Expressing for 11pm feed - advice please!

[Gee72]

Hi, new Dad here so please be gentle.

My son is just over 6 weeks, and has been breastfeeding well, despite having a cold for the past month. We've now started to introduce an expressed bottle for the 11pm feed, as that's when my wife is most tired and I'm most awake. He's taken the bottle well (4oz plus) for the last two nights, and doesn't seem to have any nipple confusion.

My query is when is the best time to express, and how can my wife avoid becoming engorged? At the moment she's expressing in the morning, and then again around 10.30pm to relieve the swelling. But that kind of defies the point of her trying to get an early night, and in any case she's still uncomfortable by his 3/4am feed.

Are we messing up her milk supply, or will things just naturally calm down? There doesn't seem to be a lot of advice out there, and we're quite confused!

Im afraid I didnt BF but I will bump cause youre so lovely

If she gets into a routine her supply should adapt but 6weeks ish is when a growth spurt happens so her supply may well be upping itself atm to meet his increased appetite. She could bring forward the evening expressing gradually but she needn't wait until she feels "full" to express. She might eventually be able to do one side while feeding the baby on the other at whatever time the previous feed is.

Hi Gee - welcome to Mumsnet.

We did this - I expressed first thing (one side only I think) and then at about 9.30pm. Got about 4-5oz first thing and about 3oz in the evening. DS was then fed about 10.30pm and guzzled 7-8oz (just to give you a comparison on volumes for expressing / feed).

Can't help on the engorgement - the only time I felt really full was when I started feeding on just one side in the night to make the morning express easier.

I didn't have any problems with supply though - it worked fine for us. Not that I'm a statistically significant sample

Don't know if that helps at all - but feel free to ask any questions. Oh - and well done for being such a fab supportive dad!

Thanks for the replies everyone.

If you are committed to bottle feeding the 11pm feed (and really that's the best time for a bottle IMO as it fills the wee ones up before night time, so they sleep longer) then your wife should not express at that time as she will encourage more milk at that time, plus she is meant to be asleep then. If it's not too painful for her it's best to do nothing. Her body will adjust and stop producing milk at that time. It'll take a few days for the body to readjust.
The best time to express is in the morning when your wife is rested. Tell her to drink a ton of water before using the pump so she is not dehydrated before expressing.(More water means more milk.)
Good on you for giving your wife a break !

She definately shouldn't express at 10:30 - completely defeats the object. Her supply at this time will calm down after a few days of not feeding. Just make sure she sleeps with bra on and double pads to soak up the leakage. I used to go to bed straight after the 7:30 pm feed so I never actualy felt myslef getting engorged

I used to express after the morning feed, (7:30 am for us) and after the 7:30 pm feed, as I found that at both times dd would only empty one breast, and just take a bit from the other. By doing this I was able to practically never do a 10:30 feed right up until it wasn't needed, and had stores of expresssed milk in the freezer.

And can I just tell you, that even though your dw may not express her gratitude well at the moment, (I know I certainly didn't) doing this last feed and settle is one of the best things a new dad can do for a new mum. the joy of knowing I could get a decent stretch of sleep, and didn't have to deal with what wasoften afractious baby was immense. so you are storing up brownie points

Nothing really to add to what the others have already said except "well done for being a fab new dad and husband". Exclusive bf is hard work and much more enjoyable after a good sleep! Good luck!