So when you're trying to increase supply...

laurapaine2003@yahoo.com

I've been doing it all: the supplements, the pumping, oatmeal, tons of water, milkmaid tea, everything. No real increase in supply. I've been pumping more often but don't pump very long, just long enough to get the milk out and then I'm done. Should I be pumping way longer - like keep pumping after the milk has stopped - to signal to my body the baby needs more milk? Or does that not really do anything to pump for longer periods of time? I only thought I needed to pump more often but that doesn't seem to be increasing my supply. How often should I really be pumping in a 24 hour period? 

dmbfan46835

I think you are supposed to pump for a while, even after you stop getting anything. That should tell your body you need more. I'm trying to wean so I'm just pumping 3 times a day now. And I dropped to about 20 oz a day as of today. But I used to pump 6 times a day, 15 mins a breast and I got 30-35 oz a day. Max 40. I do one at a time and massage the breast to get stuff moving. It always helps me at least. Good luck! If you want it you can get it!!

jen83mn

My supply has slowly been decreasing since I got my period back at 5 months post-partum. LO was exclusively breastfeed or drinking pumped milk until 10 months, but then I couldn't keep up no matter what I tried (including everything you've tried). I would pump three times at work for 20 minutes each and only make 4 oz, enough for one bottle. It was very frustrating and stressful, but for half the month (from ovulation through my period), my supply would seriously suffer. I finally started supplementing with one bottle of formula a day and it made things so much less stressful! I was so tired of trying everything only to have my body not cooperate (nothing you can really do when it's a hormone issue!). 

LO is 11 months today and I'm currently nursing him twice a day, morning and before bed, and pumping once at work (I make the same amount pumping once vs pumping twice). LO gets two bottles a day, one of formula and one of pumped milk (or 1/2 pumped milk and 1/2 formula if I didn't make enough that day). We're weaning at 12 months, so I plan to drop the final pumping session in a few weeks and will give LO two bottles of formula a day until he's 12 months, then at 12 months will drop either the evening or morning nursing session, and then the other session a week later. 

I have mixed feelings about weaning. I hate the pump, so I'm not sad about that, but I don't mind nursing at all in the mornings or at night and LO loves it, so that makes it harder. But I know it's time and I want to give myself a break before we start trying for baby #2 in December. I still can't believe baby is almost a year!

This may not have answered your question, but I found that even if I added or increased pumping sessions, it didn't make a difference for me. My body has stopped responding to the pump - LO is able to get so much more milk out than my pump. And the hormone thing doesn't help!

Hope you can find something that works! And if you do need to supplement with formula, it's ok! I was so determined not to use formula from the start and did everything I could to avoid it, but in the end, that was my only option, and honestly, it's ok! Baby is happy, I'm happy, and there have been no issues!

callistosmile

Also make sure to push the letdown button a lot during your pump sessions.