bottle of expressed milk before bed

also what size bottle teat does a 15 week old need? x

I do this for my little boy. Re the amount, I just increased it gradually until he seemed content. I started off with 100ml and he is now taking about 180ml before bed and even then he is still breast fed after to get him to sleep. He is 3 months but is very long!😂. I always pump in the morning as I get almost double what I would if I pump in the afternoon / evening x

We always use size 1 teat. He won’t take the bottle if the milk is coming out too fast x

To protect breastfeeding, always use the slowest flow teat there is. My little boy is 18 months and still uses size 1. Guidance I’ve seen says not to give more than 4oz (120ml) but if it’s just one bottle a day you might be able to increase that a little.

@Sophie thank you! so the smaller the teat size, the slower the milk flow? xx we have some mam bottles

Pump between 12-4am I know it’s rubbish timing but best supply!

There are multiple reasonable ways to handle this. One would be to pump both breasts after your first feed in the morning, as this is often when you’ll get larger volumes. It’s normal to only get 0.5-1oz when pumping after nursing so don’t be discouraged if this is the case. Offer a bottle of whatever you pump - do not ever offer more than you pumped that day (don’t supplement with previously pumped milk if you skipped a pump session as this can lower supply). If you’re getting tons of milk and want to avoid oversupply, then try to avoid pumping more than 4oz.

@Rebecca thank you! i pumped a couple times today after feeding to collect enough milk to give to her tonight. is it okay to mix it? i will start to only pump in the morning like you said. also how much should i give her, what about 100ml?

@BromMama oh i dont mind breastfeeding her at those times, my main goal is to keep her sleeping a longer stretch, i don’t mind getting up to feed her even 3 times a night, it’s just that she’s up at least 10 times now… i believe it’s because she’s trying to roll and it wakes her! x

@Dee thank you! okay maybe i’ll start with 100ml too and see if she’s still hungry after. my girl is 3 months and long too!!🤣 in terms of the teats i have no clue how it works, the smaller the teats size the slower milk flow? or is it age dependent? xx

I pump once a day for 10-15 mins after morning feed (usually about 30 mins after) and get 100-120 ml. He’s given this by my partner that evening so I can go to bed early. Works really well for me this way, and doesn’t cause oversupply because he’s having what I’m pumping that day.

@Anna thats my goal! do you find he sleeps longer stretches? xx

Yes you can mix it! 100mL is a good amount to start with, you can increase or decrease based on how much she takes. You can always nurse after the bottle if she still seems hungry while you’re figuring it out

@Victoria yes, the teats aren’t actually different sizes, the numbers refer to the size of the hole and therefore the milk flow. Breastfed babies should have slow flow tests so that they don’t develop a preference for a fast flow that can’t be matched at the breast

My little one never slept longer stretches after a bottle though. But it does allow you to sleep through a feed if you go to bed early 😊

@Sophie makes sense! so im ok to use a size 0 on mam bottles? xx thanks so much girlie

@Sophie oh god i have a lot of hope and 0 expectations hahah! i really need her to start waking less but i think its because she tried to roll in her sleep! xx

@Victoria will try and explain with timeline! 7:45-9 bedtime routine (bath, breastfeeding etc). I go to bed at 9pm. 9-12/12:30 sleep with partner monitoring. When he wakes partner gives bottle. 1am partner brings him into bedroom where I am and I do all feeds until morning. He usually wakes anytime from 2-3:30 am after bottle, so doesn’t do a long stretch after the bottle but I get decent sleep! He’s 7 weeks old so might not be the same sleep as yours :)

@Victoria yes, size 0 will be good 😊

What we do is breastfeed until 8pm, then I go to sleep and partner gives expressed milk at 1am when she wakes. Then she wakes about 3 for breastfeed and 5.

@BromMama do you need to pump at 1am? i gave her a bottle at 8pm last night, was i meant to pump after? as i got quite engorged overnight x

@Sophie ah do you have to pump though while baby is having the bottle? xx

@Victoria I pump once during the night