Breastmilk Supply Regulation Question

MrsSinner402 · December 2014

@Emerald27‌ or @theresat858‌ or any other BFing gurus! DD has started STTN. From 10ish to 7. I'm EPing, and started skipping the MOTN pump and just pumping when DD gets up. She's 11.5 weeks. Won't my supply regulate soon? Or am I doomed to waking up with crazy engorged boulder boobs every morning?

Lindzoid · December 2014

From what I remember (DS1 is 11 and DS2 is 6) your body continues to change as baby's feeding change. Your body should figure it out that baby is just going for a longer stretch during that time and taking all feedings during awake hours. By now your supply should have regulated, and will even out with the longer stretch.

Lucky you, my LO did this 3 nights in a row and then went back to waking once or sometimes twice a night. GL and I hope LO keeps on this schedule for you.

Emerald27 · December 2014

Your supply will regulate. However, that's a super long stretch with a baby so young, and there's a danger of your supply dropping too low. It's usually recommended at this stage to empty your breasts at least every 6-8 hours, even better if you could so every 4. Can you pump once before you go to bed...say, 11-12ish?

MrsSinner402 · December 2014

Emerald27 said:
Your supply will regulate. However, that's a super long stretch with a baby so young, and there's a danger of your supply dropping too low. It's usually recommended at this stage to empty your breasts at least every 6-8 hours, even better if you could so every 4. Can you pump once before you go to bed...say, 11-12ish?

Thats my 10pm pump before bed. My pump session lasts until about 10:30. I've been pumping 4x a day for several weeks now and haven't seen a supply dip. I'm loving the sleep at night, thats for sure.

swise22 · December 2014

@MrsSinner402‌ I'm definitely not a breastfeeding guru but my LO has been STTN for about 2 weeks now and we had the same issue at first. He sleeps from about 830 at night to 730 the next morning. I usually make my last pump around 10 and get up at 7 to pump again. The first few nights were rough and I ended up with some clogged ducts but I has since regulated. I am always very full in the morning but not to the point that it hurts and my supply has stayed the same throughout the day.

MrsSinner402 · December 2014

swise22 said:
@MrsSinner402‌ I'm definitely not a breastfeeding guru but my LO has been STTN for about 2 weeks now and we had the same issue at first. He sleeps from about 830 at night to 730 the next morning. I usually make my last pump around 10 and get up at 7 to pump again. The first few nights were rough and I ended up with some clogged ducts but I has since regulated. I am always very full in the morning but not to the point that it hurts and my supply has stayed the same throughout the day.

Mine are definitely full and tender to the touch, and I leak right through my Lansinoh soothie pads.

So you think it will become less and less uncomfortable? I've never had a clogged duct that I know of (knock on wood). I'm just hoping it'll even out here soon! You pump 4x a day too, right?

swise22 · December 2014

MrsSinner402 said:

swise22 said:
@MrsSinner402‌ I'm definitely not a breastfeeding guru but my LO has been STTN for about 2 weeks now and we had the same issue at first. He sleeps from about 830 at night to 730 the next morning. I usually make my last pump around 10 and get up at 7 to pump again. The first few nights were rough and I ended up with some clogged ducts but I has since regulated. I am always very full in the morning but not to the point that it hurts and my supply has stayed the same throughout the day.
Mine are definitely full and tender to the touch, and I leak right through my Lansinoh soothie pads. So you think it will become less and less uncomfortable? I've never had a clogged duct that I know of (knock on wood). I'm just hoping it'll even out here soon! You pump 4x a day too, right?

When he started STTN consistently, I would push my MOTN pumping session back an hour each night until I made it through the night. I used to leak really bad overnight and wake up engorged and in a ton of pain. My supply did even out though and now I just wake up very full but with no pain (I end up pumping about 22 ounces in the morning session now). I do only pump 4 times a day also (so 3 additional times during the day). It really sucked at first getting through the night and regulating my supply but it's so nice once it happens because you get so much more sleep at night!

