Supply

[Kate1985]

Hi,

I have an almost 7 week old and I am breastfeeding. For the first two weeks I breastfed her and also expressed as she was in hospital. I got up twice in the night to pump. When she came home she slept through which she has continued to do. She's always had one formula feed at 11:30 which my husband wakes her up to do. She cluster feeds from me about 6-8. I wake her up at 7am so I go from 8pm-7am without feeding or expressing. My boobs have adapted to this. However, I keep reading that not expressing or feeding in the night will drastically reduce supply. Now I understand this is the sense that it will stop producing the extra milk that baby may have needed in the night which is fine obv cuz she's asleep but it makes out like this is an awful thing to do if breastfeeding. I thought breastfeeding was supply and demand so my boobs will make what my baby needs so I just don't get it and it's stressing me out. She feeds fine in the day she does feed a lot and for long periods of time.

 

[Maud]

It is because you usually produce the most milk overnight, so cutting out those feeds will tell your body to produce less milk. Provided you feed her as often as she needs it during the day then you should still produce enough, but you might have to feed more during the day than if you were feeding overnight if that makes sense. Provided she is gaining weight and producing plenty of wet and dirty nappies then don't worry and enjoy your nights! x

 

[kumber]

As Maud said. The hormone prolactin is produced roughly between 2am and 5am and it is what kick starts your body producing milk for the following 24 hours. Your supply is at its peak right up until roughly 12 weeks and as baby doesn't feed from you overnight you may (not definitely) find that you're not producing enough at that time and night feeds may start of she may want to go to bottles.

I'm not wanting to be doom and gloom and I appreciate you're just feeding your baby on demand but it's just something to bear in mind rather than panic or feel bad about in the future