If your baby eats more than you produce, it can be stressful! Many breastfeeding experts will recommend things like staying in bed and doing nothing but nursing when there are issues with supply, so that a breastfeeding parent can get plenty of nipple stimulation and rest at the same time.
While this is great advice, it won’t help people that are exclusively pumping. If you are making less than your baby is eating – or even if you just want the peace of mind of a freezer stash – here is what you can try to increase milk supply as an exclusive pumper.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I’ll be compensated at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More info here.
Do you have a milk supply problem or a milk removal problem?
Before we talk about how to increase milk supply, let’s make sure you don’t have any issues with milk removal.
To pump enough milk, you need two things to happen:
- Enough milk is produced in your breasts
- Your pump efficiently removes the milk in your breasts
Most people focus on the first part – making milk. But some people don’t seem to respond as well to a breast pump as others, for whatever reason. If the problem is your pump isn’t effectively getting the milk out, eating all the lactation cookies in the world isn’t going to help. (Unfortunately.)
Here are some things to look at:
- Are you doing breast compressions while you pump? Hands-on pumping can help push the milk out of your milk ducts so that you’re able to empty more efficiently. Basically, you just move your hands around your breasts while you pump and squeeze.
- Some people find that incorporating hand expression into their pumping routine at the beginning, middle, or end of a session can help them get more milk. More on how to do this here.
- If you’re having any pain with pumping, it’s possible your breast shields aren’t the right size – which can affect pumping efficiency, too. More on breast shield sizing here.
- Make sure you’re using right breast pump settings – you want the vacuum strength to be the highest suction that is comfortable for you. Increase it until you start to feel discomfort, then dial it back a notch.
- Try using a manual pump (like the Medela Harmony) or a silicone pump (like the Haakaa). Some people are able to remove more milk with these than with electric pumps.
- Do you need to replace your pump parts? If you’ve been using the same parts for a while, they can wear out and the suction can suffer. You can see the timeframes for replacing pump parts here.
Ways to Increase Milk Supply
No method of increasing milk supply works for everyone, so you kind of have to try different things to see what works for you. Here’s are some options you can try, in the order I’d recommend trying them.
1. Evaluate your pumping schedule
When you’re exclusively pumping, it’s important to pump both often enough and long enough. This creates the demand that is necessary to establish, maintain, and/or increase your milk supply.
If your supply isn’t what you’d like it to be, you may want to evaluate your pumping schedule:
- The number of times that you should pump in a day depends on your baby’s age. During the first few months, you’ll want to aim for 7-10 sessions a day. Later, you can drop sessions. You can see some sample pumping schedules by age here.
- Regardless of how many times you pump in a day, you want to pump for about 120 minutes per day as a minimum guideline until you’re ready to start weaning. More on this guideline here.
If you’re pumping less than described above, changing your pumping schedule to pump more often or more total time would be the first thing I would change.
After making a change, allow for a few days to a week to see an increase in supply, and then you can reevaluate from there. (It can take a little time for your body to react to the increased demand.)
(If you want help figuring out you schedule, I have a workbook that walks you through it step by step. Use EPUMP30 for 30% off.)
2. Eat Oatmeal
Although there is no scientific research on this, enough people have noticed an increase in pumping output when they eat oatmeal that many lactation consultants recommend it as a way of increasing supply.
Any kind of oatmeal is fine. You can have a bowl of old-fashioned oats for breakfast or cook with oats (i.e., oatmeal cookies, overnight oats, pancakes, etc.).
I did an unscientific experiment to see if oatmeal would increase my supply, and I found it did. I noticed about an 1-2 oz increase in the amount I pumped on days when I ate oatmeal.
3. Power Pumping
“Power pumping” or “cluster pumping” simulates cluster feeding.
When a baby is cluster feeding, they are constantly on and off the breast, trying to get more milk. This increased “demand” signals the parent’s body to make more milk (thus hopefully increasing supply).
To mimic cluster feeding, set yourself up to the pump (hands-free, of course) and pump on and off for an hour (start with 20 minutes on, then 10 minutes off/10 minutes on) while you watch TV or something.
Try to make it as fun and easy as you can by doing something that you enjoy while you pump.
