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Lv 4
? asked in Pregnancy & ParentingNewborn & Baby · 1 decade ago

Is it ok to wake baby to eat if you are engorged?

My 6 week old son has started sleeping a lot longer at night now, thus going longer between feedings at night. However durring the day time he still wants to eat every 2 -3 hours. That being said when he goes from eating so frequently in the day, and then goes 6 or so hours at night without feeding it leaves me very engorged and in pain. Last night he ate at 8 pm, was in bed sleeping by 9 and by 3 am still was peacefully sleeping. However at that point I was soo engorged my breasts were hard and in pain and leaking. I just decided to get him up and feed him. Is this ok to do? Or should I avoid this ? Will my body just adjust to his new sleeping pattern and start making less milk at night? Or perhaps should I just pump at night, so I can relieve the engorgement but not interrupt my babies sleep?

7 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Your body will adjust to your baby's eating schedule. If you need to pump or hand express to relieve the pain but not enough to collect much(if you pump to collect your body still gets the signal to make milk for that time and you'll be stuck where you're at now... and who really wants to continue getting up at night when their baby is sleeping?? lol).

  • C J
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Your body will adjust to the new pattern. You can try to have your baby naturally wake by trying to induce him to latch on while still sleeping, my kids always did this is a half sleep state and it made things so easy.

    If your baby just wont do it this way, then just pump to relieve the engorgement until your body adjusts. And be sure to save the milk! Trust me, when you get sick at some point in the next several months, the milk you stored will be very useful.

  • D
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Your body will soon get with the new schedule and produce less milk at night. My rule is - never wake a sleeping baby! If he is sleeping well you don't want to mess with it and wind up with a sleep problem. If you are really uncomfortable you can pump a little - not too much, you don't want to empty the breast or your body will not realize you don't need so much at night. Just pump a little bit to take the pressure off. Usually when your baby changes schedule your body will adapt in a few days.

  • 1 decade ago

    I had the same problem with my daughter so I started pumping at night. Start by pumping the normal amount he would eat and slowly take it down less and less every couple nights. It worked like a charm for me. That way, you don't have to just wait until the your body slowly adjusts and you can get yourself there gradually.

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  • jlb
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Your body will adjust and start making less at night, but it will take a few days, maybe a week. You can wake him, there is no harm in that but a better idea would be to hand express just enough so that you aren't in pain.

  • marcus
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    I'm a guy and no doctor, so consider the source. But for what it's worth, I say pump at night to make yourself comfortable. I suffer sleep disorders and who knows where they came from.... but if you can help your son on a path of restful nights and regular eat/sleep patterns; you'd be doing him a lifetime favor. I know infants are different, and this may be wrong,, but my vote is let him sleep.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    If the infant replaced into hungry then they could shout - actually! Your breast will comply with your toddlers feeds and your milk won't dry up as your infant remains feeding from you which ones in turn will save your grant up. If I have been then you definitely i does no longer wake the infant! think of how you're able to sense in case you have been woken up from a non violent sleep only because of the fact somebody theory you have been hungry and could eat. relish the actuality which you have this style of contented infant! nicely accomplished!

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