Pumping at night: Pump or Sleep? Do I Need to Pump at Night to Maintain Supply?

Posted on 27 ноября, 2022 by alexxlab

Pump or Sleep? Do I Need to Pump at Night to Maintain Supply?

If your baby is suddenly sleeping through the night, you probably want to do the same. However, you know that pumping can be essential for maintaining supply and avoiding issues like clogged ducts and mastitis. So, does this mean you need to pump at night?

We want your baby to have their best chance, and we know how you need your sleep. So, we’ve done the research to answer this question for you.

In this post, we will cover how often you should be pumping whether you’re exclusively pumping or not. We’ll also discuss if you need to be pumping at night.

Table of Contents

Exclusively Pumping (Baby Isn’t Nursing)
To Wake or Not To Wake?
Pump Or Sleep?

Exclusively Pumping (Baby Isn’t Nursing)

If you’re solely pumping and bottle feeding, you should be trying to match how often a nursing baby would feed at the breast.

1.

For a Newborn

Newborns typically nurse 8-12 times within a 24-hour period. So, pump at least every two hours, and avoid going longer than three hours without pumping until your supply is well established ⁽¹⁾.

Pumping whenever your newborn baby eats is the best way to ensure you are mimicking nursing. Some mothers have to pump exclusively for the first week if their baby won’t latch.

Double pump for 15-20 minutes during each pumping session, emptying the breasts as thoroughly as possible. Experts also recommend pumping for two to five minutes after your milk stops flowing to maintain production and help increase supply if needed ⁽²⁾.

Pumping Goals

By days seven to ten, you should be aiming to pump 25-27 ounces per day for a single baby. If you have multiples, aim for 27-32 ounces by 14 days postpartum. An average newborn drinks 1.5-3 ounces of breast milk per feeding.

If you’re exclusively pumping straight out of the hospital, start with eight to ten pumping sessions a day, and then adjust accordingly. If you have a low milk supply, increase the number of pumping sessions. If you have an oversupply, drop a pumping session or two.

2. For Older Babies

It’s a good idea to pump at least once during the night in the first few months or if you start to notice a dip in supply. Many moms and lactation consultants recommend pumping once between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., as most moms tend to have a high output at this time.

In addition, your prolactin levels are highest at night, so you’re taking advantage of the milk-making hormone by pumping at night.

Editor’s Note:

Michelle Roth, BA, IBCLC

Keep In Mind

As your baby gets older, you should be able to go longer between pumping sessions and start dropping some, including those dreadful middle of the night ones.

As your baby ages, they eat more per feeding (usually around 3.5-5 ounces) and go longer between sessions. You’ll also need to pump less often once they start eating more solid foods.

Figure out a pumping schedule that works for you and your baby, as everyone’s situation is different. You might find these example pumping schedules useful:

10-12 weeks: 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m.
3-6 months: 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 10 p.m.
6-11 months: 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 10 p.m.
11-12 months: 6 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m.
12-14 months: 6 a.m., 7 p.m.

If You Miss a Night Pumping Session

Sticking to a pumping schedule can be challenging. If you accidentally miss a pumping session now and then, there is no need to fret, as it most likely will not harm your supply — especially if you can squeeze in another session at a different time of the day.

Remember

Missing one pumping session one day will not be detrimental to your supply.

To Wake or Not To Wake?

Breastfeeding at night is good for supply, but do you need to wake your baby or pump if they sleep through the night?

If your baby is back up to their birth weight, growing fine, doesn’t have any medical issues (such as jaundice), and has plenty of wet and dirty diapers, then there is no need to wake them to feed. Let them sleep, and enjoy some sleep yourself.

There is also no need to pump as breastfeeding is a supply and demand function. If you pump, you’re essentially telling your body to make more milk, and it’s most likely that your baby will want a lot to eat after a long night of sleep. This could potentially lead to an oversupply.

If you’re uncomfortable or engorged in the middle of the night, simply pump or hand express just a little bit of milk for some relief.

Pump Or Sleep?

If you are exclusively pumping and bottle feeding your baby, mimic what a breastfeeding baby would be doing. Pumping every time your baby feeds ensures you’re mimicking this relationship and will minimize night pumping.

For a newborn, double pump every two to three hours for 15-20 minutes at a time. As they get older and start eating more per feeding, going longer between feedings, and eating more solid food, you should be able to drop pumping sessions, including those dreadful middle of the night ones.

If your baby is nursing but has recently started sleeping throughout the night, there is no need to get up and pump unless you’re uncomfortable. In that case, pump off just a little for some relief.