4. Hydration
While this also isn’t backed in research, many exclusive pumpers have noticed that staying hydrated can help support their milk supply.
This doesn’t mean that you need to drink gallons of water every day. It can just be hard to remember to take care of yourself and drink enough water when you also have a baby to take care of. Try bringing a bottle of water (or any hydrating fluid) with you when you sit down to pump and see if it makes a difference.
(Body Armor and Gatorade aren’t magic drinks, but some people find them helpful because they are hydrating.)
5. Try nursing teas
Nursing teas contain a mixture of herbs (like fenugreek, blessed thistle, and fennel seed) that are thought to increase milk supply.
Because the dosage in these teas are on the lower side, you’d want to drink at least a cup or two every day that you’re trying them out.
(I happen to have a discount code for Milkmaid Tea – use PUMPING15 for 15% off).
6. Take Lactation-Promoting Herbs
Many people use lactation supplements or herbal galactagogues supplements in capsule form to increase supply.
(Important Note: There is always a risk to herbal supplements or medication, which is why I recommend trying the above options first. My supply went up quite a bit when I used fenugreek, and the limited studies that have been done have reported it works for some people – but others have reported that it had the opposite effect on them.)
Fenugreek is probably the most popular of these, and some people see an increase in pumping output after 24-72 hours of starting it.
Blessed thistle is another herb that may help increase milk supply; some lactation experts recommend taking it with fenugreek for the best results.
(Legendairy Milk reached out to me and gave me a 15% off discount code for any of their supplements – use EPUMP for 15% off!)
7. Medication Options – Domperidone or Reglan
There are two medications that are not intended for anything to do with lactation, but seem to increase milk supply as a side effect.
These medications are Domperidone (also called motilium) and Reglan. They work by by blocking dopamine receptors, which results in an increase in prolactin levels. These drugs will not work in women that already have normal prolactin levels.
Both of these medications normally work within 3-4 days, but may take longer.
The downsides of using one of these medications are:
- With any medication there are risks, and you will need to discuss them with your prescribing physician.
- Reglan is contraindicated in women with a history of depression, as one of its side effects is severe depression. Given that postpartum depression may be a concern, this is something to consider.
- Domperidone has fewer side effects, and is widely used in Canada and other countries. However, it is difficult to get in the United States.
I hope this helps you understand things that you can try to increase your milk supply, what you might want to try first, and potential risks. Ask any questions that you have in the comments!
Want help putting together the perfect pumping schedule for you that saves your sanity AND your milk supply? Check out the Exclusive Pumping Playbook! Includes cheat sheets for setting up systems and routines to make things easier. Use EPUMP30 for 30% off.
References
- Newman, Jack, MD. “On the FDA and Domperidone.” https://ibconline.ca/information-sheets/on-the-fda-and-domperidone/
- Newman, Jack, MD. “Domperidone General Information.” https://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/domperidone_general.shtml
- Babycenter. “Alcohol and Breastfeeding.” https://www.babycenter.com/0_alcohol-and-nursing-moms_3547.bc
- Bonyata, Kelly, IBCLC. “Breastfeeding and Alcohol.” https://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/lifestyle/alcohol/
Hi Amanda,
I am 8 weeks pp with my second son (2nd c-section). My goal was to have an oversupply! I really really want build a freezer stash early bc once I go back to work, I’ll have little to no time to pump on schedule and will have a diminished supply like with my first child. I was only BFing every 3 hrs with occasionally pumping after BFing bc I was just so exhausted. At night there have been plenty of times I would go over and feed 4, 5, 6 hrs since the last feeding bc I would oversleep and miss my alarms!! I would get so angry at myself for that. I have worked up to exclusively pumping on week 4, and has now been a month. I started off only making 1 oz total or so and how making about 2-4 oz total a session.. I’m just so frustrated and stressed. I make roughly about 18-22 oz/day..! It’s not enough for his feedings!!! I feed him 3 oz, 7x/day. I did go up on his feedings a couple days ago to 3.5 oz per feeding and now gone back down bc just yesterday I noticed I won’t be able to catch up. I am at a point of cheating him 1/2 an oz… I’m so pathetic! I use the same spectra s1 (blue) from my first baby (2019) and pump continuously on the let down mode for at least 30 min per session. I have replaced new parts except for the flanges (new flanges from 2019.. maybe 2020). I have been pumping 7x/day and for the past couple of days and upped to 8x/day since a few days ago. There have been times I haven’t pumped for 4-6 hrs bc I was out of the house which makes me so darn angry that I couldn’t get back home fast enough. I honestly don’t really believe in supplements. I’m only taking prenatal vitamins, eating lactation cookies, daily oatmeal. I’ve tried supplements with my first son and I didn’t really see an effect, but I was BFing and pumping then and didn’t know anything back then. The only thing I noticed that truly helped was eating and drinking lots of water. I drink at least a gallon of water daily. But even with just majority water and not eating full meals, I don’t see a good output.
