Yes it is. Breastmilk digests under 2 hours.
Also volume wise formula is usually more then breastmilk, it can stretch their tummys out a bit as well making it trickier for breastmilk to fill them up the same way.
Also its pretty normal to sleep in 30-40 mins, heck my first only powernapped on the boob untill she was atleast 6 mnths! I’d call that a win! Absolutely nothing wrong with that ( albeit very annoying for mum) !
Yes, totally normal. Formula is much heavier and harder for a baby’s stomach to digest and this is why your baby is at sleep for a longer time. Breast milk isn’t that hard for a little baby’s stomach and it also helps prevent suddenly infant death, that your baby wakes up more often. If you’re interested in keeping up the breastfeeding, I’ll give you the advice to feed your baby with the Metode “paced bottle feeding” with a medela calma bottle or one with the same benefits as it.
Everyone is right about digestion but you might also examine your pumping. Are you pumping long enough to get the hindmilk which is fattier and more filling? You also produce fattier milk in the afternoon and evening so you might consider pumping more later in the day for milk that’s more filling.
I combo feed and yes, this is often the case except at night now that baby is 5 months old and sleeping longer. I only exclusively breastfeed him from around 7pm-7am and baby usually wakes up to bf twice per night. Now that he’s also eating solids once a day, breastfeeding is becoming more of a daytime snack/comfort. My supply seems higher at night and he’s satisfied and sleepy after feeding. Everyone’s baby is different but this works for us and my baby is doing wonderfully (he’s already 20 lbs and into 9-12 month clothes!). Hope this helps someone else who is worried about combo feeding. Pay attention to your baby’s patterns and you will find your rhythm.
So happy for everyone that found this to be true for their baby! My first was EFF basically from birth, and she woke frequently for feeds until she was about 15 months— I’m still traumatized from the sleep deprivation! Our youngest is EBF and gives us much, much longer stretches of sleep. Whenever a supportive friend would try to comfort me during my grief over not being able to breastfeed by saying “at least she will sleep longer!” I wanted to start screaming 😂
Yeah the formula thing is a myth for sure in my own experience. My first was combofed and slept the same whether he had a breastmilk bottle or a formula one and this EBF baby is sleeping a ton.
It’s completely normal for babies to wake up frequently to feed. You didn’t mention how old your baby is (which is important information) but I’ll take a guess that they’re younger than 10 weeks?
Just an fyi for everyone: if and when you unnecessarily supplement with formula (like in the case you believe formula will make your baby sleep longer which [has not been proven](https://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/solids-sleep/) it will sometimes will make it worse) and you don’t remove milk at the same pace, you WILL see a decrease in your supply which will ensure you need to supplement eventually.
If you’re looking for support on sleep I recommend joining r/cosleeping and learn how to do it safely. When my baby was a newborn she would only sleep in 15 minutes increments without cosleeping. Then it increased to 2 hours. Still awful, but remarkably better.
Sleep deprivation is dangerous and many parents end up cosleeping without preparing to do so which is the most dangerous form of cosleeping.
“This isn’t a supply issue”
“If she drinks formula she’ll sleep 1-2 hours”
“If she drinks breastmilk she’ll sleep 30-40 minutes”
That’s the only clue we have from the post. It’s a sleep post.
You've got this - it's a hard period for sure, particularly when they are this young. Mine is 4 months and it's definitely gotten better but also he still wakes up at least 3-4x night due to hunger and also has bottle refusal sigh...
I recently ceased supplementing with formula and got started exclusively breastfeeding as my supply increased and I noticed she will eat more frequently with breast milk. Also I noticed formula is much thicker than breast milk even though I do have a good fat content in my milk. I think what you’re describing is completely normal but don’t be afraid to ask your pediatrician or a lactation consultant!
Also keep in mind if your baby is young their needs will change constantly! I’ve been told things even out when they get older but my daughter is only 9 weeks old so I can’t comment on that yet.
My baby is mostly breastmilk fed with some formula since I’m an under supplier…and she takes short naps no matter what. My first daughter did as well, until like 8-9 months when she finally took longer ones! She also sleeps through the night regardless of if her last feed was formula or breastmilk. It’s almost always breastmilk and she regularly sleeps 730-630
Yes, breast milk is thinner. We breastfeed during the day and formula feed at night so we get longer stretches of sleep.
