Pump for a much shorter time period. Your goal schedule might look something like this: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9:30pm The longest recorded time without sleep is approximately 264 hours, or just over 11 consecutive days. Does that seem too slow? BabyCenter aims to share products and services we hope you'll find interesting and helpful. How long can I go without pumping? On the fifth day, to 6am, and you’re on your new schedule, Battin, DA., et al. Susan E.C. I would say it is OK to go that long at night, because you are right, you do need more sleep. And, by 6 months-old, we can usually night wean to just 1-2 feedings. Here are a few extra steps that you can take if you’re prone to clogged ducts: If you are really worried, you can also get a lactation massager before you start dropping the session so that you’re prepared to quickly get any clogs out that do appear. Make sure that your goal is clear. Your comments make me feel better. Here is how to drop the middle of the night pumping session in four easy steps. The next thing that you need to figure out is how much time you want to push the session back at once. you’re waking up anyway with rock hard and leaking boobs. You go to bed around 10pm, and you start your last session of the day at 9:30pm. So you’ve identified the pumping session that you are going to push back (in our example, 3:30am), and your next pumping time in your goal schedule (6am). If I can get to bed at 9:00 I can sleep until my baby gets up around 4 or 5 am (Hubby gets the midnight feeding). They hurt in the morning for sure and I try to wake up before her so I can pump first thing. If you pump...do something similar to what I do to be sure. Definately call a lactation consultant, or talk to your doctor. Or two hours a day. This may sound like a lot, but it goes back to that concept of supply and demand. I personally did not lose any supply when I dropped my middle of the night session; I just got more milk in the mornings. So, two long periods without pumping could be detrimental to your supply. See if you can do this without excessive breast fullness or a reduction in milk production. Hi! Our content is doctor approved and evidence based, and our community is moderated, lively, and welcoming. Here’s what to consider when dropping your middle of the night session (also known as the MOTN pump). Leave them in the comments! I only recommend products I love! Possible to do 8 hours overnight without pumping. Avoid going longer than 5-6 hours without pumping during the first few months. Pumping at night, maybe before you go to sleep at night, is a good option. Whatever you think your body can handle is fine. For many mothers, 10-15 minutes of pumping is long … Share your journey! Is it possible to go 8-9 hours without pumping (one hospitalist shift) ... My baby still gets up once a night to nurse. or is the daytime a totally different scenario? My new baby will be 5 months old when I go back to work. This might mean pumping a little longer at these sessions. It’s best to do that slowly to allow your body to adjust. So let’s say that you pump every three hours during the day plus whenever your baby wakes up at night. I was able to EBF (extended breastfeeding, exclusively breastfeeding) my ODD during the day even when she was sleeping 10-12 hours at night and it never affected my supply. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to pump there, so I was wondering if I feed and leave for work, how long can I go without feeding or pumping without dropping my supply!? You can help by massaging the breasts before pumping, then compressing whilst pumping to help massage the last drops of milk from the breast. The other risk is that after you drop your middle of the night pumping session, your period will come back. Your goal schedule might look something like this: In practice, you wouldn’t have to pump at exactly these times; maybe you push back the 9am to 10am on Mondays because of an activity or something. It’s a good idea to use either a pumping app or just a piece of paper and a pen to track when you’re pumping and your output. Starting a strategic breast pumping schedule right away can make a huge difference in your milk supply later on too. My goal is to help make exclusively pumping as easy as possible for you, so that you can enjoy your baby! « Can You Use a Breast Pump While Pregnant? Prolactin levels tend to be the highest during these late night/early morning hours and so you may yield much more milk at night than during the day. Once your baby starts sleeping for longer stretches, you might wonder how to stop pumping at night. Dropping a pumping session – especially the middle of the night one, where you’ll be going longer between pumping sessions than you have before – can be really scary if you’ve had clogged milk ducts or mastitis before. I would not wake the baby. It is so important to establish your milk supply as soon as possible! Go slower! That’s totally fine, we just want a general plan to work towards. FWIW, my DD is 5 months old and I am still doing a night pump on the recommendation of my LC. Most nights, that’s once, somewhere between 2:30am and 4:30am. Get expert guidance from the world's #1 pregnancy and parenting resource, delivered via email, our apps, and website. Read More. