08/20/2026
Breastfeeding is truly a labor of love… and a huge sacrifice on our part. That cannot be overstated, but it is so often underappreciated.
In Part 1, I explained why going all night without removing milk when your baby suddenly starts sleeping long stretches can lead to a gradual drop in milk supply.
But protecting your milk supply does not mean I want you waking up every 2–3 hours all night long while your baby is peacefully sleeping. Your sleep matters too.
My goal is to help you protect your supply while still getting a good stretch of restorative sleep. Ideally, I want you getting at least one ~6-hour stretch while your baby sleeps.
Here are two ways to make that happen:
1. Try a dream feed.
Feed baby right before you go to bed, without fully waking them. This gives your breasts one more milk removal and can help line up baby’s longest sleep stretch with yours.
2. Pump right before you go to sleep.
If baby has already been asleep for a few hours, pump before you crawl into bed. You don’t have to wake up just because they went to bed at 7:00.
And make that nighttime pump as easy as possible. Keep a mini fridge next to your bed or use something like a Ceres Chill so you’re not wandering into the kitchen at 10 or 11 p.m. Half asleep, pump, store the milk safely, and go to bed. 🙌
The goal isn’t to sacrifice all of your sleep for your milk supply. It’s to be strategic about milk removal so you can protect both your supply and your rest. 🤍