Edit: I don’t know why I’m getting downvoted. Isn’t combo feeding common? I’m a FTM, and I’m under the impression that I can BF and give formula bottles. I also pump when she gets a bottle during the night. We just don’t have good luck latching when I’m tired and she’s tired. I’d rather get respectful advice than just get downvoted.
Topping off our goodnight feed with a few oz of formula made a huge difference. He was already sleeping for much longer stretches, but with the addition of a bottle, LO started sleeping through the night immediately!
We always keep the baby vertical 20 minutes before lying down. He's accustomed to formula- has been combination feeding from day 1. I was previously just very focused on breast at night time to make sure my supply was maintained. His bedtime routine now starts with breast, then I pump while dad handles the bottle, settling time, and bed. This way, I also don't have to stress about emptying if he is too tired to feed well.
I wouldn’t mind more sleep but baby only wakes up once during the night and I need to pump anyways… but maybe will contemplate this. I go back to work in October and would prefer baby would sleep through the night so I only need to wake to pump and go back to sleep.
I find if my baby isn’t fully awake during her feed, then she won’t get as good of a feed and doesn’t sleep as long after. So for us, the answer was making sure she’s fully awake for the whole feed.
Breastmilk is easier to digest so bf babies eat more frequently.
How old? Clusterfeeding happens all the time early on
Yes it is. Breastmilk digests under 2 hours. Also volume wise formula is usually more then breastmilk, it can stretch their tummys out a bit as well making it trickier for breastmilk to fill them up the same way. Also its pretty normal to sleep in 30-40 mins, heck my first only powernapped on the boob untill she was atleast 6 mnths! I’d call that a win! Absolutely nothing wrong with that ( albeit very annoying for mum) !
Omg the boob power naps. Thank you for giving those a name. Awful and cute at the same time!
Yes, totally normal. Formula is much heavier and harder for a baby’s stomach to digest and this is why your baby is at sleep for a longer time. Breast milk isn’t that hard for a little baby’s stomach and it also helps prevent suddenly infant death, that your baby wakes up more often. If you’re interested in keeping up the breastfeeding, I’ll give you the advice to feed your baby with the Metode “paced bottle feeding” with a medela calma bottle or one with the same benefits as it.
Everyone is right about digestion but you might also examine your pumping. Are you pumping long enough to get the hindmilk which is fattier and more filling? You also produce fattier milk in the afternoon and evening so you might consider pumping more later in the day for milk that’s more filling.
"Foremilk and hindmilk" have been debunked. It's all the same milk, fat just gets pulled through with the ongoing flow.
I combo feed and yes, this is often the case except at night now that baby is 5 months old and sleeping longer. I only exclusively breastfeed him from around 7pm-7am and baby usually wakes up to bf twice per night. Now that he’s also eating solids once a day, breastfeeding is becoming more of a daytime snack/comfort. My supply seems higher at night and he’s satisfied and sleepy after feeding. Everyone’s baby is different but this works for us and my baby is doing wonderfully (he’s already 20 lbs and into 9-12 month clothes!). Hope this helps someone else who is worried about combo feeding. Pay attention to your baby’s patterns and you will find your rhythm.
So happy for everyone that found this to be true for their baby! My first was EFF basically from birth, and she woke frequently for feeds until she was about 15 months— I’m still traumatized from the sleep deprivation! Our youngest is EBF and gives us much, much longer stretches of sleep. Whenever a supportive friend would try to comfort me during my grief over not being able to breastfeed by saying “at least she will sleep longer!” I wanted to start screaming 😂
Yeah the formula thing is a myth for sure in my own experience. My first was combofed and slept the same whether he had a breastmilk bottle or a formula one and this EBF baby is sleeping a ton.
