Do I Need To Pump at Night if Baby is Sleeping?
“My baby is sleeping longer stretches at night… Do I need to wake up and pump to keep my milk supply up? “
I hear this question often, and the answer has a lot of variables.
First, it’s important to remember that breastfeeding is not just nourishing your baby with food, but also nurturing with love, security, and closeness. So, if your baby isn’t sleeping through the night yet-- that’s okay and normal! Babies meet this milestone at completely different times! There is nothing “wrong” with a baby who still wakes at night. We can’t tell babies that their night needs “don’t matter”-- because they do!
The best way to encourage sleeping through the night is by following wake times during the day, making sure your baby is properly fed and rested during daytime hours, and building a good bedtime routine. I go through this more in depth in my Bringing Home Baby Course.
DO YOU NEED TO PUMP FOR you?
First, let’s talk about your own comfort. When your baby starts sleeping through the night, you may not be waking up with soft breasts. You might even be waking yourself up through the night, because you are engorged and uncomfortable. In that case, you have some options:
continue to pump through the night and build up that freezer stash
If you are feeling so uncomfortable that you cannot make it through the night, that’s okay. Some moms actually prefer to continue pumping once or twice at night to take advantage of the higher prolactin levels and build their “freezer stash” for baby. This is not a must, just an option if you’re up for it!
Give your body time to adjust
Your body may take a bit to adjust to this new “milestone” of your baby sleeping through the night. This may mean you’re uncomfortable and engorged at first (which you can absolutely express enough milk to feel “relieved” without emptying). If you don’t feel extremely uncomfortable and are only slightly engorged, you may just try to wait it out and naturally let your body adjust to the lack of stimulation through the night.
Pull out your haakaa or manual pump
Keep your haakaa or manual pump close + relieve yourself when you need to. Try to express just enough for relief, but not a full session of emptying the breast, so you are not telling your body to continue to make MORE milk during this time. Over time, supply during this time of night will dwindle and you’ll feel more comfortable.
PRO TIP: If you end up pumping or expressing through the night here are my top tips for making it as easy as possible, so you can get yourself back to sleep fast!
WHAT ABOUT YOUR milk supply?
If your baby is sleeping longer stretches at night consistently, your milk supply will typically adjust to meet their needs during the day. Your baby is likely taking in enough milk/calories during the day for proper weight gain, which enables them to sleep more consistently at night. With this being said, for some mamas-- longer sleep stretches without stimulation won’t affect their overall milk supply. Some women tend to do just fine with this change, and their body adjusts quickly to meet baby’s daytime needs, but they do not produce much at night since their baby is sleeping and their body has adjusted to that.
For other mamas (hi, this is me!), however, baby sleeping longer stretches can have an affect on their milk supply if not getting up to empty the breast by nursing or pumping throughout the night. Remember, prolactin levels (milk making hormone) typically peak in the late night/early morning hours. To some, this makes a big difference! It’s nice to err on the side of caution and taper things slowly to align with baby’s needs. If you notice your supply dipping overall once baby starts sleeping— there are some things we can implement to help!
First, I would try emptying your breasts before you go to bed. You can accomplish this by nursing your baby before laying them down to sleep, then pumping or implementing a “dream feed” before you go to sleep to empty the breasts again.
WHAT IS A dream feed?
A dream feeding is offering a feeding when your baby is asleep and has been asleep for a little while. Many mamas like this because they ensure that their baby has a full tummy + their breasts are emptied before going to sleep (which helps maintain their milk supply).
How to do a “Dream Feed”
Let’s say you put your baby down for sleep at 7:30pm, and you stay up until 10:30pm. At 10:15pm or so, when you are getting ready to go to bed, go to your baby’s room- they are fast asleep- pick them up and offer the breast. You latch them directly to your breast while they're sleeping by tickling your nipple to their lips. *Typically* their reflex when a nipple is offered is to open their mouth to begin feeding (familiar smells + feeling).
Some babies may keep their lips tight/not latch, remain asleep, or wake up too much and not want to fall back to sleep after the feeding. In these cases, the dream feeding may not work and that’s okay-- because there are always options. If it doesn’t work for you, it doesn't work. That is fine!
WHAT IF A dream feed DOESN’T WORK?
Option #1: Pump Before Bed Instead
If your baby will not latch to your breast for a dream feed--try to pump before you go to bed if you are breastfeeding. This can help supply as you are not going 10-12+ hours without emptying your breasts. If we pump or dream feed before going to bed, you might be going 6.5-7+ hours without emptying your breasts, but that is way better than 12 hours without emptying! It’s just an extra opportunity for stimulation.
Option #2: Add an Extra Pump After Morning Nursing Session
Adding an extra pump in the early morning helps stimulate milk supply, relieves engorgement from the long stretch without feeding, and takes advantage of that high morning prolactin level (which of course is a great way to add to that freezer stash!). This can be implemented after baby’s morning nursing session, or on its own depending on your work schedule.
Keep in mind:
If you choose not to empty breasts before bed and notice yourself waking up engorged and uncomfortable in the middle of the night (baby sleeping), you can pump/haakaa or hand express a little milk to relieve yourself if you want to. This is not necessary if you are not uncomfortable.
All in all, it’s important to listen to your baby and your body. Most women transition just fine as baby starts sleeping longer stretches, and some may need a little help! Sometimes dream feedings work and sometimes they don’t. They are not 100% necessary--but if you notice a dip in your supply once your baby starts sleeping through the night, or you are already struggling with supply and then your baby starts sleeping through the night, it might be a good idea to get up and pump or nurse. Demand=supply. If you are not having issues, then dream feedings and extra pumps are likely not necessary for this particular purpose. You do not need to wake yourself up to nurse or pump in the night unless you are uncomfortable, if your supply is fine. You can always change this, there are always options. If you aren't noticing a dip at first with them sleeping at night, but then do have a dip with them sleeping as they get a bit older--go ahead and throw in a pump at night and see if it helps! Again, there are always options, mama! If you are having supply issues: talk with your lactation consultant about the best nighttime options for you!
