Do you have to pump at night?

[mara16jade]

I just got to thinking that when I go back to work, I would pump at work. But do you still pump at night? If LO either STTN or takes a bottle from DH/OH, would you still have to get up and pump?

I guess I'm worried that either volume will decrease with not BF'ing for so long at night, or I'd wake up totally engorged and it would hurt/turn into an infection?

Thanks!

 

[lxb]

If LO takes a bottle during the night, I would pump. Now, I would nurse her when she wakes at night so that I would go right back to sleep afterward.

Now, since her bedtime is 8/9PM, I sometime would pump after she nursed/fell asleep if I dont feel "empty". Then I'm off to bed (since she still wakes for night feed)! Eventually, I would do my "last pump" probably at ~10PM after she drops her night feeds (ahh.. I can only hope it will happen soon~~)

 

[DaniMoose]

i say yes too...i mainly express and get up between 2-4 to pump

 

[Pearls18]

Whenever baby is getting a bottle whether formula or BM make sure you pump. If you're lucky enough to have a baby STTN you don't need to pump, your body will adjust it's supply to whatever baby asks for, which is why you pump when a bottle is given to " tell" your body baby is having milk at that time. If baby isn't having milk, there's no need to request milk, unless you want to increase supply.

 

[mara16jade]

Whenever baby is getting a bottle whether formula or BM make sure you pump. If you're lucky enough to have a baby STTN you don't need to pump, your body will adjust it's supply to whatever baby asks for, which is why you pump when a bottle is given to " tell" your body baby is having milk at that time. If baby isn't having milk, there's no need to request milk, unless you want to increase supply.

So if baby starts STTN, and you don't pump, you won't get too full or engorged?

I was hoping that if baby woke up in the middle of the night, DH could feed him a bottle and I could sleep. OR If baby STTN, then I could STTN. lol

Is that ridiculous?

 

[steph.]

Once your supply is established then you dont have to pump at night. Due to brestfeeding refusal I started exclusively pumping at 4 months and I have never pumped at night. I do get a lot in the morning pump session (11ozs) but it doesnt hurt or I havent had any problems with mastitis. I pump around 10pm and around 7 am.

 

[mara16jade]

^^Oh that's great to hear!

How long did it take to get your supply established?

 

[Pearls18]

Whenever baby is getting a bottle whether formula or BM make sure you pump. If you're lucky enough to have a baby STTN you don't need to pump, your body will adjust it's supply to whatever baby asks for, which is why you pump when a bottle is given to " tell" your body baby is having milk at that time. If baby isn't having milk, there's no need to request milk, unless you want to increase supply.

So if baby starts STTN, and you don't pump, you won't get too full or engorged?

I was hoping that if baby woke up in the middle of the night, DH could feed him a bottle and I could sleep. OR If baby STTN, then I could STTN. lol

Is that ridiculous?

When baby starts STTN for the first time it is likely you will get engorged, it usually subsides, when baby wakes feed him/her (most relieving feeling ever!) and your body will learn to make less. Don't be tempted to pump as you could cause oversupply, but a bit of hand expressing might take off the edge.

If hubby is doing night feeds for you I really recommend you pump at least for the first 6 weeks when he is giving a bottle, I know this somewhat contradicts the point but night time is an important time for regulation milk supply and I think you might find your supply is affected quite badly if you don't.

Are you planning on combi feeding with formula as well? In which case maybe someone else will say whether I am wrong or not, I only started combi feeding after DS was about 7 months (although I will say I didn't pump and my supply did get badly affected, not for BF but I couldnt express any more, which wasn't an issue as I was happy to supplement with formula by this point if I couldn't BF every now and again) I believe the usual rule whether you combi feed or BF is to try and pump whenever baby feeds for at least the first 6 weeks to try and get your supply firmly established, if it isnt well established in the beginning you may struggle to make enough milk to feed even if only part time. But I don't know, our bodies are clever and maybe your body will just make what you want, but I would check with some others

But if baby STTN you should STTN, you might just find yourself a little engorged the first few occurrences, it's natural though, if baby hasn't woken for feeding your body will adjust. Your body settles down, I can't remember the last time I was engorged.

 

[mara16jade]

Awesome information! I don't plan on combi feeding unless for some reason I don't have enough of a supply. And I will probably not pump, but instead nurse, at night for the first 2-3 months since I'll be off from work, but hopefully pump during the day (after feeds if I remember correctly) so that I can still get a storage going.

My mom will be caring for our baby (most likely) while we're at work. And I'm planning on going back to work around 4 months. So I'm hoping that I'll have a milk storage for my mom to feed LO while we're working. Maybe I'll get super lucky and LO will be a great sleeper by six or so months so I can get some sleep at night. lol Fx!!

 

[lxb]

I've been pumping like crazy (after each feed) for the first 6-8 weeks to get my supply up and to build up freezer stash.

I return the work at 8th week and pump after my morning feed. If I dont' get enough for her "next serving", I would pump once more. Like steph said, milk supply is usually higher in the morning. Then I pump twice at work (around LO's feeding time ... which is every 3/4 hours). By the time I got home, I nursed her for the remaining of the day. Once she start dropping night feed, I plan to pump at ~10PM as my "last pump"

One thing though... make sure you pump when you LO is feeding during the day once you return to work. And make sure you don't turn to the freezer stash unless it is an emergency (you had to pump and dump, accidentally left pumped milk on the counter overnight, you had to be out of town, or you spilled the pumped milk). If you keep getting milk from the freezer instead of pumping, you are telling your body that your LO is eating less each day.

For me, the purpose of my freezer stash is purely for emergency

 

[mara16jade]

Thanks lxb!

 

[steph.]

^^Oh that's great to hear!

How long did it take to get your supply established?

As pp said, about 6 weeks, so by the time you go back to work you should have your supply well and truly established.During the day if you pump after you feed him, you will develop an oversupply which can then be put towards night feeds and freezer stash. I had a very coordinated lady in my mothers group who managed to pump one boob while brestfeeding off the other, even at night. I dont have the motor skills for that, but it would save you a lot of time!

 

[mara16jade]

^^Wow, that's awesome. Talk about multitasking!

 

[lxb]

I've tried that! (pump one boob while nursing the other!) and it takes some skills and a cooperative baby!

 

[Wugz22]

Your body will adapt pretty quickly to whatever routine you want. Around 6-8 weeks, LO was almost sleeping through the night and after a couple nights of feeling engorged, I was able to go from my last pump around 8:00pm until wake-up around 6:00am without pumping. BUT now he doesn't sleep that good anymore and my boobs are fully prepared to feed him 1-2 times a night, and would feel pretty uncomfortable if I didn't pump. So if he hasn't woken up by 4:00am or so, I get up to pump because I don't want my boobs to stop making that milk b/c I know that he might be up 3 times the next night and I'll need it! Only pump when you want your body to make milk, is my advice