Pumping and oversupply

sarahethier

I've been back to work for a few months now and I pump twice at work at 830am and 230. I feed my LO on my lunch break. At daycare she usually takes two four ounce bottles, very seldomly a third bottle. I pump between 1217 oz while at work. I don't mind pumping but on the weekends I'm engorged all day and leaking. I feed on demand but its not enough to empty me, i feed on the same side multiple times so she gets enough hind milk we had green stools at one point Should I drop a pumping session at work to decrease my supply?

cutcopypaste

I would not drop pumping sessions because then you may have the opposite supply issue and that is a really hard hole to get out of. Just continue to build up your freezer stash, many moms who pump eventually do see a decrease in supply anyways just because the pump doesn't stimulate milk flow as well as a baby so if that happens you will be glad you have milk in the freezer. If I were you I would just pump a time or two during the day on the weekends.

linzeek44

For oversupply, block feeding (nursing on one breast for a set period of time- like you're doing) usually helps. Maybe pump only on one side and then continue block feeding when nursing?

kalette

Yes. Drop to only one pump at work. You will probably see your supply go down after a few days to a week or so. If it goes down too far, it really isn't too difficult to get it back up, you would just add the second pump back in for a few days, then drop it again if you are getting too much.

I would not cut your pumping time shorter.. at least not by much if you do. If you aren't pumping to empty you will get a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance in the bottle and your LO might start getting green poo because of it.

heatherjesse

I have had a massive oversupply and weekends were rough, but things have been getting better.  I was pumping three times at work, but now I typically only pump twice which has helped.  However, I do still have to pump once on weekend days.  I usually pump before I go to bed.  If I don't empty before bed, I get engorged overnight and LO can not keep up during the next day.