Expressed a bottle for DD's night feed for first time

[JuniorMint]

Not sure if I should put this in Feeding or Sleep, but I am feeling fab this morning after expressing a bottle for the first time! DD is 8 weeks.

I was a bit apprehensive at first as I love the closeness of bf and like the idea that the milk adapts itself to meet DD's needs at that particular feed, but DH encouraged me to try it- he is off work today so could be more hands on during the night.

So this afternoon I used my Avent hand pump and got 80ml (I was aiming for 100ml as advised on NCT website). Then after DD's bath I bf for nearly an hour, finishing around 9pm, and settled her down into Moses basket downstairs. Then off I toddled to the spare room at 9.15pm!

DH stayed downstairs then took the Moses basket up with him when he went to bed, and he gave DD the bottle of expressed milk when she woke around midnight. He settled her back down (including having her sleep on his chest for a bit which seems to help her digest after a feed) until she woke for next feed at 3.20am, when he came to get me and I bf fed her then stayed in our room.

So I slept 9.15pm to 3.20am- 6 hours! The longest continuous sleep for 8 weeks since DD was born!

After 6 hours, when I took my feeding bra down to start feeding, the milk came squirting out all over ha ha! I felt really refreshed and the big smile I got from DD when she heard my voice at 3.20am was wonderful. I think I had been beginning to feel totally tied to feeding as I was the only one who could do it, but was worried I'd feel guilty leaving a bottle and not bf.

Just wanted to share how well it went, does anyone else have any stories/tips for expressing/ night feeds etc?

Now it's 6.30am and DD and I are up while DH has a well deserved lie in!

That's great! It's amazing how good you feel after a decent chunk of sleep.

Around this age ds1 started going 5 hours between feeds at night and I remember well the feeling of waking up soaked with two boulders attached to my chest . If you're planning to do this regularly then your supply will start to adjust to it so don't panic if they're not so full after a few days.

Only advice I'd give is not to get too hung up on mls when you express as it's easy to get into a worry spiral if for whatever reason you don't get as much as usual, and also be a wee bit careful not to be too enthusiastic with the expressing as it's possible to overstimulate your supply and end up with a blocked duct or mastitis.

Hope you're enjoying your morning after your good night's sleep

weirdly I was just about to start a thread on thus when I saw yours.

These past 4 nights I've fed 12 week old ds at bedtime. I then put him into his cot and offer a bottle. He typically takes 80 to 120ml and nods off. FOR 6 OR 7 HOURS!

this was a baby who would not sleep more than 2 hours ever. even that would be only the first sleep of the night. sleeps were 45 mins or hourly after that.

I now pump first thing when my milk is most plentiful. we call it 'bottled sleep'. tis amazing.

ds1 (now 2 years) was also a bad sleeper of hourly wakings. But he was a bottle refuser so I just had to grit my teeth and get on with the sleep deprivation for a year.

Thanks for your replies . Unfortunately can't recreate tonight as DH is at work tomorrow...

Nutella- Do you mean you bf DS and then give 80ml-120ml from a bottle straight afterwards while he is in his cot? Sounds good, will have to give it a try. Bottled sleep- love it!

sleephead Thanks for the tips re: overpumping and not getting hung up on ml!

We did this for ages. DH used to do the 10pm feed with expressed milk, I'd go to bed at 8pm and sleep through till 2 or 3 or whenever the next feed was. DH went to bed at 11 or so and we all got lots of lovely sleep, and he had some time alone with DD

That's interesting. Am PG with DC2 and due in a couple of weeks. I bfed my DD but never really gave a bottle overnight as u thought if end up pumping at the time she fed? Did u not? I may try this!

elvislives I was definitely ready for the 3am feed- breasts full and started squirting as soon as I took my bra down, could maybe do with hand expressing a little first so DD doesn't get hit in the back of the throat, but I didn't find they were too full/engorged or painful so that I would need to pump during the night.

I have just been informed at that DH is on a late shift tomorrow, not starting until 12.30 so we can do the same plan tonight! Hurrah!

We do this! Doesn't make DD (7 weeks) sleep any longer, but does seem to reduce evening fussiness and just makes a more relaxed time for all of us. OH gives her the bottle and they get some quality time together - otherwise she spends all evening attached to my boob. Whereas after a bottle we have some lovely smiles and games, and then she does a short BF in bed and off to sleep. Bliss!

elvislives: for me it is just a way to move milk from mornings, when I have loads, to evenings, when I seem to have less (or she wants more!)

Another advantage is my left nipple was quite cracked/sore, but doesn't hurt to express. So in the mornings I tend to express off the left and feed on the right. after about 10 days of that the left side is much better, almost pain free!

I pump in the mornings, after feeding him first (so it's 'spare' milk and good and creamy hindmilk).

I have had a few problems with low supply, but 3 tsp of fenugreek a day seems to sort that. I add the ground fen to flour and make tortillas/chapattis with it.

About 2 or 3 days of it and pumping after each feed and I can be producing 270ml in a single session after a feed!

Apparently, hormone levels are such that milk supply is lower in the evenings and flows slower, which may be why babies get grumpy and don't small well. So I too use email so a way of getting morning milk into my hungry baby. The composition of evening milk is creamier but because I pump after a feed, the email is creamier already and the bedtime boob feed before I give a bottle has the foremost. It all works very well and he sleeps six hours or more. The change to his sleep was immediate

Gak, stupid autocorrelation! (

Another good night on this method- DH gave DD her bath while I pumped (90ml) then I bf her and settled her in basket at 9pm and went off to bed around 9.30pm! DH gave her the bottle about half past midnight then woke me for a bf at 4.15am! Brilliant!

Tomorrow DH is on an early shift so can't really do this plan so I'm going to try the "bottled sleep" as mentioned by NutellaLawson upthread. I have already expressed the bottle ready, as a few of you have mentioned milk supply better in the morning- and I got 100ml! So we'll see how that goes tonight!