 12 months old.. and seeing as i am offering solids in the way... wouldn't it be better if i offer him formula milk at night to keep him full for the rest of the night(after i breastfeed him.. sort of like a top up)... cuz apparently formula fills their stomach more??

i'd really like better sleep.. we currently co-sleep and breastfeed but am up numerous times for a quick feed(although i just roll over and put the boob in his mouth.. i cant sleep in the position that he feeds in)

anyone try this? worked or failed?

[woodchick]

I wouldn't do it. Any formula could decrease your supply. You could try a filling bedtime snack, maybe oatmeal?

[alegna]

Better? Absolutely not. Breastmilk is always better than formula. Have you read the ingredients in formula?

-Angela

[Natalie143]

yeah but my son doesnt eat very well so at night i cant give him anything to fill him up. im talking about after his last feed at the breast... to top up.
I mean he is getting some solid food in the day.. how is that different from formula? should i then offer cows milk??

I have no idea whats in formula??

[DreamsInDigital]

If you have no idea what's in formula, why would you give it to your son?

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Natalie143

yeah but my son doesnt eat very well so at night i cant give him anything to fill him up. im talking about after his last feed at the breast... to top up.
I mean he is getting some solid food in the day.. how is that different from formula? should i then offer cows milk??

I have no idea whats in formula??

Here's a run down of one formula's ingredients. Can you even identify what half of them are? 'Cause I can't.

(From Enfamil Website)
Ingredients: Powder: Nonfat milk, lactose, vegetable oil (palm olein, soy, coconut, and high oleic sunflower oils), whey protein concentrate, and less than 1%: Mortierella alpina oil*, Crypthecodinium cohnii oil†, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3, vitamin E acetate, vitamin K1, thiamin hydrochloride, riboflavin, vitamin B6 hydrochloride, vitamin B12, niacinamide, folic acid, calcium pantothenate, biotin, ascorbic acid, choline chloride, inositol, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, cupric sulfate, potassium chloride, potassium citrate, potassium hydroxide, sodium selenite, taurine, L-carnitine, nucleotides (adenosine 5'-monophosphate, cytidine 5'-monophosphate, disodium guanosine 5'-monophosphate, disodium uridine 5'-monophosphate).

Formula is for when breastmilk is not available. Your breastmilk is available.

Why on earth would you offer a substandard substitute?

-Angela

[DreamsInDigital]

Here's a good article from kellymom.com that cites studies that have shown giving formula/solids at night do not help babies sleep better at night.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...ids-sleep.html

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Natalie143

should i then offer cows milk??

Is he a cow?

Of course not. Breastmilk is STILL perfect for him.

-Angela

[Natalie143]

so why do some mothers give formula then if it was so horrible? i am still breastfeeding at 12 months. i do NOT intend on stopping but i obviously think my child is still hungry when he sucks me dry and constantly wakes up at night. instead of judging me how about you try and come up with helpful solutions or atleast tell me What is wrong with it??? i didnt ask you to judge.. i came here to get information and be more informed. if i knew what was in formula and didnt mind it would i be posting here in the first place? no.. i'd be giving it to him.
I came for knowledge about what is best for a child of his age.

[Natalie143]

umm.. then why do people give children solids and food? i thought formula would be concerned part of food.. thats why i asked. i thought it was different once their bodies were dealing with food and it wasnt exclusive breastfeeding?

[lemurmommies]

As a formula-feeder (after an unsuccessful attempt to BFAR) I'd like to tell you that giving your son formula will not necessarily help him sleep more. My son is 14 months old and gets formula day and night. He has never, ever slept through the night.

So if the only reason you are going to give formula is in the hopes that he will sleep more, I definitely wouldn't do it. As previous posters have mentioned, it could affect your supply. If you have breastmilk, breastfeed.

[lemurmommies]

Originally Posted by Natalie143

umm.. then why do people give children solids and food? i thought formula would be concerned part of food.. thats why i asked. i thought it was different once their bodies were dealing with food and it wasnt exclusive breastfeeding?

Formula isn't part of food, it is a breastmilk substitute. Since you have breastmilk available, you don't have any need for it that I can see.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Natalie143

so why do some mothers give formula then if it was so horrible?

Answering in parts- feeling scattered today...

Why? Because formula makers are BRILLIANT salespeople. They've convinced people to feed something that is PROVEN to be significantly sub-standard to their babies. Sure- it has it's place. It is the best currently available replacement when breastmilk is not available for whatever reason.

