Breast feeding question.?

Question

I have a two month old, who has recently not wanted to nurse. SO instead, I give him a bottle of pumped milk and he takes that just fine.
At his bottle before bed, we give him formula to help him sleep better. I just pump to make up for the missed feeding.
What I am wondering is, if he starts to sleep thru the night, will my milk dry up? Or will my body just stop making so much milk at night, but be ok during the day, so I can continue to pump and make him bottles?
Thanks!! :)

my son didnt want to nurse well even before i introduced the bottle to him, so i dont believe it is nipple confusion.
when i pump i give him the breastmilk and formula combo, my dr said my milk isnt fatty enough to satisfy him so i have to add formula. but he is still getting the good stuff! :)

Answer 1

Your body will continue to produce milk as long as you're feeding/pumping. The less you pump the less milk you'll produce so just make sure you're doing it enough that it doesn't get too low.

Answer 2

My son sleeps almost 7 hours at night and is 2 months old as well. He has gained 6 pounds since birth and has NO formula supplement so I would guess that your body just "learns" when and how often baby needs to eat. During the day he nurses every 2-3 hours still but sleeps good at night. If you need a mom to talk to I am always available. I also have a 2 year old. I have Yahoo messenger. mnotman82 is my screen name:) best wishes!

Answer 3

You won't dry up from sleeping through the night. You may want to wake up at least once to pump. (I know it sucks) Breastfeeding is based on supply and demand. The more milk is released, the more your body will make.
Babies also go on nursing strikes when they don't want to feed from the mom's breast. It can last a few days to a week or so. Keep offrering the breast first if that is your preferance. The baby will take it again eventually.
Good Luck!

Answer 4

I would advise against feeding your 2 month old infant formula.
Breast milk is superior to anything else you can feed an infant.
Feeding him formula just to get him to sleep through the night
is not a good reason to give him the formula.

The less you express your milk, the less milk you will produce.
He may be teething and that's why he's not wanting to nurse.
Throw wet washcloths into the freezer and once slightly frozen,
pull them out and let him suck on them which will soothe his
gums.

Nursing your baby is physically comforting to him - so if he
won't nurse, just hold him close against you and he will still
enjoy the benefits of that while you feed him your milk through
a bottle.

I breastfed my son with breastmilk alone until he turned 6 months
of age, and then I began feeding him infant cereal. An infant's gastrointestinal (digestive) system is not developed fully to handle ingesting solid foods before that age. Your breastfeeding him exclusively (or feeding him just breast milk in a bottle) is helping him to prevent allergies and providing him with antibodies he can obtain nowhere else.

I encourage you to continue to breastfeed - 6 months or longer, if possible. The local chapter of the La Leche League will answer your questions and encourage you as well.

Good luck!

Answer 5

breast feeding is supply and demand and if you want to produce more and store it the freezer for up to 6 months you can try pumping more often if you want your milk to back off then the baby sleeping through the night shouldn't hurt your milk at all.

your son probably likes the conveince of the bottle more than the breast and that is why he backed off. it is a lot more work to get the milk out of the breast than the bottle.

Answer 6

Milk is supply and demand so the less he nurses, the less your body will make. If you are worried about a low supply due to him skiping feedings, maybe pump while your husband gives the formula before bed. Hope this helps!!!!

Answer 7

It's been a long time for me, but as long as you keep pumping you will continue to produce milk. My daughter was sleeping from 7 pm to 7 am at two weeks old, so she missed two feedings a night, my breast hurt for it in the morning, but I had plenty for her when she woke up. You should be fine.

Answer 8

If he sleeps though the night your milk will not dry up, just adjust to the new schedule. You may find that you pump less if you do it irregularly.

My daughter is 17mo and only nurses 2x a day and there is still milk for her.

Answer 9

Don't worry about your milk drying up if you get to sleep through the night!!! Your body should adjust to your baby's needs, as long as you keep pumping.

Answer 10

you will not dry up. As long as you keep pumping you will be fine.
However did you try re-introducing the breast to him? Sometimes they just take a break. Keep giving him the formula before bed, but try to re-introduce and see what happens.