Is it still possible to build my supply or do you think it has regulated by now? Do you think renting a hospital grade pump now would be worth it? So frustrated! Help…
Hi Khim! Congrats your second baby! I’m so happy for you!
It sounds like you aare doing all of the right things. Can I ask why you’re pumping in letdown mode the whole time? Does that work better for you than switching to expression (it does for some people, and that’s totally fine if it does for you too – just curious)?
I think it is still possible to build supply – 8 weeks is still really early. Have you tried hand expressing at the end of your sessions at all to see if you can get a little extra that way? Just an idea.
Hi Amanda! Thanks for the tips and all the texts! I have a few questions that go across several posts.
I have breast hypoplasia and IGT and I’m currently exclusively pumping for my 2month old. I did all the best practices and my milk supply did go up, but it stopped at some point, guess I reached the limit of my mammary glands. Past few days I had busier schedule and neglected the pumping schedule a bit, but it’s interesting what I noticed. When I pump after 2 hours I get 20ml, after 3 I get 30ml, after 4 40ml, after 5 40ml, after 6 40ml. Didn’t go longer than 6 hrs without pumping though. I am back on schedule now, 6 times a day, 20mins each breast. But I can’t help but wonder, is my breast “capacity” just 40ml and my refill 10ml/hr? I know milk is constantly made while feeding/pumping and breasts are not like reservoirs, but it sure makes me think like mine are. Also, I wonder is it beneficial for my baby to get my milk still since it’s just 25-30% of her daily intake? And do you think I have better chances with my second baby to have larger supply or could that be it?
Hi! It’s really hard to know for sure about your capacity, but that’s definitely possible. I would stick with the 6 pumps/20 minutes schedule just to make sure you’re able to keep your supply up. I definitely think that baby getting 25-30% from breast milk is beneficial! I think you’re doing an amazing job. ❤️
Thanks a lot, Amanda😊! I spent so many weeks struggling with supply issues after not being able to breastfeed or pump the first 2 weeks of my daughter’s life. I was taking moringa, brewers yeast, drinking 1.5 gallons of water per day, and eating so much oatmeal! About 2 months in, I was finally about to give up and switch to all-formula because I was spending a minimum of 3-4 hrs/day pumping for 10-12 oz, when finally all my research paid off! I discovered Domperidone at this blog, that is so strong, it is sometimes prescribed to adoptive parents so they can breastfeed babies even if they were never pregnant themselves. It can even cause men to lactate!
I began taking it and after less than 2 weeks, it has increased my supply dramatically and helped my flow speed as well. Now I pump less than 2 hrs/day and easily get 20 ounces (still increasing). I take 1x 10mg pill 3x/day to establish a better supply and once I reach my desired supply, I will lower it to 1 pill 2x/day. I work with a lactation consultant and would recommend one if you are interested in trying supplements or medications. I have to get Domperidone. Found it just by googling ‘Getdom4bf’ which is used as promocode. I wish so much I had known about Domperidone from the beginning of my breastfeeding/pumping journey ❤️!!!
I would still recommend discussing the medication with your doctor, but I wanted to get the word out because it’s made such a difference for me and I hadn’t even heard of it until struggling for 2 months. I read many scientific peer-reviewed articles to make my decision and discussed it with my lactation consultant and OBGYN before beginning.
