Breastfeeding whilst baby is sleeping through the night
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My little one sleeps for around 6-8 hours in one go now (8pm til 2-4am, this morning 5am!) - my boobs have gradually adjusted. A week or so ago I’d wake up automatically at around 2 or 3 with solid boobs that were sore and beginning to leak. This morning when I got up at just before 5, they were manageable. Usually I just do 3/4 mins of pumping to reduce the solid feeling 😊
Thank you both @Nabila @Lorren that’s really helpful and reassuring to know! All the best to you both🫶🏻
Your milk supply ‘regulates’ to what the baby needs apparently. My midwife said to not let the baby sleep for more than 5.5 hours without a feed at this age, but obviously you have to use your instinct! I’m not a believer in ‘never wake a sleeping baby’ personally, so if you think they need a feed then feed them.
5 hours - This is the dream! We go an hour to 3.5 max in the night currently. As the others have said your body adjusts very quickly to your baby’s routine. I don’t have milk ducts on one side but my milk still came in and I was very engorged. It took 4 days for it to get the message that we can’t feed from that side and my body reabsorbed the milk and hasn’t made any since on that side but makes plenty from the one working boob! How amazing are our bodies!!
I keep a Haakaa hand pump next to my bed. If painfully engorged I release into that
@Emma wowwwww our bodies are amazing 😍
My midwife reassured me that our body will adjust :) If it’s v painful I often hand express in the night just to take the pressure off and defo before morning feed otherwise he will struggle to latch. It takes a few days but you’ll adjust over time - you and baby are v in sync!