My baby has started sleeping through the night. I’ve noticed that first my breasts were engorged during the night, but I now produce less milk overall. My baby seems frustrated at the breast, as if she were expecting more milk supply. Will my breasts regulate and will I start producing more milk during the day?

Our answer

It’s the moment every parent dreams of: your baby is finally sleeping through the night. Cue the celebrations, the blissful nights of sleep, and finally feeling like yourself again. But for breastfeeding parents, this milestone can come with unexpected twists. We asked breastfeeding expert and admin of the Pumping Queens WhatsApp group, Dr. Irena Domachowska to weigh in.

”Emptying the breasts [at night] is like placing a bulk order for milk the next day. Skip it too often, and your body might just assume you don’t need as much anymore. That said – there’s hope.”, says Dr. Irena Domachowska.

So your little one has started sleeping through the night – yay! 🎉

Night feeds play a huge role in maintaining your overall milk supply because prolactin (the milk-making hormone) peaks between 1 and 5 a.m. Emptying the breasts during this time is like placing a bulk order for milk the next day. Skip it too often, and your body might just assume you don’t need as much anymore. That said – there’s hope.

If your baby seems frustrated at the breast during the day, it could be that she’s trying to ramp up your daytime supply to meet her new feeding pattern. This is completely normal. To support the shift:

Offer the breast more frequently during the day (even if she doesn’t seem super hungry).
Try some skin-to-skin time, which can naturally stimulate milk production.
Make sure you’re staying hydrated and eating enough.
If you're worried, you can also do a few gentle breast compressions during feeds to help milk flow more easily.

On your end: sleep matters too. Deeply. Rest is not a luxury, it’s part of your lactation strategy. Because if you’re running on fumes, your supply will take a hit anyway.

So what’s the move if your baby is fussy after dropping night feeds?

Depending on their age and needs, you could:

Reintroduce a short dream feed (feeding while baby’s still asleep – like sneaky room service)
Offer a top-up with formula
Or increase solid food calories during the day so baby’s tanked up for the night

So if you don’t want to feed at night anymore, that is 100% valid. Your comfort and needs matter too. You are the boss of your boobs. Remember, milk making is not just biology – it’s finding a perfect balance between the needs of all family members.