Hi Amanda! Thanks for this amazing resource. I am 5 months into my pumping journey and currently pump 5 times/day (4am, 8am, 12:30pm, 6pm, 10pm) based on my work schedule and commute. For the past month, my supply has been decreasing about an ounce a week even though nothing else has changed. I had replaced all my pump parts about two months ago. I’ve tried all the tips you listed above (but don’t want to take any supplements) and I am not pregnant. Any theories about what could be going on and what else I can try at this point? Thank you!!!
Hi Holly! How long is each pumping session? Have you gotten your period back yet? So sorry you’re dealing with this!
My baby is 6.5 months old and I had a huge dip in supply around the 6 month mark. I went from pumping 3-5 ounces per session (never had a supply problem) to 1/2 – 1oz. This happened overnight. Literally one morning I woke up and could not get more than a 1/2 ounce from both breasts. I had my period at 6 weeks pp, and there is usually a dip in supply around that time, but never this large. My period came and went and three weeks later I’m still not pumping much. Baby nurses twice—once before bedtime around 11 and again at 3am. I then pump every 3 hours. That hasn’t changed. Pump parts are all new.. I’ve been taking fenugreek, liquid gold, moringa, eat oatmeal daily for months. I power pump once a day. My point is, literally nothing has changed but suddenly I’m not producing much milk. Baby also gets frustrated nursing so I know it’s not the pump output. I’ve worked with 3 IBCLCs and none of them has been able to find a solution. I wasn’t stressed at first but after 3 weeks of this I’m panicking. Has anyone has this experience? Did it resolve?
My LO is 10 1/2 weeks old. We’ve been struggling with breastfeeding as he isn’t latching properly. I’ve been working with an LC (and also had posterior tongue tie revision 2 weeks ago but not much improvement, reflux is a big issue that is likely hurting his tongue position also). We’ve gone through a few different plans and right now, given the time it takes to feed and wanting to ensure he gets enough to gain weight normally and give me some relief to the stress that has been trying to nurse a baby all day that feeds inefficiently, I am on a plan of 6-7 feedings per day that are breast-bottle-breast. Because of the prior feeding issues, I’ve now realized my supply has gone down. So now I have started pumping for 15 mins after each feeding (or 6 times per day, once in the middle of the night). For example, if I feed him at 10am, I nurse from 10am for about 15-20 minutes, then go to bottle, tummy time, diaper change etc. and finish him on the breast by nursing 5-10 more minutes towards the end of the hour (either both or only one side) and then I pump 15 mins after that usually at the start of the next hour (or around 11am in this example). Then I nurse again 1.5-2 hours later at 1pm. I have been doing this for the past 5 days. Since I am both nursing and pumping in this fashion 7 times per day (since he’s getting older and we are trying to sleep train him, now mostly doing 6 nursing sessions but 7 pumping sessions) should that be sufficient to increase my supply? Or do I really need to add another pumping session on top of this to make it 8? I also just last night started doing one hour of power pumping after his last feeding at night (I would typically pump at around 9pm and then again at 10pm but instead I power pumped from 9-10pm). Is this a good idea to increase supply during the daytime hours? Anything else I should be doing? Thanks!
Hi Jules! I don’t think you need to add another session. You can power pump at any time that you can manage it – just don’t burn yourself out. IT sounds like you are doing all of the right things! Good luck!
I have a supply issue. I think I’ve tried most everything that’s been recommended on your site (thank you for all the info!)
The only issue I still haven’t addressed is that the spectra I’m using (the hospital grade plug in pink one) is my cousin’s. She had her son 4 years ago. I’ve replaced all tubes, flanges, etc but could 5 years be too old for a power pump?
Hi Arielle! It could definitely be the motor. It could also be fine though – I used the same Medela Freestyle for 3 kids with no issues. The only way to find out is to get a new one and see how the suction compares. I wish I could give you a real answer!
