Pumping sucks.

AshleeDockter

Currently I am pumping 10 times a day. When can I start going longer in between pumps? My Lo is 8 weeks old and my supply is ahead of her but not by much. I just don't want to lose any supply at all cause I worked so hard to get it where it is at. I really just want to go to eight pumps a day and still produce as much as I am now.

How often are you pumping?
When did you start dropping pumps? Did it effect your supply majorly?

kayd8

I'm not much of an example, since I've dropped pumps with the purpose of decreasing my supply...but I've read that you can decrease number if you increase pumping time for each. I would be cautious this early. Maybe drop 1 and see how it goes for a week? You keep track to know if you're less overall?

hiketheworld

I actually noticed around week 6 that I was producing more than what he needed by around 6-10oz/day. It just happened all of the sudden. At first I had to supplement, then just breaking even but barely, and now I have extra. I pump every three hours during the day and then whenever he takes a bottle at night.

You could try switching from ten pumps to nine and just see if your output is really any different. If I've gone longer than three hours (like at night) I notice that my output increases with that pump so I'm not really losing out on much milk. I massage the breasts throughout each pumping session and am using a hospital grade pump. I also pump until nothing is coming out, then hit the letdown button to try and trigger another letdown. Massage throughout. Maybe you'll get more milk that way?

Hang in there! Pumping sucks. I'm so so sick of it too.

lmsherrill26

I started work last week and previous to thst I would only pump 1 time a day- first thing in the morning after she are. I was able to stockpile only about 40 oz but I've pumped 3 times a day since I've gone back to work which covers the 4 bottles she drinks while she's at daycare.

She's drinking 4 5-6 oz bottles while away from me and ebf while I'm home with her. Basically my schedule is as follows on weekdays:

4:30 am BF
7:30 am pump ~ 9 oz
10:30 am pump ~ 7 oz
2:00 pm pump ~ 5 oz
5:00pm BF
8:00pm BF
11:00pm BF

This is getting us through so far without me having to pump a ton during the day.

caraanddan

Have you tried to take a natural supplement called Fenugreek? When I wanted to lessen the number of times I was pumping but still keep my supply up I started taking this vitamin 3x a day. I am now down to 4 pump sessions a day and able to freeze 10 oz a day.

AshleeDockter

@caraanddan‌ I have hypothyroidism and fenugreek effects the way my medicine is absorbed. If my thyroid goes out of wack my supply will tank. I wish I could take it.

jess123456

I exclusively pumped for a while bc of terrible and painful latch. My son was born with a tongue tie. We have since had it clipped and it's so much better and we nurse sometimes. I am hypothyroid too. Nursing even a little makes pumping more manageable and my supply has gone up a bit bc he can get more out than the pump can. Is there any chance you could nurse a couple times a day? I didn't think it would work after six weeks of exclusively pumping but he has taken to it. Exclusively pumping is really hard.

AshleeDockter

I do still try to get her to latch every once in Awhile but so far no luck.

gldnbearz

I'm not exactly in the same boat as you. I can only get 4-6 pumps a day, avg 2 oz, sometimes 3.5 oz first thing in the AM. I total about 10-13 oz a day. This is with taking fenugreek.

LO turned 12 weeks yesterday and gets combo BM and formula. She sleeps about 5-6 hours overnight and I pump right before bed and right after waking.