If I skip my pumping at night, will I dry up suddenly?

Question

I've been EPing for about 1 month, and my baby is now 2 months old. I have a pretty good milk supply in which I can get 5-6 ounces total with each 15 minute pump session. I go back to work in a month and was wondering, if I skip my night session of pumping and just feed her the bottle will my milk suddenly start to dry up? How does it work? I would like to try to keep my supply up until she is 5-6 months old and then feed her what I have stored up after that.

Answer 1

Your milk wouldn't dry up suddenly, but some women find it very hard to increase their supply once it starts dropping.

I would recommend you keep the night session at least until after 12 weeks by which time most women's supply has regulated BUT if you have an oversupply then your supply is more likely to drop between 6-9 months (a reason many EPing moms don't make it past 9 months)

Since you are up anyway I would invest in a hands-free pumping device (bra, band, whatever) so you can pump and feed baby at the same time during the night.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumpi...

It is very common to have more milk than baby needs in the early weeks, which regulates down to baby's needs over the first few weeks or months. When your milk supply regulates (this change may occur either gradually or rather suddenly), it is normal for pumping output to decrease. For moms who have oversupply, this change often occurs later (6-9+ months postpartum rather than 6-12 weeks).  

Answer 2

It won't dry up until you stop breast feeding.  What will happen is your supply will go down.  The more your breast feed the more your supply stays up.  If you don't for long periods of time, your supply goes down.  5 hours probably won't hurt anything, but if you notice your supply going down a lot then start pumping again, a lot.

Answer 3

Night is the best time to pump... your prolactin levels are at their highest. I would try to squeeze in one. You won't necessarily dry up, but your chances of remaining successful will be much higher.

Answer 4

you might be able to get away with adding an extra pumping session during the day instead of your nighttime pumping session, but i would wait until at least 3 months before even trying it.  right now, your supply is still hormone-driven and not completely demand-driven like it would be for an older baby.  things are still pretty sensitive now.

Answer 5

it would take up to 2 months if your weren't breast feeding, (: so you will be fine if you do it in the mornings (just not a successful as you are at night) or whenever you have available time. you will be sore tho from not doing it all the time. it will take about 6 months of doing this in till you are really in trouble and run out of milk. :/

I HOPE I HELPED.