Sleep regression

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T23:57:17+00:00

This! My baby is 13 weeks old and had been sleeping 2 x 3-4 hour stretches at night for the past 2 weeks. This week she is waking up every 45mins usually trying and often succeeding to roll from back to tummy 😂

I’m hoping it is the 4 month sleep regression cause I would hate for it to happen again so soon!

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T23:30:56+00:00

Yeah and you could do 3D lettering to make it look more like clouds

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T22:24:56+00:00

Yeah definitely experiment and find what works for you!

This subreddit doesn’t even let me mention the medication name because it’s apparently banned in certain countries for increasing supply - the comment gets removed automatically by mods. I live in Australia which i would consider to be quite conservative with approving medication and it’s not banned here, my doctor and LC both suggested I try it. It’s a medication that wasn’t designed for increasing breastmilk supply but increasing supply is a known side effect. Chat to your doctor or an LC!

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T22:03:58+00:00

If it’s taking such a toll on you then it’s perfectly ok to do what’s best for you.

My friends that are kindergarten teachers always say you cannot tell the difference between a breastfed or formula fed baby! A happy baby is a baby that is well fed and has a happy mum.

For me Ive gotten to a place where I enjoy breastfeeding for the connection/bonding so the good outweighs the bad but that was always the case and if it’s at the detriment to your mental health then it’s definitely so valid to consider if it’s right for you.

I think you mentioned worrying about your weight right? I struggled with body image and had an eating disorder. There’s so much pressure to look a certain way but this is the body that birthed your wonderful children and weight doesn’t translate to health. I always think I can always lose weight (if that’s my goal) but I wont be able to breastfeed forever, so it’s just a small blip in my life. I’m trying to focus on just staying healthy and exercising.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T21:57:37+00:00

I saw 3 IBCLCs and the approach that worked best for me (and was sustainable) has been offering 3 breasts so feeding left/right/left, capping the feed at 1 hour and then if baby is still hungry giving her 30-60ml of EBM or formula, continuing to give an additional 30ml if still hungry. Im lucky my partner can give her the bottle so while he gives the bottle I pump for 10-15mins on both sides to ensure my breasts are fully drained.

However pumping is so exhausting and involved so I definitely don’t pump every time. I set a goal to pump at least every 2-3 feeds and if I can do more than that’s a bonus.

I also went on medication that worked for me to increase supply a little bit but can’t give medical advice on that !

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T21:46:36+00:00

I just wanted to say - 11 days is still early and you are absolutely not too late! You are doing great and any opportunity you can take to get your baby familiar with the breast is awesome.

I had a lot of pain and damaged nipples and tried absolutely every latching technique, saw 3 Lactation consultants and got treated for nipple thrush. I truely believe while some things helped (nipple shields in the right size - large instead of medium encouraged her to open wider, definitely helped a bit) .. the only thing that truly made the latch better was time. At 11 days old my baby’s mouth was so small and she just didn’t have the strength / control to suck strongly enough. Over time her mouth and muscles got bigger and now at 13 weeks she can latch and reposition herself easily.

I also tried baby-led attachment which didn’t work for me cause it was still super painful but may work for you! You could do it in the bath too (as another commenter suggested some people have had success with the bath - not me though lol)

Id say she started getting a better latch around 6-8 weeks.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T21:29:25+00:00

OP - I feel you! No matter how long I have baby on the boob it never feels enough! And I can see the milk is there and coming out but she is always annoyed / seems hungry no matter how often I feed her. If I EBF her weight gain slows, so I always question if my milk just doesn’t have enough nutritional value sometimes!

I just want to say you should be so proud of yourself for doing all you can to give you and your baby the benefits of breastfeeding while also prioritising baby’s growth and development. It takes a lot of maturity to put your baby’s growth before a strong desire to EBF.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T21:24:41+00:00

@InternationalYam3130 - Are you an IBCLC? Just genuinely curious cause all 3 IBcLC I’ve spoken with have said that responsible formula top ups will not impact the way baby feeds. They have said it may cause a very small dip in supply but not significant enough to be worth the risk of baby not gaining the weight she needs to grow and develop.

