Milk Supply and Sleeping Through the Night

Updated on October 26, 2009
M.P. asks from Secaucus, NJ
8 answers

My baby started sleeping through the night when he was 3 months old (he is now 4 months). At first I would wake up feeling engorged but now I don't. I am worried that my milk supply is diminishing fast. I went back to work 2 weeks ago and have been missing some daytime feedings. I try to go home at lunch so I can breastfeed him and I pump at work about 2x/3x day so as not to affect my milk supply. I dedicate my weekends breastfeeding him. I noticed though that my baby does not feel contented after I nurse him. I offer both breasts all the time and I nurse every 2 hours during the day. Sometimes I would nurse him again after 30 minutes and would do it 1-2 times until he is satisfied. I am sure it is not a growth spurt because I went through it when he was 3 months and it was worse (I cried at almost every nursing session because I felt like I didn't have enough milk for him). Now with him sleeping through the night, I can't reverse nurse him. Please help. Do I need to pump in the middle of the night or wake him up to nurse? Btw, his latch is good so I am sure that is not a problem. Thanks.

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thank you so much for the reassurance and for all your helpful responses. The combination of going back to work and breastfeeding at the same time sure is stressful. I just wished I could pump enough milk for him also so that whenever I miss a feeding, I could offer him more of my pumped milk. The problem is I only make about 3-4 oz a day, enough for one feeding. I will try not to stress about it. It's just hard to see when my baby cries or seemed unsatisfied. I think I'm going to try the 6 full feedings. He is happy whenever I finish nursing him on my lunch break (I think because my breasts are full of milk). I just thought that if I breastfeed him as many times as possible it would bring my supply back up. But I guess he gets more frustrated when he only gets little milk even though I am nursing more frequently. I will try to pump as much as I can also. An update - my baby started waking up again for his night feedings. I don't know what happened :) Thanks again!

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.T.

answers from New York on

I would not wake the baby. Pumping at night, maybe before you go to sleep at night, is a good option. In my house, the kids are in bed anywhere's from 1 to 2 hours before I go to bed so there is space between the last nursing session. I personally would not want to wake myself up if baby is not up!

I panicked when I went back to work the last time. I found that pumping 3x a day kept the supply well. I just needed to relax when pumping, drink lots of fluids during the day and nurse as soon as I returned from home. we of course kept our nighttime/pre-bed session. Weekends were on demand.

I too felt that I was not making enough milk, but ultimately, she nursed till 14/15 months old. Your supply will adjust to a schedule so try to keep one during the week. You will always have what your baby needs.

Good Luck.
~C.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.S.

answers from Albany on

Is he crying when he is done nursing? If not, I'm sure he is getting enough. Our bodies make as much milk as our babies remove from us, and since your son no longer needs his midnight feeding your body is responding. As long as your son is getting 5-6 good feedings throughout a 24 hour period he is getting enough to eat. Be sure to pump every three hours or so at work to keep your daily supply up and you should be good. Also - drink at least 8 oz of water EVERY time you pump or feed. Dehydration is one of the easiest ways to decrease your milk production. If you are giving your baby a "snack" between feedings then your body is not ever getting full enough to give him a full meal at his regularly scheduled full feedings and that could be why he is not feeling satisfied - all he is doing is snacking off of you and never getting a full meal. Try to get on a scheduled of full feedings (5-6 in a 24 hour period,) and just top him off right before you go to bed yourself at night. As long as he is gaining weight he is doing fine. :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.R.

answers from New York on

if you stop nursing at night, your supply will diminish at night. as a general rule, its supply and demand. the times when you keep the same schedule of nursing, your body will continue to produce at those times. if your schedule is a little erratic right now, you might want to throw in an extra nursing or pumping session for a while, only because stopping nursing overnight is a huge change, and things seem to change a lot around the 3-4 month mark anyway, so if it was me, to be safe, i would try to boost my supply right now since both of these things are happening at the same time, you are having a double whammy to your supply right now. i think that if you can get in a pumping overnight (dont wake that baby!) it would help a lot,,, but if you just cant see doing that, try to drink more water and get in another session during the day, or you can pump after he nurses for a while. increase your water, eliminate caffiene, and add some real oatmeal to your diet, it helps. add some maple syrup to it, it helps too, the fake cheap kind, it has fenugreek in it. an extra pumping session in between or after you nurse will help, do it a few times a day, even if you dont get anything at first, it will stimulate your supply.
it seems like you are doing a great job and know what you are doing, but just to be sure, are you finishing the first breast before you switch sides? generally around 20 min, though this time will get shorter as time goes on. if your baby isnt getting the fatty hind milk, he will be left hungry and he also wont get the fats that are essential for brain development. the same goes for pumping, you can see the color change, be sure the fatty hind milk is getting into each bottle.
best of luck, D.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.K.

