My son has been waking up every hour at night for three weeks, asking for the breast but not crying.…

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My son has been waking up every hour at night for three weeks, asking for the breast but not crying. I don't understand if he's not getting enough, if something is bothering him, or if it's just a need. Because of this, I only get a maximum of two hours of sleep per night. In the morning, I have to get my older daughter ready for school, take her, and pick her up. I manage to nap for an hour during the day, but it's not enough. I'm exhausted, drained. I feel unwell, angry, and tired. Is it okay if I give my son formula at night and breastfeed during the day? I'm not sure, my daughter was exclusively breastfed, and she only woke up twice a night. Overall, for those of you with babies on formula, do they sleep soundly? Do their tummies not bother them? And what formula do you recommend?
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Timofeeva Elena
The hormone responsible for milk production is released at night when the baby nurses. Skipping nighttime or early morning feedings is a one-way ticket to weaning.
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Anastasiya
It's not a given that a baby will sleep through most of the night on formula, but by stopping night feedings, breastfeeding might end. If that doesn't scare you, you can try it.
My older daughter was on formula from about 2 months old and slept practically all night.
The younger one also woke up every 2 hours at night, and in the morning, she'd be up at 4-5 AM. To say I was exhausted and angry is an understatement.
We switched to formula around 4 months (not because of night wakings), she still woke up every 3 hours to eat, so it didn't change much regarding night sleep.
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Alinkina mamulka
We went through that too. I gave her formula at night and breastfed during the day. Yes, she slept better at night, but soon she started refusing the breast during the day too, my milk supply decreased, and in the end, we switched to exclusively formula feeding.
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Antonina
Are your breasts feeling full at night? If so, try alternating breasts less often. Due to excess prolactin at night, the amount of foremilk (fullness) increases, leading to quick satiety, which is why the baby wakes up again. Mom instinctively switches to the other breast, and the baby still isn't quite full... Prolactin increases with frequent suckling, as does the production rate – the pressure in the ducts rises and prevents fats from being released during letdown. In short, block feeding can help.
Alternatively, yes, formula at night, but it might not help if the baby is already used to waking up frequently (habit of suckling upon waking). Night feedings are important for building supply, but at this stage, they're just a formality for lactation, so your milk won't disappear; you'll just have less foremilk. The hindmilk (which is actually 90% and doesn't cause fullness outside of letdown) will still be there.
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