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Home » Pumping Tips » Should I Pump at Night?

Created On: June 23, 2021 &nbsp| Updated: July 21, 2021 | By Amanda | 2 Comments

Should you pump at night, or is it okay to sleep? When you’re exclusively pumping, the answer depends on your baby’s age, your milk supply, and how you are feeling. Here’s what you need to know.

Do you need to pump at night?

The answer to this depends on a few things:

1. Your baby’s age

The younger your baby is, the more beneficial pumping at night may be.

In first months after birth, frequent pumping or nursing may increase the number of prolactin receptor sites:

The prolactin receptor theory suggests that frequent milk removal in the early weeks will increase the number of receptor sites. More receptor sites means that more prolactin can pass into the lactocytes and thus milk production capability would be increased.

Therefore, if you’re exclusively pumping, it’s a good idea to pump at night if possible for the first few months to ensure that you’re able activate enough receptor sites to establish a good milk supply.

2. Your milk supply

Whenever you drop a pumping session, there is a risk that your milk supply can be affected. Anything can happen – your supply can stay the same, it can go down, or it can even go up.

This risk is something you have to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to continue pumping at night. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure what will happen when you drop your middle of the night pumping session until you try it.

Therefore, you have to consider your milk supply along with your risk tolerance and feelings about your milk supply. If you have oversupply, making the decision to drop a the night time session will be easier. If you’re a “just enougher” who is anxious about pumping enough every day, it may be harder to make the call.

The other risk to your milk supply is that longer breaks in lactation can result in getting your period back sooner than you otherwise would, which for some women can impact milk supply.

3. Your sanity

Pumping at night can be important to establishing your milk supply. However, you can’t sleep in one hour chunks for an extended period of time and keep it together.

If your mental health is affected by the amount of sleep that you’re getting, that’s an important factor in deciding whether or not to pump at night.

Remember: Breastmilk is important, but your mental health is more important.

What does it mean to “pump at night”?

First, let’s talk about what night includes, as sometimes I am asked what specific times of the day you’d need to pump for it to be considered “pump at night.”

A 1990 study analyzed prolactin levels in 20 lactating women, and they found that levels were the highest between 11 pm and 7 am, and lower the rest of the time. The authors theorized that since babies typically go longer stretches without nursing at night, the high prolactin levels may help maintain milk supply during this time.

Our data suggest that the mechanisms responsible for the circadian rhythm in PRL secretion are relatively independent of the mechanisms of suckling-induced release. We propose that the nocturnal rise in PRL during lactation functions to ensure a robust milk supply during an extensive nonsuckling interval.

So we know that prolactin levels vary along a circadian rhythm. Unless you have a drastically different sleeping schedule (say, you work nights), I would consider “pumping at night” to be pumping during time that you would normally be sleeping.

How many times should you pump at night?

There are a few different ways you can set up your pumping schedule.

My preferred way was to pump every time that my baby woke up. This way, I knew I was pumping at the same timeframe as when he would have been nursing. It also eliminated issues where I’d wake up to pump on schedule and then get woken up an hour later when my baby needed to be fed.

However, if your baby is sleeping through the night, or your partner handles the feedings, or if you prefer to be on a set schedule, I would recommend pumping between 1-3 times per night when your baby is younger than 2-3 months. You might want to do 2-3 sessions when your baby is first born, and 1-2 later on in the newborn phase.

(I’m giving a range rather than exact numbers because so much depends on the factors we talked about above. If your baby is three months old and you’re trying to increase milk supply, it might make sense to pump twice at night. On the other hand, if your baby is two weeks old and you’re struggling with PPD, it’s okay to only pump once per night. Just do the best you can.)

How often should you pump at night? How long can you go at night without pumping?

If possible, I would suggest trying to get at least one longer stretch of sleep (say, 4-5 hours). This will get you through one complete sleep cycle and can be really helpful for maintaining your sanity. (Of course, this may not be possible depending on your baby’s sleep.)

Before you start to wean, the longest that I would suggest going at night when you are exclusively pumping is about 9 hours, if possible. For example, that might mean that your last pumping session of the night is at 9pm and your first is at 6am.

You can see some sample pumping schedules (including how much I pumped at night here.)

Do you pump at night? Tell us your experience in the comments!

References

Bonyata, Kelly, IBCLC. “How does milk production work?” https://kellymom.com/hot-topics/milkproduction/
Stern JM, Reichlin S. Prolactin circadian rhythm persists throughout lactation in women. Neuroendocrinology. 1990;51(1):31-37. doi:10.1159/000125312 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2106085/

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Breast expression. Basics of the basics.

