Only want to breast feed at night time

by Jennnifer
(Westport, MA)

Hello, My name is Jennifer and I am expecting soon. I would like to know how to successfully breastfeed only at night time feed before I put him down for the night. Is it possible? I am petrified of being engorged all day until the next night time feed. HELP!!!
Jennifer

Answer from the lactation consultant:
It is indeed possible. But I cannot guarantee you will not be engorged, nor can I guarantee your body wont dry up emptying that infrequently.

You WILL be engorged When your milk comes in, that is a given for all lactees. Well almost all, there are a rare few who don't experience engorgement but back to the question at hand.

Your body makes what you empty so IN THEORY, if you empty once a day at the same time, your body should make that milk.

The biggest challenge with this scenerio, in my opinion, is baby latching. If you give a bottle from the very beginning to most of the feeds, it is likely he/she will have latch resistance. Bottles and breast are two completely different skills. NOT impossible but highly unlikely that this would work. You would likely have more success with pumping for that one feed and giving the expressed breastmilk in a bottle. Also, have you considered exclusive pumping and bottle feeding? So that you baby does not have to have formula.
Just feeding one time per day at the breast will save you at least a hundred dollars a year in formula costs, so go for it.

Any amount of breastmilk is a gift.

Liz Pevytoe, RN, IBCLC