OMG so confused about bottlefeeding

[MummaLove]

I'm sure i'm doing it all wrong. I BF my first little girl so this bottle thing is all new to me.

I've just read another thread after a long night with my little girl. She sleeps better during the day and can have 2 x 3 hour stretches of sleep then feed. The rest of the times it can be 2 hourly then an night after about 10pm, (I'll use last night for eg.) it was midnight, 2am, 3.30, 4.30, 5.30, 6.30 then 7.30. I'm guessing she was unsettled all that time because it was too much formula but how do you get them back to sleep???????

The forumla tin says up to 100ml (she'd never drink this much) for those aged up to 2 weeks which she was yesterday. I have 5 bottles and am sterilizing them at least 3 times a day.

This is too much but how the hell do I calm her when she wakes otherwise???? I can nurse her, change the nappy etc etc and she'll still scream for a feed?

Please help :(

[naiwen]

Have you tried a dummy? It may be that she wants to comfort suck sometimes rather than hunger, but also all babies are different and some are just hungrier than others.

[lovebeingamum!]

Hi there - I'm in the same boat - I BF DS1 until 6m, DS2 is 6 weeks and bottle fed.

I've found that if I know he's had a good feed, it's generally going to be wind / belly pain.
It (generally) takes a while for their tummy to settle into formula. Is she pooing ok? DS was const. for weeks. :gloomy:
I found a heat(wheat)bag worked wonders on his belly.

Also yes, maybe a dummy. DS was big (9'12") and was a very 'sucky' baby. He'll take the dummy and sleep for another hour... take the dummy then sleep for another hour... take the dummy (etc), then be up for a feed.

I'm new to the ff too, good luck and I'll be following this thread for sure!!
:hugs:

[MummaLove]

Thanks for the reply.

I just gave her one before reading this post!! I was thinking about the time she would have spent suckling if she was BF'ing as they finish the bottles so quickly.

However, am I just creating a dummy dependent child this way? Or should I just use it for a while to settle her then take it away??

[naiwen]

Dummies are totally fine, mine had one in SCN and never touched it after 6m, if I were you I would be doing whatever helps you both stay happy for this early exhausting newborn time!

Breastfed babies often like to comfort suck on the breast but for FF ones a dummy can be a god send.

Also make sure you get all the wind up before you put her down, that can often be an issue.

[lovebeingamum!]

Thanks for the reply.

I just gave her one before reading this post!! I was thinking about the time she would have spent suckling if she was BF'ing as they finish the bottles so quickly.

However, am I just creating a dummy dependent child this way? Or should I just use it for a while to settle her then take it away??

I have struggled with this too - I remember the couple of months with DS1 that I was up and down replacing the dummy at night :sleeping: (when he was older)
I think there's a big difference between shoving a dummy in a bubs mouth when they're not crying (my SIL does this :() and using it to settle and soothe.

From what I've read and googled, any younger than 6 months, it's more about giving comfort and being driven by their needs and wants. Even the Govt websites suggest dummies.
I'm planning on replacing the 'comfort dummy' with a blankie when he's old enough to care that there's a blankie there.
Also, yes you can try and take it out once they're alseep - probably better before they're fully asleep, so the 'conditions' of going to sleep haven't changed if they wake again (iykwim?)

Of course it's your call, but that's my thoughts :flowerz:

[BigRedV]

Even the Govt websites suggest dummies.
:flowerz:

There is sugeestion on the sids website also that dummies reduce the risk of sids :yes:

[lovebeingamum!]

Also make sure you get all the wind up before you put her down, that can often be an issue.

I totally agree.
I got stuck in the 'feeding to sleep' cycle with (bf) DS1. Into the whole "quick, put him down so we get a loooong sleep out of this feed!!" In hindsight, prob didn't do him any favours.

I'm trying to feed DS2 half hour or so before putting him down so all the wind is up... he gets sleepy and doesn't assoc feeding with sleep.

[MummaLove]

Hi there - I'm in the same boat - I BF DS1 until 6m, DS2 is 6 weeks and bottle fed.

I've found that if I know he's had a good feed, it's generally going to be wind / belly pain.
It (generally) takes a while for their tummy to settle into formula. Is she pooing ok? DS was const. for weeks. :gloomy:
I found a heat(wheat)bag worked wonders on his belly.

