Breastfeeding

does pumping too early create oversupply?

LC recommended I start pumping a bottle a day and get LO used to taking a bottle aleady. She's 17 days old. This far, BF has been going well. My let down is quick and the only thing about BF that bothers me is the baby frequently chokes on my breastmilk, probably because she is getting so much. It doesn't always happen at the beginning of a feeding, sometimes it happens in the middle...so I try to burp mid-way.

Anyone experience an oversupply once they started pumping?

Re: does pumping too early create oversupply?

  • I started pumping once a day to help with engorgement. I would get so engorged it was uncomfortable and painful.  My baby is now 5 weeks old and I don't think it has created an oversupply.  I pump about an hour after her first morning feeding and what I pump I freeze.  At times, I also pump later in the day and let my husband feed her the bottle.  He loves it.

     

    Good Luck!

  • Nope. I started pumping when DS was 5 days because he was getting dehydrated (he wanted food faster than he was getting it from my boobs)and it was either pump and give him that or supplement with formula. Then I had my appendix out the next day so I had to pump and dump for about 36 hours before I could go back to bf'ing. I continued pumping about once a day just to start a freezer stash for when I returned to work.
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  • I think it's possible to create a slight oversupply is you're pumping really frequently.  I had to use a nipple shield because of a poor latch and I pumped after every feeding to help my supply and to supplement LO with.  After a few weeks, I began to have issues with LO choking on my letdown.  

    After I stopped supplementing and weaned off of the shield, my supply regulated.  

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  • If you're only pumping once a day and then giving it to her then you'd probably be ok as long as you don't pump for long after the milk stops  coming out. Pumping in addition to regulat feedings though can definitely cause over supply. You'd be telling your body that you need more milk for LO then what you're producing. I'd worry about doing that with a quick let-down because it'd probably make it worse (b/c of the fullness).

    I would worry a little bit about the potential for nipple confusion this early on though.

  • It did for me.

    I already had a healthy supply. Pumping that early (and pumping both breasts instead of one since she only ate one a feeding) created HUGE oversupply issues.

     

    Just watch for signs and stop if you see its causing an issue.

  • imageIrishBrideND:

    It did for me.

    I already had a healthy supply. Pumping that early (and pumping both breasts instead of one since she only ate one a feeding) created HUGE oversupply issues.

     

    Just watch for signs and stop if you see its causing an issue.

     

    Sort of this.  I pumped 1X a day midmorning to start getting a freezer stash to have in the house.  I have oversupply issues, but I'd pump using a manual pump both sides when DD only eats from one.  When I was pumping DD would definitely get too much, sputter, choke, etc.  So I stopped and things are slowly getting better.   Though who knows if it is regulating b/c of DD's age, she's better able to handle it, or that I dropped pumping.  

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