03/07/2013
Myth Busting !!
Another BUSTED MYTH for your Thursday! One of you asked about whether breastfeeding your baby means it will take longer for the baby to sleep through the night. Dr. Nancy Brent, our Medical Director at the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh says:
"Although this statement is commonly believed, the reverse is more likely to be true. In fact, recent evidence shows that although some breastfeeding babies wake more often, breastfeeding mothers actually get more sleep than mother who feed artificial formulas. The reason for this may be that it is easy for breastfeeding moms to wake up, feed the baby and get back to sleep, whereas formula feeding moms have to wake up, prepare bottles and then are more fully awake when they are done. Another study found no difference in sleep patterns between breastfeeding and formula feeding babies and their mothers. This is not uniformly true however. Several other studies have shown that breastfeeding babies wake to feed more often.
A different study showed that 2-4 month old infants who were breastfeeding showed a trend towards longer sleep duration. This was thought to be related to melatonin in the breast milk. Melatonin is often used as a sleep aid and also relaxes smooth muscle in the gut. There is no melatonin in artificial formula.
So what is the answer? There is no conclusive evidence in either direction. Maternal fatigue and lack of sleep in the early months postpartum are a common experience for most mothers. This is likely independent of the choice to breastfeed or formula feed. Unfortunately, it’s just part of being a new mother."
