Question for breastfeeding moms

Katy - posted on 03/22/2010

My son is about the same age as your daughter, and I haven't noticed a drop in my supply at all, even when he does sleep 6-7 hours thru the night. He usually eat a lot right before bed, so he empties them both and in the morning does it again, so I think that balances it out. If you worked with a lactation consultant at the hospital, give them a call, or you can try a local la leche league and see if they can help you.

Dani - posted on 03/21/2010

mine also sleeps 7 hours at night , and no my supply is fine :)

Casey - posted on 03/20/2010

yes it does that is why you should pump wen ur baby doesnt eat my daughter will sleep frm 11 at night to 7 am. an i wake up an pump then feed her ur body will ujust to her schedual. mine did my daughter id 3 months old an it took until a week ago to figure out her schadual. my son was the same way. your milk is suppy an demand.even if u pump an freeze it that was if u need alil wile ur out you got it. at first it seems like you have to much milk then it seems like more enough just be pationt an let your body wat it was ment to do let your body an baby do all the work just drink plenty of fluids (juice water lemonade gatorade) an eat lots of fruits an veggies all the healthy food you can handle.

Allison - posted on 03/18/2010

My daughter is sleeping all night and so did my first one (not the 2nd, but 2 out of 3 isn't bad) it didn't affect my milk... I just seem to be full when I wake up and if she only eats from one side then I just pump the other to make sure that the milk supply evens out on both sides.

Nicole - posted on 03/18/2010

my son sleeps about 8hrs a night i just get up an pump when i gotta.

Stephanie - posted on 03/18/2010

I didn't read through all the replies (I'm at work, so I don't have time) but the ones I did I didn't see the response I was hoping someone would have given you...

The length of time that your baby sleeps at night doesn't really matter as long as you are keeping up with 1 thing.... You have to be feeding her a minimum of 8 times a day. So for a day or two count how many times she eats, as long as you feed her at least 8 times, you can let her sleep as long as she wants at night. If you feed her less than 8 times a day, then your supply will begin to get affected. Hope this helps :)

Kiara - posted on 03/18/2010

My 3yo slept 7-8hr a night from 6wks old, was breastfed exclusively until he was 6mth and was given solids and breastfed until 13.5mths. He was well & truly ready for solids by 6mths has always been a healthy size and weight (between 75% & 90%) until the breastfeeding stopped. My baby girl will often sleep 7-9hr at night and a healthy size & weight (over 97%). Some days my milk feels a little low, however, she doesn't appear to be going hungry :o)

Dani - posted on 03/17/2010

i breastfeed exclusively and my daughter sleeps 8 sometimes 10 hours straight. my milk supply is fine. i usually wake up in the middle of the night to change breast pads because mine are soaked, and soaked again when we wake up in the morning. if your worried or you think your milk supply is dwindling, try using a breast pump. it will kick up your milk supply and you can store what you pump in the freezer for 4 months or more(look on the la leche league website for milk storing guidelines). i don't give my baby a bottle usually, but i like having the milk stored as a back up in case i get sick or have to be away from my lo for too long

Danielle - posted on 03/17/2010

Hi,
My daughter sleeps for about 8 hours over night and I dont wake her for a feed! My boobs are pretty full by the morning and sometimes over night I get up to express only because it is uncomfortable. It hasnt effected my milk supply I just am getting really full. Have you found you have less milk or more overnight? If more then I suggest expressing at least once! I also have to express a little before feeding because I am so full she can not latch! I dont know if this helps. Maybe contact the Breast Feeding Association and see what they say!

Jo - posted on 03/17/2010

Hi there. My son is now 12 weeks old. He sleeps from 9.30pm until about 5am every night & has done since he was 9 weeks old. I feed him just before he goes to sleep so he goes down full. My milk has not been affected at all. When he started sleeping through i got a bit worried about my milk & consulted my doctor & was told not to worry & that your body produces milk as its needed & remembers when it needs more & less. Ive also recently started replacing the lunchtime feed to more solids like puree veg & my body has quickly adjusted to the new routine. Hope that puts your mind at ease!

Patricia - posted on 03/17/2010

our baby sleeps 11 hours, but we still have problems with our daughter, she is 20 months...still wakes up 4-5 times a night, we are so tired, Thibo and Jarne don't hear her, so that's nice, but I can't remember when I slept 7 hours staight;....