Also yes, maybe a dummy. DS was big (9'12") and was a very 'sucky' baby. He'll take the dummy and sleep for another hour... take the dummy then sleep for another hour... take the dummy (etc), then be up for a feed.

I'm new to the ff too, good luck and I'll be following this thread for sure!!
:hugs:

OK so the dummy got me through until nearly 11am which was great, I got to go for a walk to the park with my little one and also my 17 month old. I should try not to worry about the whole dummy thing as my DD1 lived with it attached to her mouth for the first few months or her life and she was BF.

She's had a feed now that we're home and is now off in bed. She's has been constipated although she can go, she just cries when she does and it seems like quite an effort but she hasn't been on the formula for 2 weeks yet though (Heinz Nurture Gold) but I'm considering switching to Karicare Gold or the regular. Thanks for the wheatbag idea though, I'll try that for sure - great tip!

So another question though (I'm a pain aren't I?) I gave her a 100ml bottle to see how she'd go and she probably had about 60ml. Do I now wait another 3 hours before the next feed or should it be sooner as she may be hungrier since she didn't "finish" the feed??!

Thank God for Bub Hub and the ladies on here - thank you! ;)

[LeeJ]

i'd wait till he got cried for the feed, he went from fine to 'feed me now!' within about 30 secoinds, so it was nice and clear, lol.
all bubbas are different, that might be all she can handle at the monent, doint stress :) she'll let you know if she needs more.

don't stress about the dummy, my ds was a 'sucker', and really needed it for comfort.

my ds is doing that sleep routine now, and his 14 weeks old now:sleeping: (he has had quite bad reflux tho)

[lovebeingamum!]

So another question though (I'm a pain aren't I?) I gave her a 100ml bottle to see how she'd go and she probably had about 60ml. Do I now wait another 3 hours before the next feed or should it be sooner as she may be hungrier since she didn't "finish" the feed??!

Thank God for Bub Hub and the ladies on here - thank you!

Thats great you got to have a nice morning :thumbsup:

As the recom. amount is for 0-4 weeks, and she's smack in the middle, I'd say it would be ok that she's not having it all- she's only got a little belly!! :)

Saying that, I do keep on eye on the time and the amount DS2 has - so I don't feed him too soon. Saing that, if he only has 'half' a feed, and he seems hungry in 2 hours I'm happy to let him finish it off. So yeah, you're on the right track, I'd say.
I agree with tommo787 - when they're that young, when they're hungry... its obvious. Nothing will do but a feed :rolleyes:

[Nef]

I'm having the same problems with my DD3, she is 6 weeks although her actual age is 1 week as she was 5 weeks early. During the day she feeds and sleeps great, by the early evening around 6pm she starts to power feed every 2 hours or so. The last couple of nights, it's been taking about 1.5hrs to get her to settle after her night feed. It's driving us insane, she just cries and will only sleep if she is being held as soon as you put her down in her cot she wakes and starts screaming again.

We're not sure what to do. She is having between 120ml - 140ml each bottle. Does anyone have any ideas on how we can settle her better at night. Should I feed her more?? She won't take a dummy either, she'll suck it for a little bit then spit it, I think she's still too little to hold it in her mouth herself.

Cheers Nef

[MummaLove]

Well we had a great night with DD2 last night, she fed every 3 hours and only woke to feed so I didn't have to make her wait or spend hours nursing her with dummy or anything! Last feed was about 8pm which she likes to stay awake for a while after, then in bed by 9.30pm and woke at almost exactly 11pm, 2am, 5am then at about 6.30am when I gave her the dummy and we cuddled in bed til around 8am. She was magic.

Wish I could say the same for her poor big sister (17months) who has this dreaded cold and cough and can't sleep at all.

Thank God Daddy's on holidays :yelclap:

[PippaG]

Fantastic that you had a much better night. I was really only going to agree with what the other girls have said in that you'll know when they are really hungry! The formula tins are only ever a guide and it's very rare that my DS is actually taking what the tin says he should be, but I just go by what he wants and he is doing fine so far.

In terms of a dummy, the midwives suggested we give one to DS when we were in hospital as he was a really sucky baby. To be honest he really does only ever want it for a bit of comfort, as he'll just push it out of his mouth when he isn't interested, which is most of the time!! My DS wil sometimes fall asleep with it in his mouth but very rarely wakes up with it and this doesn't seem to cause a problem either. Maybe we're just lucky!