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There is no need for all mothers to express in a row. Previously, such a recommendation was really needed. It is associated with feeding according to the regimen, separate maintenance of mother and child in the hospital and a long night break.

Here are situations where pumping is really needed:

At the start of lactation:

If a mother is separated from her baby for medical reasons, it is very important for lactation to begin to start pumping within the first 6 hours after birth. Do this as soon as possible. Pumping is carried out every 2.5-3 hours, including at night. One night break is allowed, approximately 4 hours. Pumping at night is extremely important — when the breast is full, the amount of milk decreases sharply. In total, it is worth carrying out 8-10 decantations per day. It is better to start lactation by alternate pumping of one or the other breast, for 5-7 minutes periodically, for half an hour (2-3 approaches to each breast will turn out). Each time there will be more and more milk, no need to be upset that at first there are only a few drops in the container. To visually increase the result, it is better to express in a very small container.
If the breasts are full and the baby is not breastfeeding (or the mother is not near the baby) regular pumping will also be needed.

All expressed milk should be given to the baby , but it is better not from the usual nipple, but from the so-called non-sucking objects: a syringe without a needle (simultaneously with sucking a clean finger of an adult), spoons, drinkers, cups/cups, special devices. Such methods prevent the baby from being disturbed at the breast after sucking on the pacifier.

When you have been breastfeeding for some time:

If suddenly the mother is separated from the baby already with established feedings (left on business, went to work or school), pumping is also necessary — it is not good to endure discomfort and overflow in the chest, it is worth supporting lactation
With lactostasis/mastitis , pumping may also be necessary, in fact, as a medical procedure.
If the baby is not sucking enough milk from the breast, pumping is needed to stimulate the breast and obtain milk for supplementation.

Pumping should not be painful , don’t hurt the delicate glandular tissue! Some people think that painless pumping is ineffective. This is fundamentally wrong. Injury due to improper pumping is additional swelling, soreness, hematoma. Another mistake when pumping is stimulation of the areola and nipple. After such actions, the child is likely to slip off the dense swollen areola tissue, and the edematous, sharply enlarged nipple will not fit in a small mouth.

Proper pumping is stimulation at the border of the skin of the breast and areola, no sliding of fingers to the areola and nipple, as painless as possible. Additionally,

application of a wet cold cloth during or after feeding or pumping, for a short time of 10-15 minutes, may help.
Gentle vibration or tapping massage, gently stroking the breast from the nipple to the chest

Breast pump or hands?

Occasional pumping — any method

Regular pumping, feeding only expressed milk — breast pump

Lactation stimulation — clinical breast pump (rented by special rental shops)

No matter how you feed, no matter how you pump, it is worth learning manual dexterity. It can come in handy in the most unexpected and unpredictable situations.

Try to use your pumping time for relaxation — movies, books, music, communication with loved ones. Anything that will improve your mood is welcome. After pumping, you can allow yourself a «reward» — something tasty or pleasant.

The duration of the pumping depends on the task:

If you need to reach a certain volume of milk, pump until you reach this volume.
If you need to get rid of discomfort, continue pumping until it is significantly reduced or disappears completely.
If the task is to start lactation or stimulate it, pump for about 30-40 minutes, alternately both breasts for 5-7 minutes.

Sometimes I meet strange people delusion — supposedly from pumping it may become less milk or it is impossible to feed the expressed milk for a long time. It’s not like that at all. If pumping is regular and sufficient, you can support lactation with pumping. From pumping milk does not become less, on the contrary, pumping allows you to stimulate the process of milk production.

Author Polina Lykova Lactation Specialist, IBCLC (Internationally Certified Breastfeeding Consultant), AKEV Consultant Mentor, WHO/UNICEF Lecturer on Breastfeeding [email protected]

Photo by Tatiana Nesterova @Tanyanphotography

Original text: http://polina-gv.ru/articles/obshhie-problemy/scezhivanie-moloka/

Article «Pumping — when and how?»

There are times in the life of mother and baby when breastfeeding is either impossible or difficult for some reason. For example, a child has to be left without a mother for several hours — which means that a supply of milk is needed for him. Or in the case when the baby sucks badly at the breast, but eats well from the bottle, and pumping is the only way to feed him.

This can happen if the baby is born prematurely, and the very process of sucking the mother’s breast turns out to be hard physical work for him — such an infant can also be offered expressed milk.

