The upside to baby sleeping through the nite: more sleep for mommy, less cranky baby, more sleep for daddy, less crankiness all around. Happy baby makes happy family. Well-slept household makes everyone happy.
Except my boobs.
Twice this week, David graced us with sleeping more than five hours consecutively at night. I have an overactive letdown, which means milk sprays out of my breasts too fast with too much power. Imagine feeding yourself with a garden hose on high. No matter how much you like what the hose is spurting into your mouth, you probably won’t like it when it’s being delivered this way. One of the ways I work around this is to feed David on one side at a time.
Last night, David ate a bit on both sides at 6:30 before he went to bed, his next feeding was at 1:40am, seven hours later. At that time, I fed him on the left side for a long time and we both went back to bed. My right side was already full and hard but I didn’t want to upset him and his sleep is currently more important than my pain, so I went back to bed. He stirred at 4 but didn’t actually wake to eat until 5:10am. By this point my right breast was in severe pain. A rock is softer. I got up and stood in front of his crib as David thrashed around. Sadly, I kept hoping he would open his eyes so I could pick him up and feed him. And the second he did, I swept him up and put him on my right breast. Within minutes relief was mine.
So now I have a dilemma. I am wondering whether I am willing him awake because my boob is big, hard, and leaking. Should I let him thrash around? Is it possible that if I didn’t interfere he’s actually sleep until the morning and I am hindering this progress in an effort to relieve my throbbing boob?
I know it will all adjust in time but until then my boobs are protesting the sleep-through-the-night plan.
OOHHH … I love this shot! … that row of red houses, the surf, the little people, the palm trees, the fog — all just go together perfectly…. really nice….
Oh — and I’m glad I don’t have boobie problems 🙂
You could always pump to take the edge off; don’t know if you’ve started bottle feeding yet. Ours (same age) went 11 hours the other night and my wife nearly exploded. On bottle feeding; I think we waited too long (six weeks) to start bottle feeding and had a hard time getting her to do it. We did eventually find the right bottle and get some practice so that she can go breast or bottle with ease.
I love the “exploding boob” term, there is actually a phemomenon where mothers believe that their breasts will explode, but they won’t really, thankfully! I don’t know how old your baby is, but knowing this information does make a difference, how long have you been with an over-abundant supply? It may help to know that your milk supply will regulate with time and perhaps some prompting. As for going to your baby, a thrashing baby is ready to be picked up and nursed, waiting for the open eyes or crying is a late feeding cue. You are up and ready because you’re body knows it’s what you and baby need. The hope is that baby would “gradually” begin to sleep more so that you wouldn’t be engorged this way, but of course, sometimes babies have fluke nights, if you feel comfortable, then continue sleeping, if you don’t, nurse. A sleepy baby can still be put to the breast, indeed, at night, it is probably preferable not to wait for open eyes, this way baby is getting to know night and day but still getting the needed nutrition for a small and efficient tummy. The fun thing about breastfeeding is that it keeps a physiological connection happening between moms and babes, your boob is usually right! Try feeding from one side each feeding, and if at a feeding baby still seems hungry after the one side, offer the next side but then return to that same side first at the next feeding. It is true that if the long sleeping stretch continues, your body will adjust, if this is the case, for those off nights, hand expressing a little might help because you only want to relieve a little pressure, not signal to your breast that you have just added a feeding. I would be weary of the pump because when you feel engorged the tendency is to want to wait for the letdown instead of just taking a tiny bit, going to the baby is probably a better bet.
Good luck, happy nights.
I’m learning so much reading through these posts. The pump sounds like a good idea. Sorta like lactating masturbation right? Lacturbation?
Enjoy your first Mother’s Day and a happy birthday to David.
from one nursing mom to another…if he wakes up great, then you get to nurse him. If not just take a warm face cloth and put it on your “exploding boob”. it helps if you can trigger the let down reflex. it will work to relieve the pressure of all the extra milk.
i’ve breast fed 4 babies now, and the youngest is 5 months old and still happy with just nursing.
Good luck