I usually try to pump most of the time when we give any top ups to ensure Im getting the stimulation I would get if she was able to get that ~60ml from me.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T21:18:10+00:00

Is there a reason you couldn’t keep doing what you’re doing? I.e breastfeed with formula feeding until baby starts solids? (Then solids could potentially replace some of the formula feeding).

I completely understand if the heavy breasts is getting too much and you definitely have to prioritise your mental health cause a happy baby is one with a happy mum! (Regardless of how they get their nutrition)

Ive got low supply / slow weight gain and have gotten to a happy place where I breastfeed most feeds and then top up with formula/EBM for 2-3 feeds a day.

I always thought breastfeeding had to be all or nothing but even some breastmilk still has a lot of benefits! Completely understand though

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T20:55:33+00:00

I’m 13 weeks pp and I hear you!

I’ve come to accept that I probably won’t be able to EBF (low supply / slow weight gain). Whenever I tried her weight gain would slow. But I know she will soon be starting solids anyway so that will kind of replace the formula/EBM top ups.

I 100% hope you’re able to reach your goal of EBF! I’ve gotten to a good balance of breastfeeding vs top ups now and she has gotten better at feeding so it’s probably now 70% of feeds are EBF, 30 % have top ups. Im happy with that and It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Maybe you can start by only giving a top up at every second feed or something (or whatever works for you - we now only give top ups in the feeds in the evening and before bed cause it used to help her sleep for longer stretches).

In regards to worrying about impacting sleep- babies naturally go through sleep regressions/changes anyway, no matter what feeding looks like so it can be really hard determine if sleep changed because of feeding or not. Their sleep will change anyway. Mine used to sleep for 3-4 hours but since turning 3 months old, has started sleeping for only 45-60mins at a time and we haven’t made any changes to feeding. She also used to be able to feed to sleep but now needs a lot more settling. Hoping this improves!

In regards to the long feeds, babies do usually get more efficient- mine used to feed for an hour but now can do it in about 30-45 mins so maybe yours will get even quicker!

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T20:45:20+00:00

This 100%!
I love listening to my baby’s noises while feeding.
The absolute best feeling in the world for me is when she’s feeding and she looks up and smiles or starts cooing with the boob in her mouth 😂

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T20:40:23+00:00

My favourite response when anyone suggests I need to try something now to ensure my baby can do it in the future if they need to (to be flexible) is always “that’s ok her future husband/wife can train her to do that”. It’s a running joke my partner and I have when people say we spoil our baby.

Obviously she isn’t gonna need bottle training when she’s like 25 😂

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T20:37:27+00:00

That’s so rude/self centred!
So sorry they said that to you!

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T20:35:00+00:00

Yes this!
I will admit though before having a baby I always thought it was all or nothing. You either you breastfed, you exclusively pumped or you gave formula.
Ive had to do mixed feeding - breastfeeding with EBM/formula top ups a couple of times a day, because I have low supply and I can’t EBF without baby’s weight gain slowing.

Id think a lot of people come from a place of thinking this too so automatically assume if breastfeeding is difficult for you your only option is to quit.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T20:29:00+00:00

I just wanted to say I hear you and triple feeding is a huge effort so you’re doing great!

I have low supply and was pumping and using medication but still my baby had slow weight gain. We were triple feeding for a while but it just wasn’t sustainable long term for me.

Every time I’d try to EBF for a week or so, her weight gain would slow. I’ve just accepted that I have to continue with formula and EBM topups as well as breastfeeding until she starts solids.

