Night engorgement and pumping

[TurtleTree]

I'm ebf. My 11 week baby is a hunger monster / comfort sucker and feeds 1-2 hourly during the day. He's finally starting to sleep slightly longer stretches at night but when he does over 4 hours I get painfully engorged.

I'm currently getting over mastitis and have started pumping 4 hrs into the night when I wake with sore boobs to prevent getting over full.

However my concern is - if I always do this will my body ever adjust supply so I can sleep longer? Is pumping stimulating supply? Do I have to accept doing this until he feeds less often in the day?

I'm storing all this milk with a hope that I can leave baby with family at some time in future and go out for a night (will test he'll take from a bottle first). As milk is all from one time of day (1/2am) will this mean it doesn't have melatonin in to help him get to sleep? Or is milk not really that different at different times of day?

Interested to hear others' experiences - sorry for all the Qs!

The supply and demand system of breast milk is linked to circadian rhythms, so it would be able to adjust to longer stretches overnight without feeding less in the day.

The mastitis is a complicating factor though! I’d try and gradually stretch how long you leave it before pumping, so if you currently pump at four hours, try and wait until five hours (or 4.5), then six.

I don't feed between 7pm-6/7 am at 18 weeks and my boobs have adjusted to this. But agree with pp on mastitis front. Do you wear a bra to bed?

How much are you pumping when engorged? It should only be enough to soften your breasts till comfortable, you don't need to drain them. It's a really hard balance isn't it!

Thanks all. Good to know supply should adjust for night.

I was wearing a bra to bed, but have stopped after the mastitis and don't seem to be leaking too much unless I get really full.

eyedrops I am only pumping enough to relieve them - baby will be awake not long after so I leave plenty for him!