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your supply will go down when you drop the middle of the night session, though. Let’s say that you decide you want to be able to go from 10pm to 6am without pumping, and pump every three hours during the day. When you’re thinking “when can I stop pumping at night?” the two biggest concerns are usually milk supply and clogged ducts. Holy moly the girls hurt if I don't get some milk out! Let your comfort level be your guide — if you’re uncomfortable 30 minutes after your usual time, then pump. Breastfeeding and Pumping Tips to Establish Milk Supply. In the step by step plan below, I explain how to drop your middle of the night pumping session quickly and how to do it at a slower pace. I panicked when I went back to work the last time. 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. How long can i go without pumping i dont want my milk supply to decrease Ive been so tired and sleep deprived i pump every 2-3 hours but last night i slept th… Ive been so tired and sleep deprived i pump every 2-3 hours but last night i... General Pregnancy. You get up for the day at 7am. Going that long at night will not affect your supply at all. Here’s a step by step plan for how to drop middle of the night pumping sessions, including what you should do if you’re prone to clogged milk ducts, and whether you should worry about your milk supply. Miriam: Newborns (1-4 months) are sleeping through the night when they sleep five hours at a time. You did it! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Once your milk supply is established, a general guide is to pump 6 to 7 times in a 24 hour period, at least once during the night, and only for as long as it takes to get the required amount of milk. share. More info here. You can go faster! I split the formilk from the first pump over two or three bottles so baby has a good balance. Or does that seem too fast? With regard to dropping a middle of the night pumping session in particular, many women worry that they may lose supply since prolactin levels are higher at night than they are during the day. As long as the baby goes...so it is usually 4-5 hours but has been as long as six. Building a freezer stash depends on your breast milk regulating to safely over-produce beyond what your little one consumes per day.. But I'm planning to go back to work towards July/August but i will be working 8 hours straight with a 30 minute break and pumping at work is just not an option. I go all night (about 7 hours) without pumping. Maybe you want to push the time back an hour a day. They hurt in the morning for sure and I try to wake up before her so I can pump first thing. You should pick the slower pace. There are four ways to drop pumping sessions, which you can read more about here or see below: For dropping middle the night sessions, I prefer the fourth method, where you move pumping sessions until they are closer together and you can drop one of the them. It’s a good idea to monitor this as you drop your night time session and immediately afterward. Congrats on going this long, pumping is hard work. Also if I go much longer than that I get very uncomfortable. I really worry about supply issues and I manage to get a nap in during the day or at least I try to. “Each lactating mother is slightly different and may have more or less breast milk and may empty the breast faster or slower, so these are approximate times. I did with the second two because I work now. Originally Posted August 31, 2020. If you are exclusively pumping and bottle feeding your baby, mimic what a typical nursing baby would be doing. My LO (little one) sleeps from 9pmto 5am pretty consistantly I pump ome around midnight right before I turn in mostly jsut to have the pumped milk though.. Yeah, don't worry about it! Some of those small aquarium kits use an air pump with an air stone and a tube and call it a filter. If you can delay your pumping session by an hour or two, then go for it. This allows you to troubleshoot potential issues, and proactively identify any changes in supply so you can make adjustments if needed. Last Updated August 31, 2020. You can do 15 minutes at a time, and wait a few days at the new time before pushing back another 15 minutes. I am worried about my milk supply when I am not pumping or nursing for 7 to 8 hours. I personally would not want to wake myself up if baby is not up! Just so you know, we may earn a commission if you buy something we've linked to here. Will supply go down if you don’t? (*The lactation massager I recommend is available on amazon, but you can also get a 10% discount buying directly from LaVie with the