There are people who will try to tell you if you feed your baby bottles you will sleep better at night. That sounds like a miracle answer when you are in those first few sleep deprived weeks of mothering a newborn. Who wouldn’t do anything for more sleep at that point?
Well, a study has proven that it isn’t so. Formula feeding moms are just as tired as breastfeeding moms!
So don’t be tempted to give your baby a bottle just to get more sleep. It won’t help baby sleep more or you either.
I never understood that- I sleep really well with my daughter- she nurses, and I sleep!
I really have no idea why people think formula feeding makes it easier to sleep! I slept so well with my newborns nursing I had no idea how often I was getting them latched on! Every 30 minutes? 3 hours? I really didn’t have a clue. All I knew was, I was getting sleep and it felt good. Breastfeeding is the way to go!
My MIL berated me with this. *L* Her rationale–which did actually make sense–is that there are greater demands on your body when you’re making that milk. Not sure whether it’s true…just 300 calories a day is what I always heard…but also it can take longer for a baby to nurse than to drink a bottle because they have to wait for let down (or at least my daughter was a slower nurser, maybe…I would often fall asleep with her latched on because she took so long! LOL). I wouldn’t change it for the world, though. She is 18 months now and we have just cut down another nursing session (down to morning and night now, just trying to get her through her second winter for immunity’s sake).
Thing about these studies is you never know what variables went into it. Did the moms have help or not? Were they nursing exclusively, pumping exclusively, or doing both? Were they back to work already, or staying home full-time? And did they have PPD?
The only reason formula-feeding would make it easier for mom to sleep is because DAD can get up and give a bottle. If he WILL, that is. *L*
really? i love breastfeeding. love it.
but, it FOR SURE makes you more tired. Not because you are up more throughout the night. But because you are supporting another life with your body. This is like saying pregnancy doesn’t make you more tired than adoption. Um, yes. Both are stressful. But physically a pregnant (or breastfeeding) woman is giving more of her body.
Just my humble opion.
More tired? for sure.
Is that a reasong not to nurse? I would say, NO!!
Even though I disagree… I still think it’s an interesting study.
Thanks for sharing.
It was interesting they seemed to ask for moms perception of tiredness. I think that you make a good point, if Dad is giving bottles at night mom may get more sleep. However she may feel just as tired? At least that is what this study seems to say.
It may deplete your body, but maybe you also get different hormonal benefits a formula feeding mom may not get?
You make some good points though. Thanks for your comment!
I totally agree! My daughter was sleeping 7 hours overnight at 3 weeks old, and she was exclusively breast feed. She’s now 5.5 months old and sleeps 12-14 hours overnight without waking to eat. Still just on breastmilk.