EPing ? - Supply tanking after going from 3 to 2 pumps a day...

MrsGoody · January 2012

I've been EP'ing since day 1 since I had a preemie (she's almost 9 months), and my supply was great (25-30 oz/day) for the first few months. I was able to build a sizable freezer stash (like 1200 oz.). I've gradually dropped pumps over the last few months, and was doing pretty well with 3 pumps a day for a few months, getting about 17-18 oz./day. Not quite enough to meet DD's daily intake, but enough that I only had to use 1-2 bottles of frozen milk to supplement.

I decided to drop to 2 pumps a few weeks ago when things were crazy with Christmas, and my supply has TANKED. Now I'm getting only 8-9 oz./day, and that's pumping like 40 minutes at a time and hand expressing for about 5 minutes after I'm done with the electric pump. I used to pump at around 9am, 4pm, and 11pm. Now I pump at 9am and 11pm. I used to get 8 oz. in the morning after pumping right before bed, and now, even though that time between the evening and morning pumps hasn't really changed, I am only getting 3-4 oz in the morning.

I'm thinking of adding the midday pump back in, will that help get my supply back to where it was? I also stopped using the hospital grade pump (couldn't really justify the rental fee if I was only using it twice a day), and am using a Medela PISA. Did this drop in supply happen to anyone else? Is there anything else I can do to get my supply back up? I haven't tried herbal supplements yet...

miesl · January 2012

I would try going back to a 3x day schedule and maybe do a power pump for one of those for the next few days and see what happens.

I've been debating going from 4 to 3 a day, but I fear a supply drop especially when I'm already pulling some from the freezer every few days.

michaela724 · January 2012

I EP and pump 3 times a day sometimes I try to get a fourth one in if I have the time. I have been taking Fenugreek to keep my supply up because before I went back to work I was pumping 8 times a day but there is no way I can do that now. Since I have gone to the 3 X pumping I have actually been producing more each day than I was with the 8 X I think that has to do with Fenugreek so I would maybe try that or the Mother's Milk tea helps also.

maddiemoon43 · January 2012

AmyG's advice above is good as usual. I just wanted to add though that I too dropped from 3 to 2 over the holidays (but my goal was only 6 months of pumping). The drop in my supply was huge compared to any of my other dropped pumps. Amy's reasoning of 8+ hours more than once makes sense. At the most I was pumping about 30oz a day, and by 3 pumps maybe 22oz? Now at 2 pumps I get about 16oz. I have kept close to the 120 mins of pumping. Nearly an hour in the morning (though if DH is working, I may have to pause once or twice as DS needs me), and then a good hour at night once he's in bed.

vintagemommy · January 2012

I dropped to 3 pumps 2 weeks go and went from 32ish oz to 26ish oz a day. I have enough frozen now that I can totally stop in 6 days. I am trying to go to 2 pumps a day now and hoping i'll see a big drop. I would suggest pumping at least 3 times a day if you aren't nearing the end of your pumping days.

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EPing ? - Supply tanking after going from 3 to 2 pumps a day...

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