Pumping at night

candyreesecup · May 2013

Do you get up middle of the night for pumping to maintain your milk production once your LO started STTN?

I know that a frequent feeding (every 3 hrs) is the key to maintain your milk suppy. I just went back to work and I am exclusively pumping. My LO has started sleeping through the night (Usually from 10pm to 5am) and it's great, but I am forcing myselft to get up at night for some pump sessions. My last pump of the day is usually at 11pm and then I get up at 2am & 5am to pump. It's becoming tough to get up in the middle of the night, but I am afraid of loosing my supply if I don't.

I am falling out of my chair at work because I am so tired and sleepy, so I am thinking about getting up once at night instead. Will this have a big impact on supply?? Do you ladies get up at night??

TJ1979 · May 2013

I'm exhausted just reading about your schedule! If LO is sleeping through that feeding, then you don't really need to pump for it. Your body should adjust and the only amount of milk you will lose should be the amount for that pump. So if you depend on that pump to have enough milk each day, you might need to keep it up. But if you are making enough otherwise, get you some sleep girl! You need it.

Worst case scenario, if you drop that pump and your supply starts to lower, you are still early enough to boost it back up by adding that pump back in.

PennyLane26 · May 2013

Ohh I am so looking forward to seeing these responses! Thanks for posting!

Dragonfly1226 · May 2013

If LO is sleeping, you should be sleeping! You don't need to train your body to produce that much milk at night if LO isn't eating at night. Enjoy your sleep!

candyreesecup · May 2013

Ducky719:

Initially, yes, I woke up in the middle of the night to pump, but that is only because once LO started STTN, I was completely engorged and in pain. I only did this a few times because I was by no means going to continue pumping during the night. But, I do not have any issues with my supply. Someone else who has issues with their supply may respond differently.

My body caught on pretty quickly that I didn't need milk MOTN and my first morning pump became larger (but not to the point where I couldn't sleep and was engorged). Just give yourself a little more time in the morning to pump if you drop pumping at night. Since this is my largest "harvest", it takes 20 minutes instead of the normal 10. I usually get 12 oz with my first pump of the day.

Oh my goodness for 12 oz!!! That's amazing amount, Ducky!!! I also get the most milk in the early morning (about 5 oz). I am so prone to plugged ducts, so I am scared to go longer hours without pumping, but like you & TJ said, body will adjust, so I should try longer stretch at night.

Saraevh · May 2013

I would set my alarm and get up ... not sure how long I did this for (maybe like 2 weeks?) and then I cut one pump session out, then eventually the second maybe 2 weeks later and would just pump a whole butt load of milk when I would wake up in the AM. When I started just pumping in the AM I found I really only got a couple of ounces less than I did when I was setting my alarm and getting up so ??? But I was also trying to build a freezer stash so I could completely wean at 6 months so that was my motivation. I ended up stashing away a whole deep freezer full of milk and my LO got his last bottle of BM just before he turned 11 months old when we switched to whole milk, but I agree with PP's that if you aren't trying to build a stash or anything I'd slowly cut them out and enjoy the rest!

candyreesecup · May 2013

Saraevh:
I would set my alarm and get up ... not sure how long I did this for (maybe like 2 weeks?) and then I cut one pump session out, then eventually the second maybe 2 weeks later and would just pump a whole butt load of milk when I would wake up in the AM. When I started just pumping in the AM I found I really only got a couple of ounces less than I did when I was setting my alarm and getting up so ??? But I was also trying to build a freezer stash so I could completely wean at 6 months so that was my motivation. I ended up stashing away a whole deep freezer full of milk and my LO got his last bottle of BM just before he turned 11 months old when we switched to whole milk, but I agree with PP's that if you aren't trying to build a stash or anything I'd slowly cut them out and enjoy the rest!

You stashed 5 mon supply? Wow, that's impressive!! Initially, I didn't have a realistic long term goal of BF, but now I am thinking to pump as long as my production lasts. I really like how you planned and stashed that much to feed your LO for such a long time. I might copy that!

imoverit · May 2013

Dragonfly1226:
If LO is sleeping, you should be sleeping! You don't need to train your body to produce that much milk at night if LO isn't eating at night. Enjoy your sleep! :

I agree with this!!

Saraevh · May 2013

candyreesecup:
Saraevh:
I would set my alarm and get up ... not sure how long I did this for (maybe like 2 weeks?) and then I cut one pump session out, then eventually the second maybe 2 weeks later and would just pump a whole butt load of milk when I would wake up in the AM. When I started just pumping in the AM I found I really only got a couple of ounces less than I did when I was setting my alarm and getting up so ??? But I was also trying to build a freezer stash so I could completely wean at 6 months so that was my motivation. I ended up stashing away a whole deep freezer full of milk and my LO got his last bottle of BM just before he turned 11 months old when we switched to whole milk, but I agree with PP's that if you aren't trying to build a stash or anything I'd slowly cut them out and enjoy the rest!

You stashed 5 mon supply? Wow, that's impressive!! Initially, I didn't have a realistic long term goal of BF, but now I am thinking to pump as long as my production lasts. I really like how you planned and stashed that much to feed your LO for such a long time. I might copy that!

I did BUT I was giving him two bottles a day of BM and two bottles a day of formula to try to stretch it out. Otherwise I probably would have only gotten about 3 months out of it. I had well over 1,000 oz stashed away though ... probably more like 1,500 oz or more. HA. It was sorda ridiculous. My husband is glad he can finally use our deep freezer for food again.

It was A LOT of work though. Like, took over my life lot of work. I basically pumped every 3-4 hours for 20 mintues all throughout the day, and I did continue getting up in the middle of the night for awhile too. I can remember scheduling our day around my pumping sessions and would even do crazy things like pump while driving. Blah. But it was really nice to stop when my baby was 6 months and be able to continue to give him BM though, so for me it worked and I got a great supply out of it (would pump on average 10 oz every time!!!).

Anyway, good luck.

kaf7 · May 2013

I don't get up if LO doesn't BUT he usually only takes one side once he does wake and so I pump the other side for both comfort and a freezer stash. I do a max of 10min and get 3-5oz.i haven't had problems with supply.

mdiblasi10 · May 2013

I love breastfeeding so much, but I sure hate pumping! Once Grayson started sleeping longer stretches and then through the night, my supply adjusted. I did wake up a lot of mornings pretty engorged in the beginning and I would pump before I fed him. I stashed as much as I could in the freezer for daycare when I went back to work at 5 months post-partum.

You need your sleep! I hope the transition goes smoothly and you can cut out the night pumping.

OceanBreeze1 · May 2013

DD was STTN pretty early on (and sleeping 10 hours by 2 months old), and I never woke up to pump...but I may have pumped right before I went to bed, just so I wouldn't be as engorged (seriously, spraying the walls while changing DD's diaper before that morning feeding. Fun.).

It did not impact my supply, it just adjusted my supply. Sleep, girl!

Jfila13 · May 2013

I was an EPer for my son for 6 months bc of cleft lip palate. As he slept longer at night, I gradually extended the time between pumps at night and kept the daytime pumps at every 3 hours. I was eventually able to go 67 hours at night without impacting my milk supply. Basically, I just copied what my BFing friends were doing with my pump. Good luck! EPing is a labor of love!

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