EBF- do you wake up to pump when baby starts STTN?

[Anonymous]

My almost 7 month old has finally started sleeping through the night, hallelujah!! She goes to bed at 7, wakes up at 615... my boobs simply cannot go that long without exploding. So far I’ve tried pumping before I go to bed around 9/930 but I still wake up pretty full and I worry she will get too much fore milk in the morning this way. Today I tried going all night but woke up at 445 and had to pump for some relief.

What’s the best way to go about this? I don’t want to pump too much so that my body keeps making milk in the middle of the night but also don’t want supply to tank because I plan to continue Bfing through 12 months if possible.

[Anonymous]

Nope. You can taper off the middle of the night pumps just to avoid discomfort, but don't keep pumping or you'll keep making milk. If you do it gradually, your supply shouldn't tank. You could also do a little manual expression just to relieve pressure.

[Anonymous]

No, but sometimes I would wake up uncomfortable so I would sit with the Haakaas on for 10 minutes to relieve pressure.

[Anonymous]

I know in theory you should not have to be but my supply dropped way down when I did. At 7months though I assume your child is on solids so you may be ok.

[Anonymous]

I didn't and was fine, until about 11 months. Actually I exclusively pumped and never got up to pump in the middle of the night. I felt like sleep was more important than having to occasionally supplement, but I ended up only having to supplement at the very beginning (baby was premature, hence the exclusive pumping because she couldn't latch) and at the very very end (like 11 months old). All kids are different in their consumption, and my kid ended up loving solids and never wanted or was able to drink a huge bottle, so it worked out for us.

[Anonymous]

I did not pump to keep up supply. I only pumped to relieve pressure. I got a little hand pump and just let the milk go into the sink, so it wasn't such an ordeal in the middle of the night. (I had oversupply more generally, so milk going down the sink was nbd.)

Your body should (in theory) adjust to this new schedule. Mine did but it took some time. Only pump to relieve the pressure or your body will keep thinking it needs to produce milk for that feed.

[Anonymous]

i bought a inexpensive hand pump (a PP also recommended the Haaka), and over a few weeks i would pump and relieve and ounce or two for comfort while my body adjusted to the decreased demand.

By 7 months you are also probably starting to incorporate solids, so baby will be drinking less anyways, and your supply will begin to drop from that too. Don't worry about "tanking your supply" and just listen to your body! Remember that by 12m, the baby will probably be down to just a few nursing sessions a day (we only did morning and night) as they will start to get more and more nutrients from food.

[Anonymous]

I had to pump before bed with my first or my supply would drop. I haven't had that issue with my second, who dropped her overnight feed at 7 months and is now 13m.

[Anonymous]

At 7 months I would skip it. Don't worry about "too much foremilk" in the morning. It'll balance out.

[Anonymous]

Pump for relief. Your body will adjust.

[Anonymous]

I weaned off the middle of the night feed by switching to pumping then pushing back the time 15 minutes a night or every 2 nights depending on how full I felt. Once I got within a couple hours of baby wake up i just crossed my fingers and slept through. I would leak a little at the beginning but it ended quickly. Congrats, big milestone!

[Anonymous]

DS is 3 months old and sleeping through the night consistently but i do a dream feed right before I go to bed around 10pm. I end up pumping the other side around 6am or so. So one side goes about 11 hours and it’s usually discomfort that wakes me up before DS wakes up

[Anonymous]

I pump before bed and feed baby in the morning. Sleep is my top priority. Foremilk doesn’t seem to be an issue for my kid but YMMV.

[Anonymous]

I would only pump when my kid had a bottle (usually at daycare).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would only pump when my kid had a bottle (usually at daycare).

This. It is helpful if you need to maintain a steady freezer supply or bottles during the next day/week.