Samantha - posted on 03/16/2010

how do you get them to sleep so long? my 14 week old sleeps 2-3 hours at a time and at night he wants the breast every minute is seems like! what am I doing wrong? he is my only boy and the fourth kid! all my other kids slept 8-10 hours I would have to wake them! I'm tired and my body is sore!

Nichol - posted on 03/14/2010

my daughter is 10.5 weeks and she just started to sleep 12 hours at night. I don't think it has affected my milk except being really engorged in the morning when I ge up.

Jessy - posted on 03/12/2010

my daughter sleeps for about 6-7 hours at night. she is 3 months and I have not noticed any change in my milk supply. she is ready to eat as soon as she wakes up and I'm always ready for her to eat. with breast feeding being supply and demand I wouldn't think that this would be an issue. Although I also have enough milk for 5 babies probably.

Patty - posted on 03/12/2010

I have my daughter who is almost 4 mos on a 3 hours feeding schedule. Her last feeding is usually between 10 and 11pm and then she goes down for bed and doesn't normally wake up until 6-7am. My milk supply is fine. It you notice a difference try pumping or talk to the Doctor.

Kelly - posted on 03/12/2010

Hi, My son (whose 13 weeks) does a 9 hour stretch with no feed, and my milk supply has just adjusted. At first my boobs were just about exploding in the morning, but now it's just normal. I have no problems with a lack of milk. I say if they want to sleep, let them sleep!

Brittany - posted on 03/12/2010

I exclusively breastfeed too, and I feed my little girl every 2 hours during the day. The last time she eats is about 9 or 10 pm then she doesn't wake until around 7 or 8 am...so she sleeps at least 9 hours straight and I haven't had a problem with my supply. =) I too had been worried about this, but me ped said not to because while the long sleep can't harm your supply....stress can. Hope this helps!!!

Tia - posted on 03/11/2010

I breastfeed my daughter as well and fortunately she does sleep through the night. I actually returned to work recently also, so I have been very concerned about my milk supply. However, I try to pump as often as I can so that she'll have milk even when I'm not around. The pumping has helped to increase my milk supply, even with me being at work all day and her sleeping all night, I'm able to produce more than enough milk. Also, if you aren't interested in pumping, you might want to try MilkMaid Tea. They sell it at Babies R Us. It helps boost production.

Julia - posted on 03/11/2010

my baby will still wake up two times during sleeping hours. first time is like between 1 n 2. then the other time she will wake up after 5 n 6. other times when she is in her own bed she will sleep really good on her own. i also notice that when i hold her while she is falling asleep i have a blanket on her so its easy to put her down in her own bed

Hailey - posted on 03/11/2010

Hello, my daughter is 9 weeks and sleeps between 6 and 8 hours a night. Even when she gets up for that night feed it only last about 15 minutes. When I wake up the are pretty full, and she does eat about every three hours during the day. i found that taking a quick nap during the day when she is sleeping helps out quite a bit. If your worried you could get up during the night and pump??

Dulce - posted on 03/10/2010

Hello Aileen, well I am a breastfeeding mother as well, so congrats. My daughter is now 3 months old as well and just started to sleep throughout the night.(Thank goodness) But yes I thought the same but I still end up producing a lot, as long as you keep it up during the day then you will be okay. Oh and a great tip, wake up early, breastpump, then eat oatmeal, it helps start your milk production throughtout the day.

Michelle - posted on 03/10/2010

My daughter has been sleeping 7-9 hrs through the night since she was exactly two months old (she's now just turning 3 months) - and I haven't noticed any problem with my milk supply at all!

Jess - posted on 03/10/2010

as you can see from all the posts everyone is different so try a few things and do what works for you!

Katy - posted on 03/10/2010

My daughter started sleeping 8 hours through the night at 5 weeks. Since 8 weeks she has gone to 11 hours. I usually pump at 10 pm before I go to bed and feed her at 7 am when she wakes up. I hear it is ok to go 9-10 hours at night. It hasn't affected my supply.

Patricia - posted on 03/10/2010

hey
our little boy, sleeps all night,also 7 or 8 hours...at the morning I still have leaks in the morning, so I have supplies enough!