The same applies to the situation when the baby is ill and feeling unwell prevents him from fully sucking, as he is too weak to make the efforts necessary to «extract» breast milk. In this case, it should be expressed for 2 reasons: firstly, to provide the child with complete and optimal nutrition for him, and secondly, to maintain lactation.

Situations are different, so it is important to understand why pumping is necessary, how to do it correctly and what are the conditions for storing breast milk.

When and why to express?

Pumping is the process by which a nursing mother manually or with the help of a breast pump extracts milk from her breast.

This is not a mandatory procedure for everyone, and it does not need to be carried out after each feeding, since the milk in the female breast is formed exactly as much as is needed to saturate the baby at a certain age. Those. how much milk the baby ate in one feeding — so much will appear in the breast by the next.

But if, after applying, you also express the rest of the milk, then by the upcoming feeding it will be produced more than the child can eat — and this often leads to stagnation of milk (lactostasis).

Milk should be expressed when:

Having to bottle feed or supplement a baby for one reason or another. If at the same time the pediatrician did not forbid the baby to eat breast milk, then the mother needs to feed the baby expressed.
The baby is left without a mother for a long time. There are times when a woman needs to go away, and she cannot take the child with her. In this case, you can leave a supply of milk for several hours, after decanting it.
Mom is sick. It happens that during lactation a woman becomes seriously ill and is forced to take medications that penetrate into breast milk, which is strictly forbidden to give to a child. Medicines contained in milk, once in the child’s body, can have an adverse effect on it. To prevent this from happening, the pediatrician will help you choose the milk formula that you need to feed the baby during the mother’s illness. Pumping in such a situation will help a woman maintain lactation until recovery.
Mom goes to work. A mother’s return to work before the end of lactation can put her before a choice: transfer the baby to formula milk or feed it with expressed milk. Recently, more and more parents are choosing the latter option, since breast milk is much healthier than artificial nutrition.
Injured nipples. With improper care and attachment of the child to the breast, cracks may appear on the nipples. Feeding in this condition of the nipples becomes very painful for the mother, and then the baby should be briefly transferred to expressed milk from a bottle. This is useful because the nipples are less likely to get irritated when they are expressed than when they are sucked by an infant. In a few days, the nipples will heal, and it will be possible to resume feeding the crumbs directly from the breast.
There is a risk of lactostasis. A child, especially in the first days after birth, is not always able to suck out all the milk. To avoid lactostasis, mom needs to express excess milk. If this is not done in a timely manner, stagnation of milk can lead to inflammation of the mammary gland — mastitis. However, you must follow all the rules of pumping and do not resort to it after each feeding: this will only increase the flow of milk.
Not enough milk is produced. Pumping will help normalize lactation, as it leads to an increase in the production of milk in the breast, which can be useful during a lactation crisis.

5 pumping inhibitions

In order not to harm herself and not leave the baby without breast milk, the mother must know and be sure to follow the basic rules of pumping:

Do not express more than 3 times a day if pumping is combined with breastfeeding because this will lead to excess milk production. If the mother is sick and the baby is not applied to the breast, it is necessary to express with a frequency approximately equal to the number of feedings (on average, once every 3 hours — 8 times a day).
Do not express immediately after feeding, as this may lead to hyperlactation, ie. increased milk production.
Do not express «to the last drop». The main indicator by the end of pumping should be a feeling of relief in the chest. The female body regards the emptying of the breast without a trace as an increased need for milk by the child — and begins to produce more milk, which the baby cannot eat, therefore, there will be a threat of milk stagnation.
Do not express during the night, as this may also lead to the formation of excess milk. The main hormone responsible for milk production — prolactin — has a daily rhythm of formation, most of all it is produced at night, in response to the baby sucking or pumping.
Do not express on the first day after the arrival of milk. Usually, when lactation begins, more milk is produced than the newborn needs, and it is necessary to get rid of its excess. Therefore, just at the time of the arrival of milk, you can not express everything without a trace. If the breast is very dense, then it is recommended to express only a small amount of milk so that it becomes softer and the baby can fully capture and eat it.

Substances that signal that milk is being produced in excess appear in the full breast after about 1 day. If you express all the milk accumulated in the chest earlier than in a day, then it will be produced in the same amount.

Hand Expression Technique

There are two ways to express — manually and with a breast pump. Usually, each mother chooses the most convenient option for her. It is better to do it manually at home, when a woman has enough time, since the whole process will take some time. Breast pumps will help a working mother, which greatly facilitate the pumping process.

