How to cope with longer stretches at night?

[Pielette]

Ironically, just after I posted a thread about trying to reduce the night feeds, my baby appears to have dropped to 1. Last night he didn't wake up for a feed until 4am which is amazing for him!

So that was a 9 hour stretch and by that point my boobs were bordering on painful and leaking all over the place. How do you cope with it? The stretches are getting longer every night so I'm worried about coping with the pain. I know I can't pump because it would make my body produce unnecessary milk. So what do you do?

 

[Pielette]

Bump

 

[JohnsonGirl]

Sat here with leaking boobs as my lo naps so stalking!!!

 

[CandyDay]

You can always hand express just enough to relieve the pain and engorgement.

 

[lau86]

I would just hand express a bit. If he is going to sleep longer consistently your body will soon adjust. Enjoy your sleep!!

 

[Pearls18]

I find your body just adapts and it doesn't take long, go to bed with pads. I know it's horribly uncomfortable the feeling goes through me, but it quickly passes. Just be careful of mastitis.

 

[w8ing4bean]

Your body will adjust, but if its too painful express a little off x

 

[Pielette]

Ok thanks ladies. Hopefully it'll be a reasonably quick adjustment!

 

[Becki.S]

Take a breast milk freezer bag to bed with you. If it gets to the point you can't sleep, hold the bag round your nipple so that the bottom sheet is touching your nipple so the milk drips onto the bottom sheet and into the bag. I find if I'm in that much pain the moment I take the pressure off from the sleep bra and pad that if I lean forward it flows. If it stops and it still hurts massage your boob until it goes again rather than express at the gland. This way your not stimulating your boob too much and you'll literally be taking off the excess. Careful though my lo will wake when he smells the milk!

Becki x