Breastfeedings moms, when do you give pumped milk?

gatsbygirl · July 2012

We've decided to give one bottle of pumped breastmilk each day so DH can share in the feeding and also to give me a little break. I'm struggling to figure out when the best time to give it is though.

At the moment, I've been pumping at 10/10:30 p.m. and DH gives our son the bottle at that time while I pump. I'm thinking though, maybe it would be better to give the bottle at 3 a.m. when DS wakes up in the night so I can get more sleep. I'm just worried about going from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. without feeding or pumping. Any suggestions?

KrissyMiss · July 2012

DH does the night feedings with my pumped milk. Because of this I've been able to get some much needed uninterupted sleep (8 hours!). I usually sleep from around midnight to 8 am. I pump right before going to bed, then either feed LO or pump first thing in the morning. Also when I pump I make sure to completly drain each breast. It seems to be working out pretty well so far.

acbfreire · July 2012

I am doing the bottle in the morning. I tried other times and LO was hungry right after, so it didn't help. You need to pump when she takes the bottle.

drbethc · July 2012

We were giving the bottle when I went out...However, LO is no longer wanting the bottle. He would rather cry and wait for the breast.

MrsC968 · July 2012

DH gives DD a bottle at night after the last time I feed her on the breast. We put her Vitamin D in that bottle. While he's giving her the bottle and getting her to bed, I pump then go to bed myself.

I don't usually have him do an overnight feeding because he has to get up for work. But if it is the weekend and I'm particular exhausted or it's been a rough night with DD he will. I pump twice a day so there's always some more in the fridge or freezer.

venussapphire · July 2012

I pump at 7am and use that to let DH do a feed around 7 pm

parenthood4 · July 2012

I do it at the 3:00 ish feeding. That way either my husband can do it, or I can do it and it takes a lot less time. I pump in the morning after his first feeding and then usually one other time during the day, usually at night. It hasn't been fun at first going all night without pumping or nursing, but I figure it will regulate, like it will when he eventually sleeps through the night.

kincaid44 · July 2012

We just gave our first bottle of pumped milk this weekend! So far I think he's only had 3 bottles total. My husband takes the baby from around 6-8 or 9 in the mornings so that I can sleep, and if the baby needs to eat during that time he will give him a bottle of BM. Other than that, if I am going somewhere and leaving the baby with him, I will pump and leave him with a bottle. 10-7 does seem like a long time...I would leak all over the place! Maybe let him feed him in the evening before bed?

giggles0918 · July 2012

My LO gets up at 3 am which I feed her and then DH gets up at 6 with her and bottles feeds her. I get up around 7 and pump and LO is sleeping then so we share the night/morning feedings. Been working for us so far.

Gismo123 · July 2012

DH gives DS a 4oz bottle right before bedtime and this helps him sttn. He has been sleeping 7-9 hours at night since 3 weeks.

JAJenn · July 2012

I give it to him before bed. That way I can make sure he gets a full feeding and he sleeps longer that way.

samibear74 · July 2012

KrissyMiss:
DH does the night feedings with my pumped milk. Because of this I've been able to get some much needed uninterupted sleep (8 hours!). I usually sleep from around midnight to 8 am. I pump right before going to bed, then either feed LO or pump first thing in the morning. Also when I pump I make sure to completly drain each breast. It seems to be working out pretty well so far.

I do exactly this. My husband works second shift and gets home around 12:15am. I pump and get to bed around 10 or 11. DH gets home, takes a shower etc, then DS wakes up around 3-4am to eat. My husband bottle feeds him, then comes to bed. (He has always stayed up that late after work). I get up when DS starts fussing, usually between 6-8am. It seems to work for us because we can both get some quality stretches of sleep. I have been doing this for a few weeks and as long as I make sure to pump right before bed and right when I wake up, it works. Good luck!

topaz7777 · July 2012

KerrieH6:
I do it at the 3:00 ish feeding. That way either my husband can do it, or I can do it and it takes a lot less time. I pump in the morning after his first feeding and then usually one other time during the day, usually at night. It hasn't been fun at first going all night without pumping or nursing, but I figure it will regulate, like it will when he eventually sleeps through the night.

I also have DH use a bottle at the 3ish feeding, and I get up to pump. If I BF her at 3, it takes me an hour. If I pump, it takes more like 15 minutes and I go back to bed and leave DH to put LO back down. I did find that since we both had to be up during the bottle, it was easiest for us for DH to give the bottle around 8pm. I would pump, and then BF her at 10. I handled the middle of the night feeding myself and let DH sleep.

giraffe54 · August 2012

My DH gives LO a bottle around 7:30-7:45am before work so that I can get an extra hour of sleep, then I pump around 8:30am. I figure it's close enough in time that I'm not screwing with my supply too much.

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