night time engorgement

DD, 8 weeks tomorrow, is finally sleeping for long chunks of time at
night (4 hours, once 5!). WHen she does wake to feed they are quick 5
minute feeds and she goes back to sleep. However, I am waking up
really engorged, like there are rocks in there, even when she's not
waking. Sometimes between wakings she will dream feed a few sucks but
usually not at all.

I don't want to wake her, obviously, and she's old enough and heavy
enough (12.5 lbs) to go without eating at night. I really don't want
to pump until morning either. I would think my body would figure out
she's eating less at night and produce less then but it hasn't
happened yet after a week or so of this schedule. Has anyone been
through this? When did your supply adapt, if so?

One other question: assuming my supply goes down at night to reflect
her new schedule, could this give me supply problems down the road?
IOW, should I pump at night just to maintain supply? Of course my
preference would be not to pump at night so as not to encourage the
continued engorgement. But I am concerned she will have another growth
spurt later on and want to eat regularly at night. I pump every
morning about 6 ounces (freeze 4 or 5, my partner feeds her 1 or 2 in
a bottle so she gets used to the bottle) and then I feed her after
that. She still feeds regularly during the day, every 2 or 3 hours,
and cluster feeds in the morning and evening, and so far no supply
problems.

TIA.
Rachel

lol
i wake mine and offer the breast
i dont want my menses to return so i dont mind night feeding

"Rachel" wrote in message
om...
DD, 8 weeks tomorrow, is finally sleeping for long chunks of time at
night (4 hours, once 5!). WHen she does wake to feed they are quick 5
minute feeds and she goes back to sleep. However, I am waking up
really engorged, like there are rocks in there, even when she's not
waking. Sometimes between wakings she will dream feed a few sucks but
usually not at all.

I don't want to wake her, obviously, and she's old enough and heavy
enough (12.5 lbs) to go without eating at night. I really don't want
to pump until morning either. I would think my body would figure out
she's eating less at night and produce less then but it hasn't
happened yet after a week or so of this schedule. Has anyone been
through this? When did your supply adapt, if so?

One other question: assuming my supply goes down at night to reflect
her new schedule, could this give me supply problems down the road?
IOW, should I pump at night just to maintain supply? Of course my
preference would be not to pump at night so as not to encourage the
continued engorgement. But I am concerned she will have another growth
spurt later on and want to eat regularly at night. I pump every
morning about 6 ounces (freeze 4 or 5, my partner feeds her 1 or 2 in
a bottle so she gets used to the bottle) and then I feed her after
that. She still feeds regularly during the day, every 2 or 3 hours,
and cluster feeds in the morning and evening, and so far no supply
problems.

TIA.
Rachel

My advise would be if your breasts are uncomfortable, wake her and see if
she'll help you out. It's a two-way relationship you have. You feed her
when she is hungry, and she feeds off you when you are full.

If she doesn't want it, she won't take it.

You might just need to take a towel to bed with you and if she doesn't feed,
just express enough off to be comfortable - don't pump.

Jo (RM)

Rachel wrote:
DD, 8 weeks tomorrow, is finally sleeping for long chunks of time at
night (4 hours, once 5!). WHen she does wake to feed they are quick 5
minute feeds and she goes back to sleep. However, I am waking up
really engorged, like there are rocks in there, even when she's not
waking. Sometimes between wakings she will dream feed a few sucks but
usually not at all.

I don't want to wake her, obviously, and she's old enough and heavy
enough (12.5 lbs) to go without eating at night. I really don't want
to pump until morning either. I would think my body would figure out
she's eating less at night and produce less then but it hasn't
happened yet after a week or so of this schedule. Has anyone been
through this? When did your supply adapt, if so?

