Pump before you go to bed to ensure that your breasts are drained. You can store this milk for future use.
Pump At Night When Needed — But Do Not Drain
If you wake up in the middle of the night feeling engorged and are not planning to feed your baby within the next 2 hours, pump until you feel comfortable again. Do not fully drain your breasts as that will tell your body to continue to produce copious amounts of breast milk overnight. Over time, your body will adjust and you will no longer wake up feeling uncomfortable.
Most of the time, breastfeeding parents will nurse their babies in the middle of the night and only do pumping sessions during the day. However, there are occasions when you may need to pump in the middle of the night, rather than nurse, if your baby is younger than 6 months old.
Unfortunately, if you’re the breastfeeding parent, you know that getting up in the middle of the night to feed your baby is just part of the deal.
So, is it ok to have your partner feed the baby during the night so you can get more sleep? Or will that hurt your milk supply?
While it’s fine to have your partner feed your baby occasionally, it’s important to either breastfeed or pump every two to three hours in the first three months, and every three to four hours in the next three months to maintain your milk supply.
If you don’t nurse (or pump) that often, your body will assume you need to produce less milk, and your milk supply may decrease.
Should I Wake Up to Pump Breastmilk at Night
FAQ
How can I protect my baby’s milk supply when sleeping longer?
How do you store breast milk pumped at night?
How do I stop engorgement overnight?
Do I need to pump when baby sleeps through the night?
What should I do with leftover breast milk?
After 2 hours, leftover breast milk should be discarded. Carefully clean, sanitize, and store pump equipment, baby bottles, and other feeding items to protect your breast milk from contamination. See CDC guidance on how to safely clean and store pump equipment and infant feeding items.
Does milk help with sleep?
Tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in milk, has been shown to have some sleep-inducing effects because it reduces the amount of serotonin, which has sedative effects.
How do you store breast milk?
Before expressing or handling breast milk, wash your hands with soap and water. Then store the expressed milk in a clean, capped food-grade glass container or hard plastic container that’s not made with the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). You can also use special plastic bags designed for milk collection and storage.
Can I store breast milk if I Wake Up engorged?
You can store this milk for future use. If you wake up in the middle of the night feeling engorged and are not planning to feed your baby within the next 2 hours, pump until you feel comfortable again. Do not fully drain your breasts as that will tell your body to continue to produce copious amounts of breast milk overnight.