answers from New York on

hi M.. i had the same problem. my baby girl (who's name is M., by the way! :) ) is now 5 months but when she was 3-4 months my supply diminished. i think going back to work is stressful and stress causes a low supply. i saw a lactation consultant at the time my supply dipped and she said this happens very often at 3-4 months. i pumped after almost every feeding to increase my supply. i'm now on a medication to increase my supply. i took fenugreek and blessed thistle (both herbs to increase my supply) but i dont' know if they really helped. the med i'm on now really helped my supply. maybe you can give him some pumped milk after you nurse him to make sure he's satisfied. i hope this helps! hang in there! i know EXACTLY what you are going thru. i was so upset when this happened to me..my baby would cry when she was on the breast and then it would make me cry!! i'm sure it will work out! good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

W.O.

answers from New York on

Dear M.,
I experienced exactly the same thing with my son at about the same age, or younger. Turned out it was not the amount of breastmilk produced, but the milk was not satisfying his hunger - it was like us drinking a glass of water. I began supplementing with formula, which didn't last long either. Then I put flakes of cereal in his bottle, increasing the size of the hole in the nipple. I introduced him to solid food much earlier than I did with his older sister, and I couldn't introduce new foods fast enough. I broke all the rules, but he was happy and satisfied. I had a wonderful pediatrician who agreed that as long as he could tolerate the foods, do it. By the time he was a year old, he was eating everything the rest of the family ate: pork chops, pickles, pizza - you name it, he ate it.
As he grew up, I was diligent to teach him proper nutrition and good eating habits, as I was afraid that his appetite could lead to weight issues. But I believe that his craving for nutrition led him to do very well in school and become an good athlete. Mark is now 23, 6' tall and 145 lbs. He still loves food, and raids the kitchen whenever he comes home - I love it!
So, M., don't blame yourself. Your son is only trying to tell you something - he needs more to satisfy his hunger.
I hope this helps, W.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.E.

answers from New York on

milk supply is based on how much and how often baby feeds.
if you are not feeding in the night anymore, then there is no demad for mild, so the supply will decrease. if you are not feeding your baby midday, then the supply will decrease. it's actually simple economics...supply and demand. hope this helps.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.P.

answers from New York on

Milk production is basic supply-and-demand. You refill when you are empty, so if you don't empty at night you will not refill. Same with mid-day feeings. When I went back to work, I would pump until empty right before going to bed and then would set me alarm to wake-up around 2:00am and pump to make sure there was enough milk for the next day. I also pumped several times a day at work, but it is not the same as nursing.

I will be honest and say that waking up in the middle of the night to pump exhausted me for work and mommy-ing the next day. When my son was 14 weeks old, I started supplementing two bottles a day with formula, which allowed me to build-up a supply of pumped milk (at least three in the freezer each day). He had all of the benefits of nursing, but wasn't ever stuck w/o food when I was away. By getting milk into the freezer, I was able to continue providing my son with breastmilk for a month after my milk dried.

If you have to supplement, do it. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just keep in mind that your milk only refills when you are empty, so skipping feedings send the signal not to produce more milk.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.Y.

answers from New York on

Does your baby seem to get enough breastmilk in bottles during the day? I used to pump right before I went to bed, which was generally 3 or so hours after my baby went to bed. I generally felt safer having a few more ounces for her bottles the next day. Also, I would pump after the first morning nursing session (my husband usually had not left for work yet, so I could pump for 10 minutes while he took the baby). I would often get out several more ounces even after she nursed because I would be so full when I woke up. I wouldn't wake your baby if your baby isn't waking up himself from hunger. Don't worry, as long as you don't start to supplement with formula, and you're are eating and drinking enough, your body will keep up with your baby's demand for milk. Good luck.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches