Grr..Why did I do this!!!

[BekZ]

Hi All,

Miss Eva is 11months today and are still bfing..well mostly In a desperate attempt to get her to sleep longer we introduced a night bottle to top up her before bed feed. She went from feeding 2 to 3 hourly to going up to 4/5 hourly overnight. Plus her last feed used to take at least 1 hour every night before bed and giving her a top up meant that settling for bed takes a lot less time. Now at 11 months she'll still have 1 to feeds overnight.

I thought all was good and she actually took to the bottle which she never ever accepted before. Then she got sick and we've had 3 ear infections and lots of antibiotics. So I switched her to a LF formula in an attempted to prevent ear infections. Now however she has really really bad nappy rash and big patches of dry skin not just in her nappy region but all over her back and tummy. I am pretty sure it is eczema.

My first instinct is to stop the formula. But I am scared of her reverting back to frequent feeding overnight. My supply has dropped a lot in the last month and I am not sure if she is getting much now anyway.

[onthefly]

Ah dear - poor thing.
Why not give it a go and see what happens? Does she eat much? Could you try a light supper, then feed, then bed?

[Barb Glare]

It's so hard to know what the right thing is to do. Mums have a veritable chorus telling them to *just give the baby a bottle* and it will all be fine. They magically evaporate when something like this happens. I agree with Marcellus - go back to breastfeeding, remove the formula - feed as often as you can during the day and give her more of the solids you know she can eat.

[BekZ]

I might also add that she is having heaps of trouble doing her poos now.

Thanks Marcellus and Barb.

What sort of meal should I offer her before bed? She has dinner around 5.30pm of meat and veg.

Another question: I have a couple of evening functions in July and I am starting to work a few hours here and there during the week. Should I give her just normal LF milk when I am away. I can't express to save myself so that is not an option.

[Willow]

Bek - I can't offer any advice re the formula (but tend to agree, I'd cut it out all together, especially at 11 months) but just wanted to say...

Should I give her just normal LF milk when I am away.

That's what I did with L once he was about 13 months. My supply dropped rapidly because I was prg with D and I couldn't express anymore.

With the night time stuff...I completely understand why you don't want to part with your sleep after months of frequent waking

[onthefly]

How long will you be away from her at a time?
For evening meals, I'd go for easily digestible, low-gi type stuff. apples/pears, bananas are supposed to be sleep inducing. Maybe cheese/yogurt? We give DS a supper plate in an effort to get him through the night without food - yes, he's over 2 now and still wakes to eat quite often

[mbear]

Oh bek....
I would go back to b/f too....it sounds like the formula was brining out the worst in Miss E in the worst possible way.....see, your milk is like gold !!!!

Dumb, dumb questin, but what is LF ???

Maybe introducing a supper time meal will work. We have dinner at 530pm too, if H has had a late sleep, and we keep him up till 715pm, after the bath, i might offer him some sultanas, cheese, biccies, or apple. IF he doesnt eat it, i find when he does wake at 630-7am (after 1-2 night feeds of course), he is ravenous...as you would be i guess.

Depending on the amount of time your away, i really would say at 11 months she will survive without your milk. I went back to work when DD#2 was 8 months old (she was the 'dream' baby though...), i was gone for 4hrs at a time, i simply fed her when i got home - so 5hrs away from her. I would have water in a sippy cup for her though, and at 11 months ive slowly introduced cows milk in a sippy cup to my kids diet.

AS for the return of b/f vs frequent night waking....i dunno hon, those symptoms she had whilst on Formula sound pretty awful. Is she outta your room yet ? Im doing the gentle CC with H . I did it about 2 weeks ago and we got down to 1 feed a night. He then got sick, so im just waiting for him to be 100% again. I know you dont like CC, and i didnt either, but i found this gentler form ok - for both of us....

GL.....glad to see your getting some YOU time...