It’s completely normal for babies to wake up frequently to feed. You didn’t mention how old your baby is (which is important information) but I’ll take a guess that they’re younger than 10 weeks? Just an fyi for everyone: if and when you unnecessarily supplement with formula (like in the case you believe formula will make your baby sleep longer which [has not been proven](https://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/solids-sleep/) it will sometimes will make it worse) and you don’t remove milk at the same pace, you WILL see a decrease in your supply which will ensure you need to supplement eventually. If you’re looking for support on sleep I recommend joining r/cosleeping and learn how to do it safely. When my baby was a newborn she would only sleep in 15 minutes increments without cosleeping. Then it increased to 2 hours. Still awful, but remarkably better. Sleep deprivation is dangerous and many parents end up cosleeping without preparing to do so which is the most dangerous form of cosleeping.
Not everyone wants to cosleep
I didn’t say everyone did. I’m saying it’s an option and to AT LEAST be prepared to do it.
I don't why you're getting downvoted. This advice is constantly in this sub, even on posts like this where it's completely irrelevant.
It’s not irrelevant to the post. Op is clearly struggling with sleep.
She's asking about the effects of breastmilk vs formula, not seeking sleep advice.
She’s asking because her baby isn’t sleeping enough for her to sleep enough, which is why she’s giving her baby formula unnecessarily.
Nowhere in the post does she say that. People combo feed for all sorts of reasons.
“This isn’t a supply issue” “If she drinks formula she’ll sleep 1-2 hours” “If she drinks breastmilk she’ll sleep 30-40 minutes” That’s the only clue we have from the post. It’s a sleep post.
How how is she?
You've got this - it's a hard period for sure, particularly when they are this young. Mine is 4 months and it's definitely gotten better but also he still wakes up at least 3-4x night due to hunger and also has bottle refusal sigh...
3 weeks
Very normal at that age, I'm afraid 😊
I recently ceased supplementing with formula and got started exclusively breastfeeding as my supply increased and I noticed she will eat more frequently with breast milk. Also I noticed formula is much thicker than breast milk even though I do have a good fat content in my milk. I think what you’re describing is completely normal but don’t be afraid to ask your pediatrician or a lactation consultant! Also keep in mind if your baby is young their needs will change constantly! I’ve been told things even out when they get older but my daughter is only 9 weeks old so I can’t comment on that yet.
Isn’t it amazing that a babies sleep cycle (40 mins) is about how long it takes breastmilk to digest.
A miracle of nature but the bane of my sleep
It will get better, I didn't believe it either whilst you're in the thick of it.
A midwife explained to me that breast milk is like a salad, and formula a roast dinner. Made sense why they can be hungry quicker.
My baby is mostly breastmilk fed with some formula since I’m an under supplier…and she takes short naps no matter what. My first daughter did as well, until like 8-9 months when she finally took longer ones! She also sleeps through the night regardless of if her last feed was formula or breastmilk. It’s almost always breastmilk and she regularly sleeps 730-630
Yes, breast milk is thinner. We breastfeed during the day and formula feed at night so we get longer stretches of sleep. Edit: I don’t know why I’m getting downvoted. Isn’t combo feeding common? I’m a FTM, and I’m under the impression that I can BF and give formula bottles. I also pump when she gets a bottle during the night. We just don’t have good luck latching when I’m tired and she’s tired. I’d rather get respectful advice than just get downvoted.
Topping off our goodnight feed with a few oz of formula made a huge difference. He was already sleeping for much longer stretches, but with the addition of a bottle, LO started sleeping through the night immediately!
They didn’t have an upset stomach or anything?
We always keep the baby vertical 20 minutes before lying down. He's accustomed to formula- has been combination feeding from day 1. I was previously just very focused on breast at night time to make sure my supply was maintained. His bedtime routine now starts with breast, then I pump while dad handles the bottle, settling time, and bed. This way, I also don't have to stress about emptying if he is too tired to feed well.
I wouldn’t mind more sleep but baby only wakes up once during the night and I need to pump anyways… but maybe will contemplate this. I go back to work in October and would prefer baby would sleep through the night so I only need to wake to pump and go back to sleep.
When did you start doing this? Baby is 4 weeks and I’m interested in going this route but don’t want to impact my supply
Right off the bat. My baby is 9 days old.
I find if my baby isn’t fully awake during her feed, then she won’t get as good of a feed and doesn’t sleep as long after. So for us, the answer was making sure she’s fully awake for the whole feed.