MrsSinner402 · December 2014

swise22 said:

MrsSinner402 said:

swise22 said:
@MrsSinner402‌ I'm definitely not a breastfeeding guru but my LO has been STTN for about 2 weeks now and we had the same issue at first. He sleeps from about 830 at night to 730 the next morning. I usually make my last pump around 10 and get up at 7 to pump again. The first few nights were rough and I ended up with some clogged ducts but I has since regulated. I am always very full in the morning but not to the point that it hurts and my supply has stayed the same throughout the day.
Mine are definitely full and tender to the touch, and I leak right through my Lansinoh soothie pads. So you think it will become less and less uncomfortable? I've never had a clogged duct that I know of (knock on wood). I'm just hoping it'll even out here soon! You pump 4x a day too, right?
When he started STTN consistently, I would push my MOTN pumping session back an hour each night until I made it through the night. I used to leak really bad overnight and wake up engorged and in a ton of pain. My supply did even out though and now I just wake up very full but with no pain (I end up pumping about 22 ounces in the morning session now). I do only pump 4 times a day also (so 3 additional times during the day). It really sucked at first getting through the night and regulating my supply but it's so nice once it happens because you get so much more sleep at night!

Yeah I pump about 8oz per boob in the morning and it takes like 35-40 minutes. I wish I could just unscrew a cap and dump it out instead!

Emerald27 · December 2014

Some moms can pump whenever baby eats and do just fine. It can be helpful to add a couple extra sessions to protect your supply, but if you're getting more than enough with the sessions you have, that's not necessary. Just keep an eye on your output.

If that's your before bed session and LO is sleeping such a long stretch, you may want to pump at least once briefly during the night to relieve engorgement.

If you're not emptying your breasts completely at that time, you won't signal a production increase, and you'll be more comfy while you wait for your supply to regulate.

Emerald27 · December 2014

My concern, @MrsSinner402‌, is for long term for your supply. Consistently filling up and staying full for so long this early isn't too "normal," and you might find that it affects your supply long term. Maybe not, but pumping just once during the night would protect your supply.

sabby2 · December 2014

Emerald27 said:
My concern, @MrsSinner402‌, is for long term for your supply. Consistently filling up and staying full for so long this early isn't too "normal," and you might find that it affects your supply long term. Maybe not, but pumping just once during the night would protect your supply.

This is the motivation I need to wake my butt up and pump in the night. DD has been giving us long stretches and I've been enjoying the sleep.

Emerald27 · December 2014

sabby2 said:

Emerald27 said:
My concern, @MrsSinner402‌, is for long term for your supply. Consistently filling up and staying full for so long this early isn't too "normal," and you might find that it affects your supply long term. Maybe not, but pumping just once during the night would protect your supply.
This is the motivation I need to wake my butt up and pump in the night. DD has been giving us long stretches and I've been enjoying the sleep.

It's a bit different for EPing moms who pump on a schedule than for moms who are breastfeeding on demand. It's generally recommended this early on not to go more than 6-8 hours without nursing or expressing, but if baby sleeps a long stretch occasionally, that's really not a big deal. Your supply will regulate to meet her needs. If you're waking uncomfortably full, though, dream feeding or expressing some to stay comfortable as your supply adjusts is all you really need to do.

MrsSinner402 · December 2014

Emerald27 said:

sabby2 said:

Emerald27 said:
My concern, @MrsSinner402‌, is for long term for your supply. Consistently filling up and staying full for so long this early isn't too "normal," and you might find that it affects your supply long term. Maybe not, but pumping just once during the night would protect your supply.
This is the motivation I need to wake my butt up and pump in the night. DD has been giving us long stretches and I've been enjoying the sleep.
It's a bit different for EPing moms who pump on a schedule than for moms who are breastfeeding on demand. It's generally recommended this early on not to go more than 6-8 hours without nursing or expressing, but if baby sleeps a long stretch occasionally, that's really not a big deal. Your supply will regulate to meet her needs. If you're waking uncomfortably full, though, dream feeding or expressing some to stay comfortable as your supply adjusts is all you really need to do.

Bah.. sleep vs engorgement.. its so hard!

Thank you for your info. I dont plan to pump too much longer, as I have a huge freezer stash and plan on only giving her BM until she's about 6 months old. I can't stand being an EPer for much longer than that. Its waaay too much for me to handle pumping when I go back to work in March. So even if it dwindled my supply long term that wouldnt be necessarily a terrible thing. Thank you!

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