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Topping up night feeds

Little_flowerLittle_flower
in Breast & bottle feeding
Hi ladies, looking for your opinions on topping up night feeds with EBM.

I was doing this at the beginning when LO was about 2 weeks old. He's now nearly 5 weeks and I've just been bf for night feeds with no topping up. I think that he might have been sleeping a little longer when he was being topped up with EBM. He falls asleep when feeding so I'm never 100% sure if he's finished feeding or just fallen asleep! Maybe he's not getting enough from me because he's asleep and that why he doesn't go as long?

My question is do you think that he'd sleep longer if I started to top up again? Or is he too young for me to try and get him to sleep longer? Any experiences you have of expressing for nightfeeds and topping up would be really helpful.

Thanks.
Elle

Replies

  • mummyGGmummyGG
    imo his belly can only take what it can take - so i am not sure how this will make a difference as it is not formula (which obviously stays in their bellies longer as they cant digest it as quick xxxxx

    (I am not suggestig use formuka - i am pro breast lol) xxx
  • EnglebertW_nkfaceEnglebertW_nkface
    It could easily just be coincedence that he seems to be sleeping longer after a bottle, although you could also be right that it's because he's falling asleep before he's actually finished. How long is he going between his night feeds? It's not uncommon for babies to be up every 2 hours at that age, whether they are formula or breast fed, although obviously some go much longer than that. Have you tried stripping him off a bit before you feed him? Even if you just undo the legs of his sleepsuit and take his legs out it might just keep him awake long enough to take a bit more milk.
    xx
  • ShimmsieShimmsie
    My son is now 5 months old and still likes 1-2 feeds a night (I am still exclusively bf) so I would just see how things go without "topping" up. He is still very young and will have a tiny tummy so can only take so much milk.

    I know it is hard but I worried my socks off for ages about whether my son should be sleeping longer and I wish I hadn't. He is telling you what he needs which is his mummy and grub during the night so I would go with it for the moment.

    C.x
  • unhappy_EX_userunhappy_EX_user
    I asked my midwife about this because DS was falling asleep after 10 minutes or so and then wanted feeding every hour. She advised me to feed him then when he drops off change his nappy to wake him up a bit and then feed him again, he usually then takes another 10 minutes or so then sleeps for 3 hours between feeds (unless he has an unsettled night) which I am more than happy with at 8 days.
  • gemm-42032gemm-42032
    Im with Miss I, wake them up and feed them some more. They will only take what they need and if they fall asleep and take half a feed then they will be up again. Change their nappy and offer more

    Gemm x
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