Will This Ruin Breastfeeding?

[Anonymous]

I have a newborn and sleep deprivation is kicking my butt. I’m breastfeeding and things are going very well besides the constant need to eat and the no sleep. I’ve been thinking of feeding him a bottle of pumped milk or formula for 1-2 of his feeds at night so I can get some sleep. This would mean no breastfeeding or pumping for 5-6 hours straight. He is two weeks old. I know I need the sleep to function, but I worry I will decrease or make me lose my supply.

[Anonymous]

Some people find it negatively affects their supply, some people don't. It's hard to know which you are. If your supply seems pretty good right now, give it a try for one night and see.

You may find that you wake up because your breasts are uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t do it this early on. You will likely tank your supply.

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine that doing this ONE NIGHT would ruin everything. I think give it a shot. If you feel like your supply suffers, wait a couple weeks before you do it again.

I would make sure to pump at least twice the day before and at least twice the day after to balance it out.

[Anonymous]

Mine were older when they STTN but it did impact my supply. Really, anytime they skipped a regular feed, my supply was impacted in retrospect.

[Anonymous]

That would have given me mastitis at this point. Be mindful. But one night might be of benefit if your boobs can handle it.

[Anonymous]

Not exactly the same thing but I did this at 4 weeks when my baby started sleeping 4-5 hour at a time. I breastfed on-demand throughout the day and then last feed at night. My son cluster fed from 9-11pm very night and then took a big feed at 11pm. I pumped until fully empty after he ate and he would sleep until 3/4am. It did start to get uncomfortable around the 4 hour mark but I pushed through and waited until he woke up. I didn’t lose my supply but I did have to feed on one side and then pump on the other at the 3/4am feed because I was so full. Now my baby sleeps 8 hours and my supply has adjusted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine that doing this ONE NIGHT would ruin everything. I think give it a shot. If you feel like your supply suffers, wait a couple weeks before you do it again.

I would make sure to pump at least twice the day before and at least twice the day after to balance it out.

OP here. I plan to do this every, not just one night.

A little more information: He eats 10-12 times a day. He eats every two hours during the day and every 3 hours at night. Think 7, 9, 11, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 1, and 4. Things shift slightly based on wakeup time but this is an average feeding day. He has started to cluster feed and will start at 7pm and either nurse every 30 minutes or stay on the breast for an hour at a time.

I plan to nurse throughout the day as I have been doing, feed at 10pm, and then feed again at 4am. I would skip the 1am feed and my husband will feed him a bottle of pumped milk or formula. I’m also thinking of feeding him a bottle during the cluster feeding or at 10pm and I go to sleep from 10-4 instead of 11-4. Is this possible at this age?

I don’t know how much milk I make but it’s enough to feed the baby. I haven’t pumped but I do use a Haakka when nursing and I collect 2-4oz a day with it. I don’t do many weighted feeds but the weighted feeds I have done show he eats about 2oz every 2 hours and usually 3oz every 3 hours.

[Anonymous]

I would not do it simply because you’ll wake up anyway engorged. Instead, I’d focus on sleeping more during the day. Let everything else go except taking a shower and eating. No need for visitors. Spouse needs to do laundry, grocery shopping and meals. (This is why spouse needs to sleep at night. Only one person needs to be up with baby. Two sleep deprived adults is a disaster.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not do it simply because you’ll wake up anyway engorged. Instead, I’d focus on sleeping more during the day. Let everything else go except taking a shower and eating. No need for visitors. Spouse needs to do laundry, grocery shopping and meals. (This is why spouse needs to sleep at night. Only one person needs to be up with baby. Two sleep deprived adults is a disaster.)

OP here. The biggest issue is I can sleep during the day. I have slept in but I can’t fall asleep during the day. Even if I wanted to, I would be sleeping in 1 hour increments after feeding and then trying to fall asleep. He eats for 20-30 minutes every two hours. Like 7-7:30, sleeps, and back up at 9 to eat. I also have a hard time falling back asleep after waking up to feed at night.

[Anonymous]

To avoid clogs and keep your hormones up, wake up and briefly hand express into a towel by your bed. Kinda gross but clogs suck and if you’ve ever had one, you’ll do anything to avoid another

[Anonymous]

It depends on what your need goal is. If you want to EBF, I wouldn’t do it. If you’re okay with possibly losing some of your supply and supplementing, do it. I did it at two weeks similar to yours. I did two 4 hour stretches. I about 4oz of my supply but I was fine with supplementing. I preferred sleep and being able to function and enjoy the newborn phase over an extra 4oz of breastmilk.

[Anonymous]

Is he swaddled tightly OP? My babies are every 2-3 hours during the day, but developed one 5-6 hour night stretch really quickly, like 11-4am or so. I credit the swaddle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is he swaddled tightly OP? My babies are every 2-3 hours during the day, but developed one 5-6 hour night stretch really quickly, like 11-4am or so. I credit the swaddle.

OP here. He sleeps in the Snoo. The pediatrician and lactation consultant said every two hours at two weeks is perfectly normal. They also said cluster feeding is perfectly normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is he swaddled tightly OP? My babies are every 2-3 hours during the day, but developed one 5-6 hour night stretch really quickly, like 11-4am or so. I credit the swaddle.

Her baby is 2 weeks old. Eating every two hours is normal. Even eating every hour is normal. Most 2 week old are not doing 5-6 hour stretches and no amount of a tight swaddle will help that.