Missy - posted on 03/10/2010

my son gets up in the middle of the night. when he doesn't (and i wake, because it's part of my sleep routine now) i pick him up, change his diaper and nurse him. he will fall back to sleep when he's done. my sister had this problem and it affected her supply. people told her to either wake the baby and nurse him, or let him sleep and pump some milk in the middle of the night. (also eating Oatmeal helps your supply :)

Jean-Ann - posted on 03/10/2010

I think you are fine. My 12 week old sleeps 8+ hours at night, and everything is fine. Yes, I am very full in the morning! But as long as you are drinking plenty of water and resting like you should then your milk supply should be good. This is my 4th breastfed baby and they all started sleeping for long periods of time around 10 weeks and all were good. Best of luck to you!

Shannon - posted on 03/09/2010

Hi. My son is 12 weeks also and for the last couple of weeks he has been sleeping for around 6-7 hours at night and my milk supply is usually quite normal.. Last night he slept for about 9 hours (he would have gone longer but I woke him up... Too worried :p ) and when i woke up my breast were very hard and lumpy... But he was so hungry that he emptied one side and half of the other. During the first month and a half of his life I had mastitus 3 times so i am a bit worried now still because it is very painful and inconvenient... Recently I have been having stinging type of pains in my breasts so I am praying I dont get another round of mastitus... If I do again; this time I am going to stop breastfeeding and just bottle feed him... I hope I have been a little helpful :)

Lizette - posted on 03/09/2010

My 11week old boy sleeps from about 7weeks a 8-9 hour stretch at nite. From 7pm till 4am. I work half day therefore i express at 10pm or 11pm a feed for the next day. At 4pm my breast are realy full. Maybe express if you are realy concirnes about your supply. Hope this helps.

Erica - posted on 03/09/2010

As a breastfeeding mother who's daughter does the exact same stretch at night, I have found no change in my milk supply only that I really want to get her up and nurse her when I wake up. She usually does anywhere from 5-8 hours to sometimes a nine hour but that is a rare one. Hope this helps!

Melanie - posted on 03/09/2010

My son is sleeping for about 8 hours a night now. I usually get up once and pump. If you are worried about your supply, eat oatmeal for breakfast. There is also a tea called "Mother's Milk" that you can get at a health food store or Whole Foods. It's amazing the difference it makes!

Melissa - posted on 03/09/2010

I was pumping but my baby girl was sleeping 7-9 hour stretches in the beginning until about 5/6 weeks when shes been sleeping 10-12 hours, i am no longer pumping but i would pump during the night but would go a good 5 hours at least in between pumping...it didnt affect my supply infact waiting that long made it more abundent! Id get sometimes up to 12 oz a pumping session.

Brittany - posted on 03/09/2010

my son is 10 1/2 weeks, and will sleep anywhere from 6-11 hours during the night! It depends on how early his last feeding is.. like last night he ate at 7:30, and woke up once at 2:30, but the other night he ate at 9:30, and slept until 8AM!!!! But when I wake up the next morning I can usually get anywhere from 8-12 ounces!

Jo - posted on 03/08/2010

Aileen,
I had the same concern with my 9 week old daughter. The clinic nurse that I see said as long as she's feeding at least 5 times a day it shouldn't affect your milk supply for her to sleep a long stretch at night. In fact she said to just enjoy having a good sleepy baby!! My breasts did the same thing - got REALLY full the first time she slept that long but now they are used to it and it's not so uncomfortable.

Gemma - posted on 03/08/2010

hi there. well your little one is getting all she needs from you thats why she sleeps so well. my lil one sleeps 8 - 10 hours straight over night and she is 12 weeks tomorrow. As long as you get a few evening feeds your supply will be fine. So don't worry

Jess - posted on 03/08/2010

hey Aileen! my daughter is 9 weeks and breastfed plus formula supplemented (rarely). She has began sleeping for upwards of 5-6 hrs at night and yes it does seem to affect my supply. As the long stretch of sleep is nice, I have been pumping once during that stretch to keep up. Good luck!

Alisha - posted on 03/07/2010

If it does begin to affect your milk supply then I suggest pumping at least once in the middle of the night, not fun, but it could really help. If you begin to notice a real problem with your milk supply you could try taking Fenugreek capsules, 3 caplets 3 times a day. It really helps increase your supply. check with your Doctor before you start taking it to make sure it's right for you! It worked wonders for me!

