Four days in to DH taking first night feed - bf supply dropped already?

[Sierra26]

Our bf baby is 7 weeks old. I’ve barely been getting any sleep so DH has started taking first night feed using expressed breast milk (from earlier days stash when my supply was v high, long story). I will now feed at 8pm ish, go to bed, he’ll watch baby and feed around midnight. Baby will wake me twice following that (usually 3am and 5am) for bf. All day feeds are bf.

DH helping is new - four days so far.

First night I woke naturally when he was feeding at midnight with v full leaky breasts (due to missed feed?) so did 5 min pump and got over 150ml.

Next night I made it to 3am feed v full and leaky, so did quick pump after baby had fed.

Third night didn’t need to pump, and yesterday I felt they were less full during the day, and baby seemed unsatisfied so we had to add an extra bottle at 8pm. Today seems to be going same way.

Could my supply have adjusted so quickly?! I understand the night feed impacting my night supply but would assume I’d still have the volume to feed through the day?

Yes it could. I would thinkbyou need to begin pumping at some other time of day to keep up supply otherwise what will happen when your stockpile runs out?

Thanks @WonderingWanda . What I didn’t say above is that I hope to pump the extra feed during the day. I tried yesterday and again today betwee breastfeeds but got barely anything.

Any advice on time of day to add this pump in and how to reverse this reduction? I know night is best time for stimulation but doing that would add to my awake time and so reverse the benefit of my husband taking this feed (reflux baby so each feed is long: feed + burping + remaining upright + ages to settle).

Yes it could I’m afraid not feeding or pumping for around 7 hours will definitely have an effect on your supply. The simple answer to reverse (it will reverse just as quickly) this is to feed or pump more. Sorry!

I usually suggest mum going to bed early, using the bottle in the evening as this is when your supply is naturally lowest, and doing the middle of the night feeds.

It means you get less of an evening with your partner but it won't be forever.

You need to express as close to the time of the bottle feed as you can your body knows that at that time baby needs milk.

Could you go to bed at the same time but instead of your husband giving a bottle he brings baby to you just for the feed and then takes them away to do the rest? Even if you alternate one night he gives a bottle the next night he brings them into you, you should hopefully see an improvement in supply

My partner used to take our daughter first thing. I'd do a feed around 7 then he'd take her. She had an intermittent bottle aversion if she take a bottle he'd give her that and if not he'd bring her up I'd feed in bed and then he'd take her away again

Thanks everyone for the advice. I had no idea supply could adjust so quickly!

I’m now doing final bf at around 7/8pm, pumping at 8.30/9, then straight to bed, DH doing expressed bottle feed at 9.30/10pm, then baby waking me at 1230/1am for feed, meaning I’m not going any longer than 4hrs without emptying boobs.

This plus a few days of pumping after day feeds has built my supply back up and seems to have balanced out against demand.

Question for anyone still here - when baby starts sleeping longer night stretches (hopefully soon!) this may mean 4+ hrs without feeding. Won’t this result in same thing, reduced supply? I’m looking forward to this time, but don’t want my day time supply to be affected. Appreciate everyone goes through this so there must be a good physiological answer!

Your body will adjust. If baby goes say 5 hours when you are used to 3, you'll feel really full the first couple of times but then your body will realise and adjust accordingly.

When your baby hits a growth spurt you'll be feeding like mad for a few days then your supply will up itself again.