This is a tale as old as time, and a common conversation I hear breastfeeding mums having - more often when struggling to get more than 2 hours sleep at a time.
I totally get it. When I struggled to get my son sleeping longer than 45 minutes at a time, I listened and read so many sleep “solutions”, and wanted to try them all- however I loved breastfeeding, and I also had many friends who formula fed and were also facing sleep challenges, therefore felt this was not the solution.
So let’s look at the bigger picture and consider some facts……
In regards to how little tummies digest milk, breastmilk takes around 1.5 - 2 hours to be digested, and formula takes around 3 - 4 hours. In terms of contents, formula contains around 20 cals per oz, and breastmilk contains on average 22. Fat levels in formula are at around 3.5 g per 100ml, compared to an average of 4.2 in breastmilk. Protein levels in a standard formula are approximately the same as breastmilk, around 1.3g per 100ml.
Trust me when I say, I work with babies who have been formula fed and breastfed and the sleep challenges they are facing are not driven by the type of milk they have.
Sleep is multifaceted, therefore It can be sad to talk to a mum who maybe had a difficult start to breastfeeding, for a number of reasons, and now when they are enjoying it, feel the ONLY option to get more sleep is to stop when they don’t want to.
This is absolutely not the case.
I believe a woman has the right to stop breastfeeding when it’s right for her, however stopping something you love unnecessarily doesn’t have to be the way.
If this has resonated with you, and you would like to chat more, please get in touch to book a free discovery call today.
Thanks, Lynsey 💜
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