One other question: assuming my supply goes down at night to reflect
her new schedule, could this give me supply problems down the road?
IOW, should I pump at night just to maintain supply? Of course my
preference would be not to pump at night so as not to encourage the
continued engorgement. But I am concerned she will have another growth
spurt later on and want to eat regularly at night. I pump every
morning about 6 ounces (freeze 4 or 5, my partner feeds her 1 or 2 in
a bottle so she gets used to the bottle) and then I feed her after
that. She still feeds regularly during the day, every 2 or 3 hours,
and cluster feeds in the morning and evening, and so far no supply
problems.

TIA.
Rachel

--
--
Babies are Born... Pizzas are delivered.

Gack - can't even spell advice right! Sorry.

Jo

JoFromOz wrote:
My advise would be if your breasts are uncomfortable, wake her and
see if she'll help you out. It's a two-way relationship you have.
You feed her when she is hungry, and she feeds off you when you are
full.

If she doesn't want it, she won't take it.

You might just need to take a towel to bed with you and if she
doesn't feed, just express enough off to be comfortable - don't pump.

Jo (RM)

Rachel wrote:
DD, 8 weeks tomorrow, is finally sleeping for long chunks of time at
night (4 hours, once 5!). WHen she does wake to feed they are quick 5
minute feeds and she goes back to sleep. However, I am waking up
really engorged, like there are rocks in there, even when she's not
waking. Sometimes between wakings she will dream feed a few sucks but
usually not at all.

I don't want to wake her, obviously, and she's old enough and heavy
enough (12.5 lbs) to go without eating at night. I really don't want
to pump until morning either. I would think my body would figure out
she's eating less at night and produce less then but it hasn't
happened yet after a week or so of this schedule. Has anyone been
through this? When did your supply adapt, if so?

One other question: assuming my supply goes down at night to reflect
her new schedule, could this give me supply problems down the road?
IOW, should I pump at night just to maintain supply? Of course my
preference would be not to pump at night so as not to encourage the
continued engorgement. But I am concerned she will have another
growth spurt later on and want to eat regularly at night. I pump
every morning about 6 ounces (freeze 4 or 5, my partner feeds her 1
or 2 in a bottle so she gets used to the bottle) and then I feed her
after that. She still feeds regularly during the day, every 2 or 3
hours, and cluster feeds in the morning and evening, and so far no
supply problems.

TIA.
Rachel

--

--
--
Babies are Born... Pizzas are delivered.

Rachel wrote:

DD, 8 weeks tomorrow, is finally sleeping
for long chunks of time at night (4 hours,
once 5!). WHen she does wake to feed
they are quick 5 minute feeds and she
goes back to sleep. However, I am waking
up really engorged, like there are rocks in
there, even when she's not waking.
Sometimes between wakings she will
dream feed a few sucks but usually not at
all.

Congratulations on the better sleep your DD is getting! That's great!

I don't have a lot of answers for you, but I wanted to let you know that
I have been going through something similar over the past couple of
weeks. My DD is older than yours though (13 weeks today).

She's recently started sleeping through the night, going a good 8 hours
(last night she did 9 hours, 15 minutes...a record for us)! The long
periods of sleep have been great, but like you I've been having trouble
with engorgement and painful breasts that feel like they are filled with
rocks.


I don't want to wake her, obviously, and
she's old enough and heavy enough (12.5
lbs) to go without eating at night. I really
don't want to pump until morning either. I
would think my body would figure out
she's eating less at night and produce less
then but it hasn't happened yet after a
week or so of this schedule. Has anyone
been through this? When did your supply
adapt, if so?

I dont blame you for not wanting to wake her! What happened with me
was, I was pumping to relieve the engorgement...and I really didn't like
doing that. For one thing I felt it would signal my body to make more
milk...and for another I don't really need a large freezer stash, so I
was putting a lot of milk in the freezer that I may or may not get to
use. So what I did was just taper off on the pumping...a little less
each day until I wasn't pumping at all. I think it's taken about 2
weeks for me, but my supply seems to be much better now and while I am
full in the morning, the painful engorgement has stopped.


