When can I extend sessions at night - pumping

Question

Baby is 1 month and a few days. She is 11lbs 6oz (9lbs at birth). She has been eating my expressed breastmilk from a bottle for the past two weeks. Right now I’m waking up twice (3-4hrs between) to pump during the night. I’m wondering when is my milk supply “established” enough to go longer - how many hours can I go and when can I begin those longer stretches? Thanks!

Answer

I exclusively pumped when my son was a newborn I only did one pumping session In the middle of the night. The middle of the night pump is important for your supply though. Once your supply is regulated around 6-12 weeks you might be able to drop it but I know a lot of EP moms who can’t or their supply will tank.

Answer

Breastmilk supply at minimum starts regulating at 6-8wks. But most usually not fully regulated until 12wks. 
Is there a reason baby is eating from bottle instead of nursing, as baby is far more effective at pulling milk out than a pump and it’s sooooooo much easier to just nurse rather than mess with bottles, pump times etc etc. it isn’t recommended to pump on top of nursing until 6wks minimum because of over supply risk.

Answer

The answer will depend on your breastfeeding goals. If you want to make just the right amount for your baby, then don’t do extra pumping if baby is sleeping longer. Just pump the number or times that baby feeds. If your goal is to make enough for baby, but also start storing some milk in the freezer, then you could continue your current method as it will technically make an oversupply.
Milk “establishes” closer to 6 weeks for most women. Recommendations will tell you not to pump before 6 weeks due to the risk of creating an oversupply, which comes with its own risks. This is true for most women, but I personally intentionally decided to pump a couple times a day starting at a couple weeks postpartum to encourage my body to make a little extra. I had supply issues with my first and am low risk for oversupply. Now at 11 weeks, I only make a few ounces a day over what my son eats, which is good for my body because I know my supply will drop when I go back to work next week. It has also allowed me to create a nice freezer stash as backup.

When can I extend sessions at night - pumping

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