I would just buy a new pump
My baby is 9 months old. He is no longer interested in nursing (thought it was that he was easily distracted but I’m thinking it’s more related to my decrease in supply). I’ve been exclusively pumping for a couple of weeks now but my supple seems to wane. I’ve gone from pumping 5 ounces every 3 hours to pumping barely 3 every 3 hours. I’ve just got to get him to a year old then I’m good. But in the meantime- I’m pumping 5-6 times a day, hydrating with water, body armor, gatorade and mother’s milk tea (twice a day). I try to power pump once a day and have started taking fenugreek. After reading your post I will take fenugreek twice daily. Am I doing everything I can be doing? I feel like such a failure.
Hi Lindsay! You’re not a failure! How long are your pumping sessions? Do you feel like you’re getting most of the milk out when you pump? I think you’re doing a great job. ❤️
I’m pumping 45-60 minutes each time.
My newborn is 3 weeks old and I have been exclusively pumping. I am power pumping twice daily plus pumping 6 other sessions minimum. Even with that, I am lucky to make 16 to 18 oz total in 24 hours. I’ve worked on all the factors to increase supply. Do I need to get a different pump? I’m using a spectra but wondering if mine is defective or there is an issue. How would I know? I also can’t manually massage/compress my breast while pumping because I lose the seal every time when I do it. Any tips or tricks would be appreciated. Thanks!
Nicole, congrats on your sweet baby! Do you feel like your breasts still have a decent amount of milk in them when you’re done pumping?
Hey Nicole! My second little one is 12 weeks old now so I’m not too far ahead of you. You’re making the same, if not more, than I was making at 3 weeks & I was pumping at least 10x/day. I’m now making 26+ oz/day. Supplements I’ve used have been Liquid Gold from Legendairy Milk, moringa that I ordered from Amazon, and also domperidone. I also struggled with supply in my first pregnancy & these were the best things I’ve used from my trial and error experiences. I hope that helps!
I feel like they are softer following pumping than before. I am pretty consistent with pumping so they never become very engorged. I’ve tried manual expression following and I don’t get more than a few drops here or there. When I pump I start off ok and by 10 to 12 minutes it is barely a trickle into the bottles. If I readjust the flange
, I get a tiny bit more and then it stops again.
Hi Amanda!
My newborn is 3 weeks old and have been nursing him and supplementing with formula. It appears I may have a milk supply issue – potentially due to my baby unable to transfer milk efficiently even with a successful latch. After a nursing session, he is supplemented with ~1.5-3 oz of formula. My pumping sessions (~4-6x a day) yield a total of only about ~1 oz each time.
Since he is getting close to the 1 month mark, is it even possible to up my milk supply to be able to feed him with 3-4 oz a session if I exclusively pump?
Hi Evelyn! Yes, one month is so early. Have you tried any of these methods for increasing supply? Congrats on your baby! ❤️
Thanks for your reply Amanda! I might have read somewhere in your site or some other site that milk supply stabilizes around 1 month, but glad to hear that there is an opportunity to improve it beyond that.
And yes – there are a few things I am trying now on your list, however I did find the Power Pumping did not help so much other than make my nipples/breast sore. Note that the Power Pumping schedule is a little different from yours – it is based on the Spectra Australia site which goes by an alternating 10 min pump/rest schedule.
Hie my baby is 16 weeks old she breast-fed at the beginning but was hospitalised so she had formula. A few weeks later my period came and my milk pretty much vanished. Baby won’t nurse and I’m failing to get milk out with a pump. When I try I’m getting 1-2 teaspoons at a time. I don’t know if there’s any hope in trying fenugreek and beer or if I’m wasting my time.
Hi Noddy! Congrats on your baby! If you wanted to keep trying, what I would do is put yourself on a newborn-style pumping schedule, where you’re pumping 8 times a day for 15 minutes or so. I think that in conjuction with other stuff might help. You may want to look for more info on relactation.
I’d avoid fenugreek, it’s been proven to drop milk supply for more than 75% of women who have used it while nursing. Lots of oatmeal, post natal vitamins and milky mamma has some great treats and herbal supplements that worked well for me when needed, it just gets pricy over time so I stick usually with oatmeal, brewers yeast and lots of water.
Hello, my son is 10 weeks and I have been supplementing with formula as his docs suggested as he wasn’t gaining enough weight and had dropped to less than 5 percentile.
Is it possible to increase milk supply at ten weeks or is it too late?
