How to increase supply with pumping?

CatO

Hi Ladies. I have been lurking non stop on this board since LO was born and have found it to be so helpful. I am in need of how to increase supply with pumping. Our morning nursing sessions go well so I have been pumping once in the morning and getting a couple of ounces. However by the afternoon/early evening I feel like I have no supply left as LO will nurse and nurse and nurse and not seem satisfied. I end up supplementing with the milk I pumped in the morning. She is 3.5 weeks. I would really like to increase my supply so that I don't have to supplement. Thank you in advance for all advice!

LaylaPartDeux

She's probably going through a growth spurt (she'll have one at 3 weeks, one at 6 weeks, one around 3 months & another around 6 months).  That's all they want to do during that time-eat, eat, eat!  So no worries on her wanting to chow all.the.time.

As far as increasing your supply would go, I would recommend against pumping additional times this early on.  You don't want to risk getting an oversupply & potentially dealing with plugged ducts (horrible) or a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.

My recommendation would be to just nurse on demand--no matter how long or how often she wants to nurse, just keep at it & your supply will adjust accordingly--I promise.  So long as your LO is gaining weight appropriately, you shouldn't have to supplement with your pumped milk.

GL--growth spurts are rough.  You'll get through it!