So LO has a huge appetite and is going through a growth spurt on top of it. We spent the weekend at my parents and she just wouldn't sleep through the night, which she was previously doing, because we were up every hour or hour and a half nursing. We are going to try a bottle of formula at night to help keep that tummy filled up for a longer period of time. Our peds office recommend enfamil gentle ease. So, should I follow directions, mix it with breastmilk, do half and half? This is such a new world. We are still nursing. She just was at the point where she would nurse and get a bottle of pumped milk before she was full enought to sleep about 4 hours. I go back to work in a month and we need to get in some sort of routine and I need some sleep. 
any help is appreciated!
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How old is your LO?
We supplemented from the beginning and always gave a bottle of all formula bc I didn't want any bm wasted. But if your LO is used to bm it might be a better idea to mix?
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R took formula no trouble when gave it to her when trying to get her to take a bottle. I got sick of wasting BM. But I will say the formula didn't help her sleep any longer.
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We combo feed and just give full bottles of formula. We use Similac Sensitive (he didn't like the Enfamil) and we've never had any issues alternating BFing and formula.
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We also combo fed after 3 months and just did a full bottle of formula before bed! We used Enfamil Gentlease as well and it's worked for us through his first year!
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She is 7 weeks old.
@Smurfette: did she still wake up every hour? @locavore_mama: she has only had breast milk at this point. She has no problem taking a bottle and going back and forth between the two. I just didn't know if the formula would be too much on her tummy.
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@2PeasinaPod: that's good to hear!!!
@rahlyrah: great!
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I EP and supplement with formula (Enfamil Newborn) at night so I can build a freezer stash for when I return to work. I don't mix BM and formula because once LO starts drinking the formula it has to be consumed or disposed of after one hour. DD is 7 weeks today and sleeps 7-9 hours at night lately! We switch her to formula at 7pm so her cluster feeding is with formula. We have been supplementing since birth though, so we never had any issues with LO rejecting based on different taste of formula. Good luck mama, I hope it buys you a few extra hours of sleep!
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@MapleMoose: me too! The clincher was Monday night's lack of sleep. I got 45 minutes before she woke up and I ended up getting my parents to do night duty. She fights sleep because she is afraid she will miss something so she is hungry and then trying not sleep. It's crazy!!! I just want 4 hours in a row!
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I just gave her straight formula when we supplemented. We had those little 2oz bottles that the pediatrician gave us (FREE). Haha. Anyways, she took it like a champ and had no ill effects. She could swap from BM to formula with no problem.
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@Jennimac: Well when she was waking up every hour and half it was from the sleep regression not cause she was hungry. She wouldn't take a bottle every night but when she did, it never helped her sleep longer. Even then after nursing after the formula.
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@Smurfette: bummer!!! I dread dealing with sleep regression. So far, LO has been okay with getting a bottle at night. Fingers crossed it helps!
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I hope she likes it! Even when I was pumping, E slept so well with a bottle of formula in her tummy, it's what we gave her every night.
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So, I was going through our mail and we just got some samples of enfamil gentleAse! So I don't have to go but any. Should I just start with 2 oz since she has never had formula? She can eat a 4 oz bottle of breastmilk.
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When I was pumping, we never mixed BM and formula. She just got bottles of either or. She never had an issue.
Im a believer that formula fed babies sleep better. It was probably just coincidence, but thats how it worked out for us (compared to friends with BFed babies). It's worth a try if you're comfortable with it!
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My LO is 10 weeks and has been supplementing from birth. I EP and she takes 4-6 oz per feeding, it doesn't seem to matter if it's bm or formula. I don't mix because like others I don't want to waste bm, but my LO is used to formula. Like @maplemoose I give her formula at night time (usually one or two bottles) and she sleeps 10-12 hours straight through. Good luck!!
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@Jennimac: mix the formula with water according to the directions on the container. IF you want to add formula to pumped BM, do so by mixing liquid with liquid.
It is possible that your LO's not sleeping as long could be due to the change in routine/location since you said you were at your parents house when it started. DD and DS both would get some sleep disruptions when we traveled.
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@Jennimac: start with 2oz because you can always make more but once she starts a formula bottle it needs to be finished within 1 hour.
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@purrpletulips: that's what I thought, but last night she was up quite a bit again. She did fall asleep a lot easier than when we were up there, though. There weren't as many distractions.
I'll start with 2 oz and see how she does. Should I worry it's a milk based formula? I don't think she has any milk intolerances. I've been eating cereal with milk and ice cream. I've never watched milk or dairy intake so far.
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We tried Enfamil Gentlease & LO didn't like it. She does well on Similac Sensitive, and she does best with the ready-to-feed vs powdered. We do mix BM & formula - we just make sure to not make too big of a bottle so she wouldn't finish it. She will drink just formula fine, though. I doubt you'll have any issues, though definitely make sure she burps after.
@purrpletulips: might have a point though. We stayed at my grandma's last night & LO screamed for 3 hours. I kept feeding her but I think I made it worse - she wasn't hungry, just out of sorts, and then ended up with a tummy ache from eating too much. So I would pace your feedings and not just fill her up with formula because she's still sucking it down. Will she take a pacifier?
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@Jennimac: Similac Sensitive is milk based but they do something to the lactose for babies who have lactose sensitivities, so maybe try that one if you are worried about it? From what I've read online, though, lactose in breastmilk is largely unaffected by diary in your diet. Only if your LO is actually allergic to dairy does that matter.
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E takes Similac and she shows no signs of noticing if she's drinking BM or formula. She does seem to sleep better after formula though so I give her all my pumped milk during the day and then formula in the evening. She's 6 weeks and has STTN (around 11-7) a few times and is a great sleeper- so I agree with @loveisstrange: ! I say give her however much she usually takes and hopefully she won't notice a difference
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@Jennimac: My ped's office told us to start with 2 oz bottles and increase from there. Like Smurfette, formula doesn't make our LO sleep any longer than breastmilk
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@daniellemybelle: she does take a PACi. We got a wubbanub and that was a lifesaver on the car trip. I could reach it and put it back in her mouth if it fell out. She didn't sleep too well last night. I think part of it was being at grandparents house, but who knows!
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