One other question: assuming my supply
goes down at night to reflect her new
schedule, could this give me supply
problems down the road? IOW, should I
pump at night just to maintain supply? Of
course my preference would be not to
pump at night so as not to encourage the
continued engorgement. But I am
concerned she will have another growth
spurt later on and want to eat regularly at
night. I pump every morning about 6
ounces (freeze 4 or 5, my partner feeds
her 1 or 2 in a bottle so she gets used to
the bottle) and then I feed her after that.
She still feeds regularly during the day,
every 2 or 3 hours, and cluster feeds in
the morning and evening, and so far no
supply problems.

I can't really speak to what might happen to your supply down the road
(as I am new to this myself)...but I believe what will happen is your
supply will adjust to your child's needs. If your child wants more milk
and nurses more, your supply will go up...that's what I think, anyway.

Good luck to you and hope that engorgement goes away soon!

Kathy

(Rachel) wrote in message . com...
DD, 8 weeks tomorrow, is finally sleeping for long chunks of time at
night (4 hours, once 5!). WHen she does wake to feed they are quick 5
minute feeds and she goes back to sleep. However, I am waking up
really engorged, like there are rocks in there, even when she's not
waking. Sometimes between wakings she will dream feed a few sucks but


how long has she had this sleeping pattern?

When my guy started sleeping longer chunks I was having the same
problem. After a few weeks of him sleeping longer my breasts adjusted
and while I wake full I don't wake up painfully engorged anymore no
matter how long he sleeps.

maybe you just need to give it time??

karen

(Kathy) wrote in message news:6322-3FDF24CC-465@storefull- I can't really speak to what might happen to your supply down the road
(as I am new to this myself)...but I believe what will happen is your
supply will adjust to your child's needs. If your child wants more milk
and nurses more, your supply will go up...that's what I think, anyway.

Good luck to you and hope that engorgement goes away soon!

Kathy

Thanks Kathy. This is what I am hoping will happen. Last night she
(and I) slept from 7 pm to 1 am and then until 4, and then from 4:30
to 8! I feel so rested. I did wake and hand express into a cloth
diaper, which was suggested by someone else, and it helped a bit. I
will try the tapering-off pumping. It finally occurred to me I don't
have to get up to pump - just pump a bit and through it away in the
morning.
Rachel

(Karen) wrote in message . com...
(Rachel) wrote in message . com...
DD, 8 weeks tomorrow, is finally sleeping for long chunks of time at
night (4 hours, once 5!). WHen she does wake to feed they are quick 5
minute feeds and she goes back to sleep. However, I am waking up
really engorged, like there are rocks in there, even when she's not
waking. Sometimes between wakings she will dream feed a few sucks but


how long has she had this sleeping pattern?

When my guy started sleeping longer chunks I was having the same
problem. After a few weeks of him sleeping longer my breasts adjusted
and while I wake full I don't wake up painfully engorged anymore no
matter how long he sleeps.

maybe you just need to give it time??

karen


It's only been a couple of weeks. I am hoping you are right. It is
nice to know other people experienced this and it got better on its
own.
Rachel

"JoFromOz" wrote in message ...
My advise would be if your breasts are uncomfortable, wake her and see if
she'll help you out. It's a two-way relationship you have. You feed her
when she is hungry, and she feeds off you when you are full.

If she doesn't want it, she won't take it.

You might just need to take a towel to bed with you and if she doesn't feed,
just express enough off to be comfortable - don't pump.

Thanks! Did this last night and it was a definite improvement.

Rachel wrote:

just pump a bit and through it away in the
morning.

Ack! Don't throw it away, put it in the freezer in the
morning. EBM is fine for 10 hours at a bit cooler than
normal room temp, and certainly until morning even if you
keep a warm bedroom. If it's a tiny tiny bit, combine a few
days worth (they'll keep 8-10 days in the fridge, but I'd
try to get it in the freezer within 3 if it's been out for a
few hours).

Phoebe
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