Breastfeeding mummas

Curious how other breastfeeding mums manage long gaps without feeding at night? My little ones started to sleep for longer stretches which is amazing but I'm now struggling with engorged and leaking boobs in the night as they can go 6/7 hours without a feed. Do you wake your baby up earlier to feed? Or just deal with the boobs?

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I have a manual pump that I use if I wake before my baby just to take the discomfort away. Then I use the milk in his bath if I don't get it in the fridge in time

Would love to know how you got your LO to go such long stretches 🙏🏽. Usually I deal with the boobs and once he’s awake feed him on one side and put my Hakka on the other, also use nappies in my bra as the nursing pads just don’t cut it overnight x

I just pump a little bit from each, I don't fully empty because that just makes it worse the next night. Then I just feed her off both sides when she wakes up. My little one has been sleeping about 9 hours at night now and the discomfort has gone so my boobs must have adjusted.

Ah thank you, maybe I'll get a pump to help then, felt like they were going to burst last night 😣 @Olivia he actually used to sleep terribly, 1-2 hour stretches, max 3 which was very very rare. Then over the last week its just changed completely, the only thing I changed is using a sleepsack where you can strap his arms in. Before I didn't do any swaddling so I think this has helped. I use the dreamland weighted sack with the arm straps, it's been a life saver. Only other thing is sticking to wake windows in the day (not always possible but try my best)

I have the same issue as you (got our first 6 hour stretch last night!) and just have a manual pump beside my bed to express slightly on the side he doesn’t drink from in the middle of the night. Interestingly I’ve just started trying to stick to wake windows too so I wonder if that really does make a difference!

@Karina thank you! Sorry another question what wake windows do you use? I see so many different ones for his age online

Yeah I've seen so many online too! I just stick to not being awake for longer than 1.5 hours. Not always possible if we have visitors or are out and about as he gets over stimulated but try to stick to that as much as possible. Usually his sleepy cues kick in after about an hour anyway so I can tell he's ready to nap. He's 2 months old btw as I know they vary by age xx

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