Advice on feeding/sleeping needed

clairemwalker

Hay ladies! LO is nearly 8 weeks. Her sleeping pattern is still a bit unpredictable but she always goes down between 6.30pm and 7.30pm. She usually wakes between 12-1am but sometimes sleeps till 2ish. Anyway, last night she slept till 3.45am! The community nurse that came to see me yesterday said that i still need to get up and pump if she is going to sleep that long because otherwise my supply will drop. Seriously? Isnt sleeping through the night natural progression? I dont really feel like this is sound advicebut im not having a followup with the LC until next week. I mean how long should i have to get up and pump when i could be sleeping? Mothers over the world dont usually have to start pumping when their babes start sleeping through longer periods?

Synnovus

Considering LO's age it does sound a little strange to me that you would need to pump if LO is asleep, unless you feel that your breast are getting uncomfortable full and want to avoid engorgement. At 6w-12w it's normal for baby and mom to find their own pattern when it comes to feedings and some babies have one quite long sleep stretch, but as long as LO is gaining that's fine. It may actually mean that you have a very good supply and LO gets very full before her long sleep. Would be interesting to hear what the LC says. 

ashton2190

I don't know what you're supposed to do but mine is 9 weeks and has been sleeping through the night for a while. She typically gets up between 5 and 6 and nurses on one side. If I can't stand how full the other one is, I'll pump it. If I can, then she just starts with that side when she gets up again in a few hours. It works for me because I typically get a bag of milk for my freezer stash really easily

edit: I hate autocorrect

Beverly0628

I feel like you were given bad advice. I would still follow up with a LC for your own peace of mind though. Keep in mind that women all over the world have been breastfeeding their babies forever without the use of a pump. Your body is smart. It will adjust to meet your baby's needs. If your baby is asleep, you should take advantage and sleep too! Your baby will make up the calories during the day and your supply will be just fine. The only reason I would think pumping in the MOTN would be necessary is if you are engorged and uncomfortable or if you are actively trying to build your supply. If your baby is STTN though, then your supply is more than likely adequate enough to meet her needs. Get all the sleep! 

jodiedrich18

Agree with @Beverly0628. Unless you're trying to build your supply or stash some extra or wake up uncomfortable before little one, then pump. Otherwise sleep! I've been told that if you wake up before little one with fullness then to only pump for a minute or so...otherwise you are encouraging supply at night which would naturally even out when LO sleeps for longer stretches consistently. Plus, you need sleep and restoration to KEEP your supply, let alone sanity. Hopefully you can get an answer though when you go for your check up.

taysun

That doesn't sound like terrible advice, but you don't actually have to pump if you don't want to. 

clairemwalker

*update* thanks for the advice ladies. I spoke to my LC, and she didnt think the advice was entirely sound. LO has been sleeping consistantly more since original post, all week has been sleeping until between 4am and 7am. I am pumping once a day anyway so that LO can have one bottle a day to keep her used to the bottle since i will be going back to work in 4 months, so the LC suggested just staying up till 9pm and pumping then (if i want to pump) but as long as i feed on demand rather then on a schedule then my supply should be able to regulate itself. I did notice she is wanting to feed every 2 hours again during the day and then every hour between 4 and 7 but i let her, im not trying to space out feeds unless its been less then 1/2 hour.  I only bother pumping off 2oz and she gets it with her gaviscon mixed in every night before bed (she has reflux) so that seems to work out quite well. Every night i pump the next nights top up : )