promo code EPUMP.). Your body will adjust in about 3-4 days and you won't be so engorged. Once you’ve got your plan, you can go ahead and get started pushing your sessions back. Let’s say that you decide you want to be able to go from 10pm to 6am without pumping, and pump every three hours during the day. You want to drop to 5 pumping sessions per day, then. This product is matched to user comments in this post. By 3-5 months old, most breastfed babies eat 2-3 times at night. Anything can happen when you drop a pumping session – your supply might drop, it might stay the same, or it might even increase due to the extra sleep you’re getting. Menstruation can be associated with a loss in milk supply, though there are some steps you can take to try to minimize or prevent this. I also would get anxious if I went too long without pumping. How long do you want to be able to go without pumping at night? All rights reserved. Thanks all. Gradually add time between pumping sessions. Will my supply go down if I don’t pump at night? “Breastfeeding and Fertility.”. These may not always be the exact times that you pump, but it gives you a good idea of where you’re at now, so you can plan how to get where you want to be. My supply hasn't seemed to decrease, but I seem to be one of those strange people that pump less, more frequently. When pumping during the night, milk yield tends to be better if you pump when you naturally wake (to go to the bathroom or because your breasts are uncomfortably full) than if you set an alarm to wake for pumping. At that point, you can drop the session, add the pumping time back to your remaining sessions, and just continue to keep pushing the time back until you get to your target time of 6am.). The only reason to wake up to pump in the middle of the night is your own comfort level, i.e. You are passing a message to a BabyCenter staff member. Set the pace that you think is best for your body. I go all night (about 7 hours) without pumping. In fact, with my first two, I didn't even own a pump. For all of my children, I nursed up to a year. If she does wake up during the night to eat or I naturally wake up and feel like it, I will get up and quickly pump. Breastfeeding frequency is an important factor in fertility after having a baby; if you stop pumping overnight, your period may come back sooner than it would have if you hadn’t because of the reduced frequency in lactation. Are you too tired to pump at night? Your boobs need to learn not to make so much at night if baby isn’t drinking it. Maybe you’ve tried pushing sessions back before and you got mastitis. With thousands of award-winning articles and community groups, you can track your pregnancy and baby's growth, get answers to your toughest questions, and connect with moms, dads, and expectant parents just like you. Thanks. If you have a firm schedule – like 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 9pm, 1am, 5am – you can skip this step. BabyCenter is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. If you notice your supply dropping, it’s a good idea to weigh the benefits (sleep) with the risks (less milk) of continuing. I do have a lot more foremilk in the AM and so I pump once for about 20 minutes and then about 45-60 minutes later, pump again to get the rest of the milk. I don't pump at night. : My baby (12 weeks) is sleeping longer stretches (8-10 hrs). I go as long as DS (dear son) goes - so normally one 5ish hour stretch, then 3 hours from that point. Experts also encourage pumping about five minutes past when the milk stops flowing, often by doing so mom will elicit another letdown, and at the very least will maintain production as well as encouraging increase in supply if needed. since my LO (little one) is only 6 weeks old I only go a max of 4-5 hours. Lol. Of course I really need the sleep I have a very sick dad right now. I have bf each of them for 12-18 months and have NEVER pumped at night. I can't see being able to carry my pump around all day and I can't see myself being able to take a 15 minute break at any point in the day. Do you pump at night? But what if your air pump is your filter? I hate pumping at work, so I pump while driving at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. and only have to pump ONCE at work around noon. What you want to do is slowly move the pumping session back until you get close enough to either the next middle of the night session or the first morning session that you can drop one of the sessions. - BabyCenter Canada Most breastfeeding mothers can go one five hour stretch per 24 hours without breastfeeding and experience no ill effect on milk supply. I went to pumping every 4 hours and m supply is way better... crazy! I would wait a bit longer before dropping the night pump. This is because usually, when you’re dropping a night time session, you’re training your breasts to go longer between pumping sessions than they have before. However, as I said above, every woman is different. Your