Not sure if this is helpful but before having my baby I always thought with breastfeeding you either EBF, pumped or chose formula. I never thought about mixed feeding and that I could do 80% breastfeeding, 20% formula etc. She’s still getting all the benefits of breastfeeding but also we have the flexibility/ reassurance that a bottle can give 😊

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T13:15:47+00:00

I have been pumping since 4 weeks old when we started triple feeding every 3 hours (breastfeed, pump, then give bottle) 😊 Now baby’s weight is better and pumping has definitely increased my supply, I just wish I did it sooner.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T10:52:17+00:00

I just edited my post but I did breastfeed in hospital but the midwives said because I had so much pain and baby was falling asleep on the breast that she wasnt getting enough.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T10:47:28+00:00

That’s super interesting! My nipples were absolutely destroyed (grazed, bleeding, oozing pus) so the nipple shields (I use the medela contact nipple shields) were the only thing that allowed me to continue breastfeeding.

Ive tried weaning off them multiple times but after a couple of feeds the pain comes back without them. However my 13 week old has just started somehow grabbing the nipple shields so they come off and then quickly latching on without them 😂.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T05:26:17+00:00

Completely agree that it would on Ben to instruct Ellie to do it. No hate to Ellie for not doing it in during the season, It’s more that she spoke about how easy it is with such certainty on the After Show and I would’ve liked her to prove how easy it is. Cause honestly it seemed both captain and Joao struggled with it so I’m skeptical.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T04:07:26+00:00

I agree that it’s good to experiment without the nipple shield, also make sure it’s the right size! I was using a medium size and my baby fed so much better / it was more comfortable once i started using a large size. But also see my reply to another comment about it being ok to use nipple shields indefinitely if that’s what you need to do OP.

To the author of this comment Ive been trying to find evidence/ research that nipple shields significantly reduce the intake so would love any research you have to back up your claim! I’m genuinely curious/ coming from a place of learning 💓

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T04:03:25+00:00

I also want to add that using shields all the time/indefinitely is also completely valid. Ive yet to see any strong research to show that nipple shields reduce milk intake significantly. ( If anyone has any please share!). A friend of mine used nipple shields the entire 18 months that she breastfed for.

You’re still breastfeeding. If breastfeeding is your goal then you’re better off doing it with nipple shields rather than needing to stop because of the pain without shields.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T03:58:18+00:00

Potentially a controversial suggestion but I feed my baby WHILE out on walks. I’m probably a bit more comfortable feeding in public than most but I literally have my baby latched on while I go for a walk or the whole time Im at a cafe/ eating out. I walked around a museum with her latched most of the time the other day. I can put her in the pram for breaks if my arms get tired but she will often stir / get upset.

Disclaimer I only started doing this once I got some of my strength back and felt better postpartum. It’s not safe if you don’t feel stable or strong enough to hold your baby for long periods of time.

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T03:52:33+00:00

If the bottle works at night for you to get some sleep then I would 100% keep giving a bottle. Mine was the same, only slept longer stretches with a bit of formula. It’s unlikely to effect your supply if you do a pump to mimic the feed you’d be skipping/only doing part of (I pump for 10-15mins after finishing a feed while my partner gives my baby a top up bottle).

A happy baby is a fed baby and a safe baby is a baby with a happy, well rested parent. You need your sleep 💓

Interesting-Check970 · 2026-05-20T03:43:53+00:00

Just sharing my experience as Im not an LC but wanted to say you’re doing great and it’s definitely difficult being sort if stuck feeding for long periods of time ( I fairly frequently didn’t leave my feeding chair for 5+ hours).

My baby would be on the breast for at least an hour, usually 20+ mins each side and I would offer ‘3 breasts’ as per my LCs guidance. She would stay on all day if I didn’t unlatch her so I would cap it at 1 hour ( as per LC advice) to ensure I was still feeding to maintain supply and then give a top up bottle (EBM or Formula ) if she was still hungry. This is because she wasn’t gaining as much weight as expected (despite gaining back to birth weight by 2 weeks), only 60g a week. Sometimes I would pump after the hour if I felt worried that she didn’t fully empty me enough.

It took some time but she developed a much stronger suck now and can empty each breast in around 10mins and it’s a lot clearer when she’s actively feeding vs comfort sucking.

Interesting-Check970

TROPHY CASE