Feeding in the night - breast milk supply

[ART2022]

I have a 6 week old baby who is breastfed but has one bottle of expressed milk in the night. Recently she’s started sleeping longer stretches, so she goes to bed about 9pm and she’ll sleep until 1.30am, at which point my husband feeds her the EBM. I get up for the next feed at around 4.30/5. I then pump in the morning in between feeds so I have the moon for the night (and usually a bit more)

My health visitor said this is fine and won’t affect my supply as I’m still meeting her demands in the 24 hours. However a breastfeeding support worker said I need to feed to her at the 1am slot as my hormones are higher then and missing a big stretch will send my supply down.

Does anyone know who’s right? She’s a colicky baby and also experiences reflux. I’ve found having a good sleep at night helps me get through the day and all the evening tears but don’t want to create more issues.

Hormones do play a big factor in night feeds. If nothing else, night BM is filled with melatonin that helps baby sleep deeply.

Do you feed her in the day and is she content after each feed? If so your supply is probably okay. I would be inclined to do the overnight feed though. Maybe take a nap during the day and have someone give baby the EBM at that point?

I'd say the support work is right. That was my understanding too, that night feeds keep your supply strong. Could your husband do an earlier feed and you go to bed earlier to get a block of sleep in before 1am?

The BF support worker is correct. Feeding at night is important for establishing and maintaining supply.

prolactin is at its highest between 12am and 6am I think, but you're still getting a feed in that period. but 9pm to 4am is a long stretch without a feed, can you pump in bed when your husband gets up?

My DD is 7 weeks and sleeps from 9-4 or even 5am some nights (I know, I'm very lucky ) and I don't pump or anything. Does mean my breasts are quite full when she wakes, but my supply is fine (perhaps even a bit too much as she struggles sometimes with the volume coming out) and she feeds frequently during day.

Tbh I would keep going as you are if everything is working and if you notice a supply dip or something start to change then you can switch things around. Sleep is glorious.

Yes, in the day she feeds roughly every 2 hours. I did have an oversupply issue so I thought perhaps it wouldn’t hurt but maybe I do need to take the 1am feed!