Kristen - posted on 03/07/2010

My son sleeps a good 5 hrs at night so I'm not sure about the sleeping part but I'm a working mom so I have to pump at work. Your body should adjust to your child but if you're worried I suggest pumping the opposite breast while your child is feeding or right after, it will increase your milk supply and you'll always have back up. If you freeze the milk it is good up to 12 months.

Karyn - posted on 03/06/2010

I wish I could help...but at 11 weeks of breast milk he only sleeps 4-5 hours max. You could always try pumping somewhere in the middle. This will decrease the pain from her not nursing as often, and give you a back up supply in case of an emergency. good luck!

Tamara - posted on 03/06/2010

And by sleep through the night I mean, Nathaniel goes 11-12 hrs, William goes 8-10 hrs

Tamara - posted on 03/06/2010

My twins are breastfed, and both sleep through the night. It does effect my supply, but I pump before I go to bed, and again after I nurse first thing in the morning, and tat seems to help. I also eat LOADS of oatmeal, another milk booster. h

Yvette - posted on 03/05/2010

Good question, I was wondering about this too, since my daughter has been sleeping 10 hours at night.

Jacque - posted on 03/05/2010

Actually, I fed my son for the first 3 months of his life and I'm now drying up, but I actually had the same problem.. After a little while, your breasts start noticing that your baby doesn't need milk at night time when you're sleeping and they stop producing during those hours.. it shouldn't affect your milk production during the day.. I mean, it didn't affect me and my son was/is sleeping from 1 pm til 6 or 7 am.. hope this info helps.. :-)

Candice - posted on 03/05/2010

Hey...I totally have the same issue...The only thing is, alot of times I am woken up because my breast are so swollen with milk...The only thing that I have tried and it seems to work is to wake her up once they start to get little knots and feed her...She sometimes gets real fussy at first but it gets easier...And if you are nervous that it will upset your milk supply then when you get ready to take a shower, express your milk...you know the more milk you express the more milk your body makes...Let me know how it goes for you!!

Sharee - posted on 03/05/2010

My 10 week old does 8 hour nights, eats every 3 hours during the day.. milk is doing fine, just make sure you drink enough water... I am a babywise mom & he is exactly on course for his age according to the book! Hope that helps!

Stephanie - posted on 03/05/2010

My daughter is also 12 weeks old and sleep well at night. She has slept for 10 hours at a time although it is usually my like 7. I haven't had any problems with milk supply although I'm usually quite engorged by the time she wakes up and look forward to the release!

Regina - posted on 03/05/2010

Yeah, you're lucky...however I do hear that if you don't feed or pump for long periods of time it will affect your milk supply. My daughter is 13 wks, sleeps 3 or 4 hrs at a time, but won't sleep in her crib or bassinet much. Its annoying to have to feed every 3 hrs when ya have to work the next day. Try taking Fenugreek & Blessed Thistle supplements...my friends with babies says it helps...I take it every morning and the milk keeps coming:) Good luck!!!

Josielyn - posted on 03/04/2010

My little boy is 13 week old. I am exclusively breastfeeding him and he sleeps for 5-6 hours stretch at night. He usually wakes up at around 2am just to be fed then he will go back to sleep. My breast will feel full through the night specially if he feeds only with one breast...I usually use a breast pump to get rid of the milk (and use it when I'm out and about) but during daytime he will go back to his normal 3 hour routine. He will have a feeding frenzy once in a while which makes me feel as if my breast is empty but it seems okay by the time he settles to sleep at night... good luck!!!

Jessica - posted on 03/04/2010

my son also sleeps for long stretches at night- (born 30DEC09) he cluster feeds pretty much the minute I get home from work about every two hours with the final feeding between 11-12 pm. I have to wake him up in the morning to feed him although I guess I could pump it off instead it just allows my husband to sleep longer if I feed our son before leaving for work cause then he goes back to sleep for another 3-4 hours

Bianca - posted on 03/04/2010

Hi, my daughter sleeps for long periods of time like that as well, but instead of waking her up to eat when it's that time, I just pump the milk and store it in the freezer. I understand what you mean, about the milk supply decreasing, so to put my mind at ease, I just pump once or twice during the time that she's sleeping and that way I know that I'm still creating milk like I should, and my child is greedy, so she drinks the pumped milk during the day too.