How Overnight Support Can Actually Help Your Milk Supply

Overnight Postpartum Doula, Night Nanny, Night Nurse, whatever you want to call us doesn’t really matter. What matters is what we do. And that is helping families get the much needed sleep they need!

A Night Nanny is someone who comes to your home at night to care for your newborn while the family sleeps. A lot of people think that if they are breastfeeding they can’t or shouldnt’ have overnight support, but this is a misconception. As a CLC I would never advise a breastfeeding parent to go all night without nursing or pumping, that’s a surefire way to tank your supply! So, how can night support help you with your supply? First, I still bring the baby to you for feedings, so you’re still feeding your baby and emptying your breasts. But I take care of the rest…the diaper changes, the burping, the soothing and swaddling, so you can get back to sleep sooner and for longer stretches.

Sleep deprivation can negatively effect your supply and raise your cortisol levels which leaves you feeling not only exhausted, but stressed. Some parents choose to pump 2-3 times during the night and leave bottles in the fridge for me to take care of all the feeds. I will wash your pump parts and bottles so they’re ready for you the next time you need to pump, again, leaving you with more time to actually sleep. As long as you are getting a decent amount of sleep and regularly emptying your breasts either by nursing or pumping, your supply should stay intact.