Those who exclusively pumped!!

No drama please. No matter how hard I tried ds hasn't been able to latch despite meeting with a lactation consultant, using a nipple shield, etc. Nothing has been helping and I can't go on in excruciating pain during each feed so I have since switched to pumping. If you exclusively pumped, especially early on (I'm only 3 weeks postpartum) did you pump even during the nighttime feedings? Do you need to? I have a little extra after each day that I have been using at night (not much, it's just enough to feed him). Is it necessary to pump at night to keep my supply up? I pump whenever he would normally feed. Help!!!

Message edited 2/6/2015 5:19:27 AM.

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

If he's up during the night then yes I would pump in middle of the night othrrwise your supply will be affected
Once he sleeps though the night I don't think its necessary

Those who exclusively pumped!!

I do not EP, but I do think you need to pump each time he eats. I think if you were to skip one occasionally (if you had enough milk for the day) you'd probably be fine.

Message edited 2/6/2015 6:28:26 AM.

Those who exclusively pumped!!

Yes. You should pump at night too. I even if the baby is sleeping. I used to set my alarm for every two to three hours.
Freeze what you don't use.

Those who exclusively pumped!!

I exclusively pumped. I would set my alarm for middle of the night to pump to keep my supply going. I would also feed her when she needed to be fed during the night. I was waking up a lot. I only did it for 4 months and then switched to formula because I was beyond tired from the middle of the night pumpings.

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

I pumped at night when my twins were still waking up which was a long time for me. My DH would feel the twins and I would pump so I wasn't up too long.

Those who exclusively pumped!!

That early on you have to pump every 2-3 hours or your supply won't be enough. You have to set your alarm!

Those who exclusively pumped!!

I was/am an EP'er with both my girls. In the beginning You are supposed to pump every 3 hours or so even at night to establish your supply. My personal experience howver is that I pumped only 1x in the middle of the night bc bw feeding my LO and pumping there was no way I could sustain doing it more than once a night. Once my girld started sttn (8-10 weeks)I skipped the middle of the nigtt pump. I Ep'd for one year with my older DD and going on 10 months with the younger one

Those who exclusively pumped!!

Yes I would pump. I exclusivey pumped with the twins and although supply was not a problem for me at the time (I over produced) I would wake up in the morning SOAKING WET because I didn't pump at least once during the night.

Those who exclusively pumped!!

I've only been waking once a night with the baby to pump. He's been sleeping in longer stretches so I can't wake every 2-3 hours. I don't think I could function especially when he's not even waking up that often. Hopefully once is enough. It doesn't seem to be a problem thus far. Usually he sleeps in 4 hour stretches!! Thankfully he's a pretty good sleeper!

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

Those who exclusively pumped!!

In the beginning, I used to pump every 2 hrs (8 times a day). I used to pump during the night whenever the baby woke up, but stopped the middle of the night session when she started STTN. According the the kellymom website, they say it's helpful to pump at least once in the early morning between 1 am-5 am when the hormone levels are the highest. I've been pumping for 7 months now.

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

you have to pump each time he feeds, sometimes more. many women experience supply issues since the pump cannot remove milk as effective;y as a baby.
you can joing "exclusive expressing/pumping" for more info from EP moms

Those who exclusively pumped!!

I pumped in the very beginning when DD was in the NICU. From day one the nurses told me to sleep through the 3am feeding to get some rest. I pumped around midnight and 6am and had a big oversupply for the first few weeks. Even when she was home and getting a mix of pumped bottles and nursing I always skipped one pumping session a day. I don't know if it would have caused an issue down the road but for the time being it wasn't and that sleep was precious! Good luck!

Those who exclusively pumped!!

I pumped while DS was in the NICU and for a few weeks after (the triple system, BF, bottle, pump). I was told to DEFINITELY pump during the night time feeding. It was the ONLY way to get my supply to come in. Now that he's 3 months, and I'm back at work, I'm pumping during the day and BFing at night (and middle of the night when he wakes, seems to be on an every other night sttn schedule), he takes 3 bottles at daycare, and I TRY to pump 3 times during the day, but there are some days where that's just not possible, not even remotely, so those are the days that I need to steal from my freezer stash.

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

When I had ds1 I did a combination of nursing and pumping. I was crazy about knowing how much he was getting. Like someone said I read that its most important to pump between 1am and 5am. I did not wake up every 2 hours in the middle of the night I was just too tired. By 3 months I had to return to work and we were done. So I don't know if in the long run it would have caused a problem.

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

Those who exclusively pumped!!

If you're getting up with him, then yes pump. That's what I did. When DD started sleeping through the night, I gave up night pumping. My supply took a hit and I produced less but I was willing to trade that for sleep lol

Those who exclusively pumped!!

Thanks ladies. It's interesting to hear how many of your babies were in the nicu. DS was in the nicu for almost a week and I really think that's where his latching issues came from. The hospital was supplementing in the beginning because I just wasn't producing what they were giving him. They were giving him a ton. More than I think a normal baby would eat. So frustrating because now I feel pumping is the only way. I had to pump from the very beginning during his stay in the nicu.

Message edited 2/6/2015 11:50:02 AM.

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

No I pumped exclusively & didn't pump in the middle of the night. I pumped 5 times a day, about 4 hours apart, but I was too tired in the middle of the night. I'd do my last pump around 11pm & my first around 7am the next morning. At the beginning I'd wake up with my shirt soaked but after a few weeks that stopped happening, I guess my body adjusted. It didn't affect my supply by doing this, I always made enough.

Those who exclusively pumped!!

Middle of the night pumps are very important that early when you're trying to establish a supply. It sucks but it's not forever. DD's ped wanted us to wake her up to eat for the first 6 weeks. I would wake up to my alarm, prep her bottle, put on my handsfree bra and pump gear, get DD, change her diaper, put her on the boppy on the living room couch, hook myself up to the pump, pick her up and feed her while pumping. Most of the time I'd fall asleep. Then 3-4 hours later I'd do it all over again. I did this during the week until my maternity leave was over. On weekends and after I went back to work, DH would feed and I would just pump.... and fall asleep during pumping. Once we stopped having to wake her up to eat, she was mostly STTN and I would just wake up 2x a night to pump.

I stopped pumping in the middle of the night around 11-12 weeks which is when your supply is established.

Message edited 2/6/2015 10:41:33 PM.

Re: Those who exclusively pumped!!

Yes has to be done each time to keep up supply. By 3 months I was done pumping. I only pumped 2 weeks for my second DC because I needed to be alert and not tired with a newborn and toddler. Don't drive yourself crazy

Message edited 2/7/2015 1:16:07 PM.