Mythbusting - "Isn't it better to give a bottle at night?"

If you are breastfeeding, I am going to explain why this is, quite frankly, bollocks. I'm going to do this in 3 steps:

1) First, I'll explain how it's often not true that it will make your baby sleep, and can even backfire.

2) Next, I'll go into how, even when it "works", this might not be a good thing,

And

3) Most importantly, I'm going to talk about just HOW important those feeds are late in the evening and at night.

It can be SO tempting to think you aren't giving enough and reach for a bottle, because we are led to believe that it will help babies sleep longer. Or baby is cluster feeding, and it makes us worry. Sometimes we just feel touched out, or baby is more wakeful and we are just.so.fucking.TIRED!! I get it! I've been there. I hope this post will give you the information and encouragement you need.

First of all - if you are seeing enough wet and dirty nappies, baby is gaining weight and developing as expected, then YES, you are giving your baby all s/he needs. Please try to trust your body and baby to work together well! You made an entire person. You made an eyeball. You made TWO eyeballs! Some milk is really no biggie. If you're baby isn't getting enough milk from you, please seek in-person support from someone who specialises in breastfeeding.

So here we go:

1) Giving a bottle with a breastmilk alternative can make your baby even more wakeful, or make very little difference at all.

It might work slightly in the short term, because it is heavy on their tummy and it's easy to overfeed. In real terms, if you're lucky, maybe you'll get an extra hour or so. For maybe a week. Once your baby's tummy has stretched and they've got used to this new thing, you're likely to be right back to square one. If you're UNlucky, the different milk will not agree with your baby, and s/he will be uncomfortable and even more wakeful.

2) I know this sucks balls, but babies are supposed to wake at night. I cannot overstate how normal and healthy this is. It is protective. Things that make babies sleep too deeply pose a risk. This includes formula feeding, swaddling, or being laid on their tummies to sleep.

NB: If you feed formula, please remember to put them in their own sleep space (a cot in your room is recommended if your baby is under 6m), especially if there is an adult in the bed who smokes. Bed sharing, adult smoker, formula - these three things together present a triple risk factor. Babies in these situations die at alarming rates. I know this topic is horrible, but the information is important to empower us to keep our babies safe.

3) The most important thing I want you to take away is just how the milk you produce at night is different to the milk you produce in the day. And just how important this nighttimesuperjuice actually is.

Nightmilk is rich in tryptophan, which is an amino acid that helps your baby sleep. It's like a legal sleeping medicine for your baby. Cluster feeding? Good! FILL THEIR BOOTS!

Tryptophan is important in its own right, but it is also a⁠ precursor to serotonin, which is also important. The milk you produce during the night contains amino acids that promote serotonin synthesis. Serotonin is a vital hormone for normal brain function and development. It ensures the brain works normally, and it helps with mood and sleep cycles.

Babies guzzling tryptophan is a long-term investment in their well-being. You're doing an amazing job. Keep going!

Oh! One more thing. This does not mean that if you are expressing, you can't give night milk in the day, or vice versa. Feel free to label your expressed milk - it could well be helpful at some point. But it's like how milk expressed for a 6 month old baby is still OK for a newborn. It's a "live" substance that adapts to the age and sex of your baby, the weather, the time of day, the illnesses you are exposed to... But it's also milk. It's versatile like that. It's excellent stuff!