Oversupply question

minnergirl

First off, I want to say thank you so much for all the help this board has been for me! I hope that someday I am able to offer up advice an help like the wonderful women of this board have done for me!

So my question... I am EP'ing and I am stressing about oversupply. I am pumping about 5 oz from my right breast and 3.54 oz from my left every pumping session. I was pumping every three hours, but I read up on oversupply so now I am trying every four hours. Am I on the path to oversupply? My milk does not have that seperation that I have seen in pictures where the top has a creamy layer and the bottom is liquidy. My son is only two weeks old, so I am still so very new at all of this. Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

belladonna11307

At two weeks your supply probably isn't regulated yet.  I know DD ate every two hours at that age, so I'd be afraid to go to every four hours.  We ebf and I pump at work.  Until she was a year old, I only went three hours between pump sessions.  I'm thinking that you should stay with the every three hour schedule and freeze what you have extra.  When it looks like you're collecting a stash, back off the pumping and your body will stop producing as much.  At least, that's what I'd do.  Good luck!

bellelamb

Your supply hasn't regulated yet, but at two weeks ds only ate one side per feeding and I had to block feed but I nurse not pump so I'm not sure.
My milk on separated after being frozen.

CLLDLL

I agree with PPs that your supply has not regulated yet which is likely why you are getting so much milk.  I EBF and give the occasional bottle of expressed milk, but I think if I were you I would probably continue to pump every three hours.  At this stage you want to establish a good supply, which means frequent removal of milk.  To avoid oversupply perhaps don't pump till you're fully empty once you have a stash you're comfortable with (maybe 50-100oz). The other option would be to only pump one breast at each pumping session, just like an EBF'er would only be feeding one breast per feeding if they had that much milk.

As for the thicker and thinner layers, you'll only see that when you cool your milk (freezing or refridgerating).  Since you are pumping fairly frequently, your milk stays 'mixed' together.  I do occasionally see a distinct color difference in my milk (bluish for foremilk and thicker whiteish for hindmilk) if I'm pumping after a 4-6 hour block of sleep.

kami1977

Oversupply isn't such a worry for EP since you just pump till your breasts are empty whether it's 5oz or 2oz. When you give the bottle the milk is all mixed together. If you were nursing from the breast oversupply can be an issue because a tiny tummy could fill up on too much foremilk before getting to the fatty hind milk or your letdown could be too strong for baby to take in. If your plans are too expressly pump at this point then I would continue too pump as much as possible right now to establish your supply.