best bet to mitigate the risk of losing supply when dropping a pumping session is to add the time from the dropped session back to your remaining pumping sessions, so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same. My milk has not droped since I quit, I just get a lot more in the AM. And even then, I’d probably only pump a small bit to relieve the discomfort, because pumping yourself empty will just tell your body that yes, that middle-of-the-night meal is still needed, and will repeat the next night. Currently she’s eating about once every 3-4 hours, sometimes 5 hours in the night! If your air pump is driving you nuts, you can get away with shutting it off at night, as long as your filter is running and doing its job. How to Drop Middle of the Night Pumping Sessions in 4 Easy Steps, The Best Way to Drop a Middle of Night Pumping Session. Go slowly. Remember, the intent is to express all milk from the breast in each session, to encourage your body to produce more and increase long term milk production. I can even wake up at night to pump when baby is still sleeping if needed. For example, you may have noticed that you pump more milk in the early morning hours (between 1am and 6am) than you do later in the day. I don't want to keep pumping in the middle of the night but I don't want my milk supply to suffer because of it. Your supply just adjusts to what baby needs. If your boobs wake you up before the baby, just pump to take the edge off so you can go back to sleep. My baby, hubby and I are getting on a better night time scheudule. Try to fully empty your breasts at the session before the one you’re dropping (in most cases, the last one before bed) and the next one (your second middle of the night session or the first one in the morning). In the mean time, when you get up to pee...take some OTC pain killers like Ibuprofen to help with the pain. That means do not skip more than one breastfeeding without pumping. Your body will adjust within a week to the changes in your pumping schedule. I usually just get about double of what I normally get. If your milk supply is beginning to decrease from the shortened pumping duration and/or the number of sessions, return to pumping more often and for a longer time. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know for sure. Your schedule would look something like this: 3:30am, 7:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm. Copyright © 2020 Exclusive Pumping LLC. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I’ll be compensated at no additional cost to you. 6 comments. For the fastest help on, More posts in "March 2010 Birth Club" group, Create a post in "March 2010 Birth Club" group, the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information. 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. June 11, 2013 at 12:32 am #165960. nerdy. What are the opinions on how long can you go without feeding or pumping before milk supply is effected? After that, many breastfeeding babies continue to eat at least once a night until 7-12 months old, depending on a variety of factors. As soon as complete production is developed, numerous mothers pump right before bed and first thing in the early morning. I don’t pump as I’ve been home so I just feed on demand (usually every 2-3 hrs during the day). Make sure that your goal is clear. I’m Amanda. Note: If baby is sleeping longer stretches at night, you should be sleeping those stretches too. Most agree its best to pump at least 15 minutes, and to avoid going much longer than 20 minutes. If you BF, I would pump in the AM for a few minutes to get the Foremilk down so baby gets a good balance. however, I can go up to 11 hours at night without pumping or feeding. So, will I be ok since my body can go up to 11 hours at night? Sleep deprivation can … Newborns should NOT be left to cry it out in order to achieve this five hour stretch, however. Your breasts to go 4-6 hrs without pumping good idea to monitor as. T pump at night comfort level be your guide — if you are pumping... I did n't even own a pump in April and would like to pump/breast feed to push the session at. I only go a max of 4-5 hours at a time can lead to and... Her chubbiest right before bed and first thing sleep I have a very sick dad now! Not pumping or feeding no ill effect on milk supply later on too delivered! 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Down if you can go up to 11 hours at night an hour a day LO ( one! How much time you want to push the session back at once I would wait a bit longer before the! Not up you can do this without excessive breast fullness or a reduction in milk production than hours! You get up to 11 hours at a time, but I to., most breastfed babies eat 2-3 times at night, you do need sleep! Anyway with rock hard and leaking boobs small aquarium kits use an air pump is own. Morning for sure and I manage to get a nap in during the day or at I! Could be detrimental to your supply at a time for all of LC.