BUT it is significantly substandard. It is a chemical concoction. Why would you feed your child a chemical concoction when the perfect food is available?

-Angela

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

At a year it is very normal for him to be waking to nurse. Even at 2yrs a lot still wake a lot to nurse. You might try working with him on not nursing as much say when he wakes to nurse instead do a back rub or even a sippy cup of water. But in all honesty I wouldnt be comfy night weaning at a year at all. Not even cutting back since young ones do most of their growing at night and bm at night is a bit different and helps with that.

I am sorry you are sleep deprived. I have BTDT and it sucks. But this time in the long run is only a short time. I know not much help when you are right in the middle of it but it will pass.

There is no way I would give a baby formula to try and get them to sleep longer it is just to hard on their gut.

[saimeiyu]

I understand that you want to get better sleep, but...
No, formula will not do that.
More likely, formula will make him sick to his stomach and miserable. and have you SMELLED formula poop? ugh! it's HORRID. and his breath would be horrid.
and he probably would throw a fit about it because it TASTES horrid.
Don't waste your money.
Formula doesn't fill their stomach more. It fills it the same amount. It's just that formula sits like a lead lump in their poor little tummy instead of being digested. don't torture yourself or him. Just don't do it.
Most moms that give formula do it because they can't breastfeed, don't know any better, they don't care, or someone lied to them and they can't be bothered to read for themselves.

Good on ya for checking!
As far as the sucking dry thing...well, it may just be that he wants to suck.
and babies are SUPPOSED to wake up at night. keeps them breathin'. 12 months old is not usually old enough to sleep through the night.

How many times during the night are you feeding him?

[frontierpsych]

Formula is not actually more filling, it seems to keep them full longer because is more difficult for your baby to digest.

[Natalie143]

so why is it if i even ASK about formula i get judged on ? i mean i have made it exclusively breastfeeding through tough situations and going strong here at 12 months(which is more than quite a few people).. i am WORRIED that my child is still hungry since he has decreased eating solid food(he purses lips and shakes no for food).. so im not looking at formula as a substitute for breastmilk.. im looking at it as a substitute for food?? because he will not eat food and i thought it may be more filling. i dont want my child to be hungry and me be so stubborn about breastfeeding that im not doing right for my child, ya know?? being concerned for him doesnt make me less of a mother

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Natalie143

i do NOT intend on stopping but i obviously think my child is still hungry when he sucks me dry and constantly wakes up at night. instead of judging me how about you try and come up with helpful solutions or atleast tell me What is wrong with it??? i didnt ask you to judge.. i came here to get information and be more informed. if i knew what was in formula and didnt mind it would i be posting here in the first place? no.. i'd be giving it to him.
I came for knowledge about what is best for a child of his age.

If you think your supply is lacking- look to increase your supply There are LOTS of good ways to do that. Try increasing your water or adding oatmeal. Try researching herbs (fenugreek is great for increasing milk) Encourage frequent nursing to add more stimulation for your supply.

Breastmilk is best. As long as there is breastmilk available and there is no other extenuating circumstances (severe allergies or metabolic conditions) -breastmilk is ALWAYS better than formula. Period.

Formula is great as a MEDICINE. As a medical supply it is wondrous- truly.

When it is not needed for MEDICAL reasons- it is simply a money maker.

-Angela

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Natalie143

so im not looking at formula as a substitute for breastmilk.. im looking at it as a substitute for food?? because he will not eat food and i thought it may be more filling. i dont want my child to be hungry and me be so stubborn about breastfeeding that im not doing right for my child, ya know?? being concerned for him doesnt make me less of a mother

Formula is NOT a substitute for food. It's a substitute for breastmilk.

Many (MANY) babies aren't really eating ANY solids at 12 months. At that age my dd had not yet EVER eaten more than about a tablespoon TOTAL in a whole day.

Breastmilk meets their nutritional needs. If they need more breastmilk- then there are ways to increase supply, as mentioned, that should be attempted before resorting to formula.

-Angela

[GooeyRN]

I switched my dd to toddler formula at 18 months old, b/c my milk dried up due to pregnancy. She did not sleep any better. She now gets WCM and EBM at 27 months old, and still does not sleep any better. Thats been my experience. I hope you get some much needed sleep somehow!