How do you decide when to pump when baby's sleep is inconsistent?

whitney4126 · October 2014

LO is almost 7 weeks. Her longest stretch of sleep at night always starts around 9. Up until 2 weeks ago, she pretty much always woke up around midnight. The last couple of weeks she has had some longer stretches, a couple 4, a couple 5, and 1 6 hour stretch of sleep. But they aren't consistent. One night she sleeps from 9-2, the next from 9-12, etc. So I'm left with the dilemma every night at midnight whether I should pump and hope she'll stay asleep a couple more hours, or wait because she's likely to wake up within the hour. I'm always afraid that I'll pump and then she'll wake up in 20 minutes and my breasts will still be close to empty. I always keep 1-2 breastmilk bottles in the fridge, but I try to avoid giving them to her because she always wants to comfort nurse afterward for long periods of time, whereas DH can give her one and she'll go right back to sleep. I know there are some other moms in the same situation with inconsistent sleep cycles. So how so you decide when to pump?

kaileemariep · October 2014

I would just pump! Worst case scenario is she will wake and you feed her what you pumped. When she's done with bottle you can put her to the beast to comfort nurse. That is what I have been doing on those long stretches of sleep.

saraeric · October 2014

My DS eats around 8:30 or 9 and then goes down for bed in his crib. He usually wakes up around 2 or 3am. During that feed, DH gives him a bottle (3oz) and I pump. I can usually get around 5oz total so still more that DS is eating. I also added a pumping session around 10pm, right before I go to bed, because I was waking up with soaked nursing pads for my MOTN session. After he eats around 2 or 3, we can usually get another 3-4hr stretch of sleep and I nurse him then.

There have been a few times when he hasn't slept as long and I just nurse him like normal. He usually falls asleep. Worse case scenario, she wants to nurse again sooner than she usually would if she's not getting as much during each session.

Ivorytower2 · October 2014

I pump once a day and try to do it pretty much right after her first morning feed. That way I'm already awake and I know she won't be hungry for at least an hour and even if I don't have as much milk an hour later it's daytime, so I'm ok with feeding her more frequently in the AM.

My LO also sleeps randomly either like 8-12 or 8-1:30, and I do get really engorged when she sleeps longer, but I wouldn't want to pump then because when she does wake up she's always ravenous.

Bonnesetter27 · October 2014

Why are you pumping? To build a stash? If that is the case I would just pump after she feeds in the morning or even in the middle of the night. Then you won't have to worry if she is getting enough. After a few days your body will get the message and make more milk at those times.

kateronium · October 2014

I pump right after her feeding because I know I'll wake up in pain. My boobs get horribly engorged really fast

Ahlome08 · October 2014

I also pump after LO has a good feeding. The thing is, I pump in the afternoon after he goes down for his long day nap. This is after he had fed from one breast, and, if he didn't take the other, I pump that one. He sleeps anywhere from 1-4 hours for that nap, and, worse case scenario, he wakes I feed him the bottle if my boobs are empty.

whitney4126 · October 2014

Bonnesetter27 said:
Why are you pumping? To build a stash? If that is the case I would just pump after she feeds in the morning or even in the middle of the night. Then you won't have to worry if she is getting enough. After a few days your body will get the message and make more milk at those times.

I am building a stash here and there because I've always had a great supply. But, I'm pumping because I start to get uncomfortable at 3 hours. If I go 4 or more, I'm miserably engorged and LO has a hard time latching. So if I know she's going to sleep 5 hours, I'd prefer to get up half way through to pump.

HorseLover11 · October 2014

saraeric said:

My DS eats around 8:30 or 9 and then goes down for bed in his crib. He usually wakes up around 2 or 3am. During that feed, DH gives him a bottle (3oz) and I pump. I can usually get around 5oz total so still more that DS is eating. I also added a pumping session around 10pm, right before I go to bed, because I was waking up with soaked nursing pads for my MOTN session. After he eats around 2 or 3, we can usually get another 3-4hr stretch of sleep and I nurse him then.

There have been a few times when he hasn't slept as long and I just nurse him like normal. He usually falls asleep. Worse case scenario, she wants to nurse again sooner than she usually would if she's not getting as much during each session.

Why don't you have DH give a bottle at 830/9 while you pump and then just bf in the motn. No sense in you both being up at 230 am. You'll also know how much the baby eats at their last big feed before bed. It's really worked well for is doing it that way and I got an 8 hr stretch in last night!! (830-5). I was so nervous she wasn't ok that I kept checking on her as she usually would wake up around 230/3

Gizmo1231 · October 2014

I was super worried about this but my LC told me to just pump and if LO happens to wake up just attach him and let him nurse. After a couple days my body got the hint and I've never had a problem of not having enough for him even after he wakes up 1/2 hour after pumping. Try it and see if it works for you too! My LC said our bodies are factories not warehouses- they will always produce more if the demand is there. There isn't an "out of stock" option

Daisy1232 · October 2014

I've gotten caught having to nurse immediately after pumping and LO still got as much as he needed. I read somewhere that it's like a river running out of water...it doesn't happen because more just keeps flowing.

RedBaramid · October 2014

I'm awful about pumping when I don't have to, but I really need to get it together and start... I've never had an issue with being out of milk for her if she wants to eat right after I pump.. babies clean you out better than the pump anyway, and the few times she has seemed to pull away unsatisfied I just suck it up and give her some of what I pumped anyway. I would go ahead and pump yourself if you're uncomfortable.. worse case scenario you end up giving her the bottle of what you pumped, best case scenario you built up your supply and have a healthy stash.

rlyttle · October 2014

I let DD nurse from one side in the morning and I pump the other. I usually get 5 oz out of that one side in the morning. I'm too tired to pump at night or MOTN. She is sleeping great though.

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