Rules for hand pumping

It is best to express milk 10-15 minutes after the end of feeding the baby. Wash your hands thoroughly beforehand. If you use any breast cream, wipe the skin and nipples with a cotton swab or pad soaked in breast milk. Prepare a wide-mouth milk container by first washing it under running water and then sterilizing it (by boiling, in a steam sterilizer or in a dishwasher).

Sit comfortably, keeping your back straight, because pumping can take some time, and an uncomfortable position can cause back pain.

Gently grasp the chest: the little finger is under the chest at the ribs, the remaining fingers are positioned so as to support the chest from below. The thumb lies on top, about 3-4 cm from the nipple. In this case, the thumb and forefinger are located opposite each other, forming the letter «C».

Use your thumb and forefinger to gently press down on your chest and hold this position for a few seconds. In no case do not bring your fingers together, they should remain in the same position, the letter «C».

Repeat pressing, moving the palm in a circle — this way you will use all the ducts of the mammary gland.

Be patient, milk may not come out immediately, but only after a while. If you are pumping for the first time, check with your doctor or lactation consultant beforehand to show you how to proceed.

Manual pumping errors

Do not squeeze the nipple: this way you will only hurt yourself and injure the breast, and you will not express milk fully.

Do not press the palm too tightly against the skin, moving the hand across the chest so that there is no irritation and microtrauma.

Do not give up at the first unsuccessful attempts, be patient.

Breast pumps

Breast pumps make pumping much easier, as they are designed to fit all the anatomical features of the female breast.

Which one to choose? Breast pumps are divided into mechanical and electrical. In the first case, the pumping process is carried out manually: by squeezing the “pear”, the woman starts the suction mechanism. Electric models are good because they work independently: from the mains or from batteries (batteries, accumulators) and do not require additional effort on the part of the woman.

Mom usually chooses a breast pump model according to her taste and financial capabilities. It should be borne in mind that devices powered by batteries lose power faster than devices powered by the mains.

Many women are confused by the fact that electric breast pumps are loud enough. To date, there are a large number of silent devices, which is recommended to pay attention to when buying. The most effective are electric breast pumps that express both breasts at the same time and have the option of adjusting the thrust force and suction speed.

When choosing a breast pump, pay attention to the presence of the “boil and sterilize” marking. There must be the possibility of such heat treatment of parts of the apparatus. If the model cannot be boiled and sterilized, it is better to refuse to purchase it and look for another one.

Rules for expressing with a breast pump

Before pumping for the first time, carefully read the instructions for the device. Check that it is properly assembled.

Sterilize the funnel and sump (boil or use a sterilizer).

Position the funnel so that the nipple is in the center of the funnel.

The draw should be the lowest, especially at first, until the breast is accustomed to expressing with a breast pump. Each breast must be pumped until a feeling of relief, add 2 minutes to this time. On average, the process will take about 15 minutes.

Pumping, like manual pumping, should be carried out some time after feeding.

Basic mistakes when expressing with a breast pump

Incorrect position of the funnel of the breast pump can cause pain to the woman. Remember: the nipple should be located strictly in the center of the funnel of the device.

Very long pumping. Do not exceed the time required to collect milk, this can lead to hyperlactation (production of excess milk).

Very strong traction. If your breast pump has a selectable thrust function, you should use the smallest one so as not to hurt your breasts.

Care of the breast pump. A breast pump, like any machine, needs proper care. It must not be clogged so as not to contaminate the milk.

Each model has a care instruction, which you should definitely read before using the device.

When washing, always disassemble the pump completely, removing even the smallest parts. This will prevent stagnation of milk residues in them.

Before each use, sterilize all parts of the machine that come into contact with milk. This can be done with a sterilizer.

Milk defrosting

Never thaw or heat breast milk in a microwave oven. When heated in the microwave, the milk warms up unevenly, while feeding the baby can burn. Also, due to the rapid heating of frozen milk when using a microwave, most of the useful properties of this invaluable product are lost.

To defrost breast milk, place it on the refrigerator shelf, and when it becomes liquid, heat it up. To do this, lower the milk bottle into hot water or put it under hot water. Also, special heaters can be used to warm milk.

If you have questions or don’t know how to express, it’s worth talking to a specialist. The doctor will not only tell, but also show how to do it correctly, give recommendations on the pumping schedule and advise which method is better to choose.

Remember that milk is undoubtedly a valuable food for the baby, but feeding with expressed milk should be used in exceptional cases.

At the School of Moms, our doctors talk in detail not only about how and when to express milk correctly, but also about how to properly attach a baby to the breast, how to avoid common problems with breastfeeding, such as lactostasis, as well as the rules for self-examination mammary glands.