My husband and mom insist I pump and bottle feed at nights !!

firstkid · February 2014

My little girl is 27 days old and is fussy during nights ( starts at around 9:30 and goes on till 6am). I nurse her throughout the day, however my husband and mom are upset whenever she goes cranky during nights and that she is not getting enough to eat. On the other side, I can feel my breasts getting empty or light and LO taking at least something in ( wish I could measure and make sure her tummy is full). I am dead against using bottles ( unless required) as suggested by lactation consultant and my doctor. I am so dragged into pumping and bottle feeding,......cannot blame husband or mother as the little one feeds on bottle pretty well whenever offered. I am worried my supply will go down ( which I already suspect ask am able to pump only 3 oz both together and not 6 as before). Suggest....is it Ok if I bottle feed her during nights ( I would say 3 or 4 feedings) ???

laynal · February 2014

I personally wouldn't do it this young. Her feeding behavior is totally normally and will level off in the next month. I gave my first a bottle at about a month and she started refusing my breast eventually because a bottle is so much easier. Plus pumping and giving a bottle ends up being so much more work.
Also, you can tell if she's getting enough of she's having an adequate amount if wet and poopy diapers and of her weight gain is fine.
Just know, it does get easier. Mine is 2 and a half months now and breastfeeding is so much faster/easier than it was at 1 month. Maybe you should talk to h about trying to be more supportive because those comments can really wear you down and make you start to doubt yourself.

yeah. · February 2014

I would never agree to wake up every 3 hours in the night to pump so someone else could feed my baby. No. I would maybe pump once more during the day and baby can get a bottle before bed while you pump, but overnight, nursing is 1000000x easier.

sschwege · February 2014

yeah. said:

I would never agree to wake up every 3 hours in the night to pump so someone else could feed my baby. No. I would maybe pump once more during the day and baby can get a bottle before bed while you pump, but overnight, nursing is 1000000x easier.

Agreed!

What OP is describing sounds like absolute torture!

Chichigo · February 2014

I would talk it out with my husband but tell my mother to keep her opinions to herself.

utlawgirl · March 2014

I really don't understand how bottle feeding is going to make anything better. I say tell them to take a flying leap.

Well, okay... discuss it with your H if he is willing to do the night feedings while you pump (though I still don't see how it'll make any difference). But it's frankly none of your mom's business.

MrsJG3 · March 2014

I would never agree to pump at night if I didn't have too. That is double work. I also think 3oz per pump session is pretty good but I am not a pumping expert either. There are lots of ways to tell baby is getting enough without relying on how much you can pump out.

Littlemama01 · March 2014

I agree with pp, kick your mother or mil whichever it is out..that is ridic. Your baby is normal, nighttime sucks for a long time.

ktpaladino · March 2014

If your supply has been cut in half during pumping sessions from 6 down to 3 ozs. then, yes, you are hurting your supply by not nursing overnight. The only way to establish and build your supply is to nurse on demand, which is especially important in the beginning when your milk is trying to regulate. Your supply will adjust to the needs of your baby, and you have basically told your body to quit making milk overnight because it's not needed, and now you are going to have to do some hard work to build it back up. Nurse the baby in the middle of the night as often as you can to get everything back to normal. There are many reasons why a baby can be fussy at night. It doesn't sound like her not getting enough to eat is the culprit.

My husband and mom insist I pump and bottle feed at nights !!

Re: My husband and mom insist I pump and bottle feed at nights !!

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