Schedule, pumping, and feeding, oh my!

[@llli*mnkyarms]

Hey there Mamas!

We're at 9 weeks and going strong. Feeding about 8 times a day for 10-20 minutes (depending on her fickle mood ) and feeding 3 times a day plus 5, 3-oz bottles when off at daycare (ah the life of a mama when FMLA does not apply to your company). Growing like a champ, maybe even a little too fast (all those cute little outfits sure don't last long, do they?)

My LO goes to sleep at 8 or 9pm, wakes up about 5 hours later to eat, then back down for another 3 hours before eating again, then back to sleep until about 7am when it's up and at it for the day. We're getting a couple of good naps in during the day too. It's been a long hard battle to get to having a 5-6 hour stretch, but thank goodness for that one long stretch. That said, I'm back at work squishing 40 hours in 4 and would LOVE to get one long night in just once in a while.

Anyone have any thoughts about taking one night to let Dad wake up and give a bottle for one of the two night feedings? Can I go for one long stretch of sleep without risking my supply bottoming out? I'm thinking just once would help me get through the next three weeks or so until that 5 hour stretch becomes more like 7 hours. I know I should pump whenever she would normally feed, but if just once I could sleep on, it sure would help.

Thanks for the sage advice!

[@llli*mommal]

It's really tough to say whether or not you can safely replace that nighttime nursing session with a bottle if you're not going to pump. I honestly think it's risky, and that while you may not come up short on milk immediately, in the long run you're likely to start falling behind. There's no way to know, of course- but my gut feeling is that the safest, surest course of action is always to nurse.

One thing to consider is that at just 9 weeks, 5-6 hours of consecutive sleep counts as sleeping through the night. It's something many babies do not do until they are significantly older than yours, and many babies start waking more frequently as time goes on and teeth start coming in. So I would not count on a 7 hour sleep stretch anytime soon, certainly not in a mere 3 weeks' time.

Is baby sleeping with you, or is he down the hall in a crib? Often the key to better night's is to take baby to bed with you. It's a lot less disturbing to your sleep to roll over and flip out a breast than to get up, trudge down the hall, nurse, put baby back in bed, trudge back, etc.

[@llli*juliasmomma]

5-6 hours is pretty good for just 9 weeks old!

Not sure if this is true for everyone, but when my LO was 9 weeks old I would wake up really uncomfortable if she slept longer than usual. So I wouldn't have been able to sleep thru a feeding w/o pumping. But I think I had OS so maybe that's not the case for you But I agree with mommal - nursing is so much easier than pumping, especially in the middle of the night! How long are you up for? If you don't co-sleep, maybe you could just nurse & hand baby over to DH & he could get baby back to sleep for you so you don't have to be up for very long - I know at that stage I was up with DD for an hour+ sometimes and it was exhausting!

I hope you find what works for you!

[@llli*mnkyarms]

I'm not looking for a permanent replacement ... just one night of one less feeding to recharge. She sleeps in her own crib (even puts herself to sleep most nights), and we aren't up very long during a feeding. I'm really very lucky, but I know teething will come and 10-hour work days are hard. Hoping for a one night break to make the next couple of months/weeks easier.

[@llli*toddlerandtwins]

If you want to pump for a few days to miss 1 night feeding one time, that shouldn't impact your supply. However-has your baby taken a bottle yet? I don't know if your baby will be more or less prone to taking a bottle for the first time at night

If you are planning to do this on a regular basis then it will impact your suppy and that is a decision you will have to make. One time should not be an issue-but you will probably wake up leaking!

[@llli*joshuas.mommy]

One time every couple of weeks should not be an issue. When my DS was 8 weeks old, we stayed with my in-laws for five days and I let them watch DS in their bedroom overnight two of those nights so I could catch up on sleep, and the only thing that happened was I woke up very engorged and uncomfortable. It didn't impact my supply at all. Of course, I've been lucky that I've always had an abundant supply, bordering on oversupply, so your mileage may vary, but it's definitely possible for some mamas. I wouldn't do it too often--maybe once a week--but I think it should be fine to give yourself an occasional break from overnight feeding. I'm a working mama too and I feel your pain! That said, the other posters are right that going 5-6 hours at night is VERY good for a 9 week old--lucky you! I wouldn't count on it getting longer, or even continuing at 5-6 hours, any time in the near future. As the others have said, once they start teething they tend to wake up to feed more at night, not less Best of luck!

[@llli*amber.watkins]

Just curious. What all did you do to get your baby to sleep that long? My duaghter is just 5 days old and I would love to hear your advice. Thanks

[@llli*browncow]

I don't think every once in a while would hurt your supply but in my experience I couldn't sleep through because I got to engorged.