Breastfeeding, Pumping, and Night vs. Day Milk: Your Questions Answered

  Learning to breastfeed your baby can be one of the most challenging and beautiful experiences of being a new parent. Many moms choose to also learn how to pump their breastmilk for times when they can’t be there to nourish their little one, or for other reasons. Here are some new insights I’ve learned and answers to questions that often come up around pumping. When and for how long should I be pumping?  Moms may pump for many reasons: engorgement, sore nipples or problems latching on; babies that are too sick or too premature to nurse; to increase or maintain milk production; to be ready for an occasional separation; so Dad can give a bottles; to go back to work; or personal preference. Often the best time to pump is right after one, two, or three of the first breast feeding sessions of the day. If your baby goes a long stretch without nursing, during their sleep or your work, pumping in-between nursing can be great. Night vs day milk — does it make a difference whether I pump during the day or at night? As it turns out, yes! Scientists in Israel have discovered that there is a circadian change in melatonin levels in breast milk. Melatonin is naturally produced by our bodies when it’s time for bed, to make us drowsy. Daytime milk has less melatonin, nighttime milk has more to help baby relax and sleep. What does this mean for pumping? Well, one idea is to label the time of pumping on each portion of expressed breast milk. Pulling out a night-pumped portion fo...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Uncategorized Breastfeeding Tips Pregnancy & Nursing Pumping Top Breastfeeding Source Type: blogs