I have been using the PURE MOM supplement which is just two pills once a day. Is that enough? Can I add fenugreek while taking this tablet or shall i try fenugreek on its own and quit this tablet?
Hi SB! It looks like each PRUE MOM supplement has 400mg of fenugreek – so you’re already taking 800. You can add additional fenugreek on top of that but would just keep in mind that you’re already getting that much. More info on dosages here:
https://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/fenugreek/
Good luck!
Hello Amanda
Thank you for all these great and helpful tips.
I have one doubt regarding milk supply,
Can a family tragedy cause your milk to suddenly stop and hardly come any more?
I gave birth to my daughter about two months ago and my milk supply was ok. However I was mixing breast and formula since I had a c-section and both me and my daughter were still trying to get the hang of breastfeeding.
Sadly I was shocked to hear that my husband passed away one week after my delivery because of Corona virus.
I had to rely on formula for a few days because of my mental state and busy schedule at the time (I had to relocate to my parents house, funreal, paper work, etc..) but tried my best to breastfeed my daughter whenever I find the time.
After a few days my daughter started to cry when I try to breastfeed her. So I decided to focus on pumping until I manage to let her take my breast again.
Unfortunately I found that I am only getting a few drops of milk whenever I pump.
Therefore I tried to increase my milk supply through pumping at least 4 times a day. I also tried hand expressing milk, skin to skin contact, many lactation foods and read many articles online about this. But my milk supply isn’t increasing at all and I am still getting a few drops of milk per day.
Two months has passed since then and my milk supply is still the same, And whenever I manage to have my baby latch on my breast she immediately lets go because there is no milk.
Is there any other way to increase my milk supply again? I really want to breastfeed her no matter what.
Noting that I have increased my bf sessions to 8 per day since the begining of this week. I will also try power pumping for one week to see how it goes.
I really appreciate your support and thank you for your time.
Regards,
Hi Sarah! I am so very sorry for your loss. ❤️
I think you are on the right track. I would read this relactation post and see if it’s helpful:
https://exclusivepumping.com/relactation-pumping-schedules/
Lots of love to you. You are doing a great job.
Hi! I have an almost 5 month old who is nursing when I’m home, and I’m pumping when at work. I’m pretty sure my supply decreased when I went back to work, but babe’s weight gain has slowed, and fussiness increased, and nighttime wakings increased. I have been taking fenugreek, oatmeal, etc,.
I don’t feel when I have let down, and don’t feel when I’m done, but my baby only nurses for 5-7 minutes per side. I had been using a freemie, so I couldn’t really visualize the milk flow, but today at work used a friend’s medela, so could see the milk–and sure enough, after it starts flowing, it’s done on the left side after about 3 minutes, and the right side after about 4.
So my specific question is related to duration of flow. Should I keep pumping after the flow starts? Will that encourage it to flow longer (eventually?) What about when I’m nursing and she stops early? Should I hand express? Hook up to the pump?
Thanks for all the great info on this site 🙂
Hi Sarah! I think I would hand express after nursing if it’s feasible (or pump, whichever is easier). I would pump for about 15 minutes regardless of when the flow stops, to see if you can get another letdown. You could also try hand expressing after the flow stops to see if that helps. This might also be helpful:
https://exclusivepumping.com/not-pumping-enough-at-work/
Hi, I am EPing for my almost 10 week old and I am currently doing 30 minute sessions x 8 per 24 hours, sometimes 7 as I’m trying be on a schedule but it’s tricky sometimes. I aim to pump every 3 hours but sometimes it’s 3.5 hours or so, that’s why it sometimes doesn’t get to 8. If I pump for 15/20 minutes I don’t have a great about but with 30 minutes I can get anywhere from 90-120. I read in this post you suggest no more than 3 hours a day, currently I’m at 4 hours. Is there anything I can do as I feel like when baby isn’t feeding I’m pumping and there’s not much time spare when you take out the cuddles!? Power pumping sometimes helps but I feel engorged after doing it one night and also it doesn’t seem to give me much more.
Hi Leighanne! Congrats on your sweet baby! I would see if there is a way to speed those sessions up – maybe with vibration. Lecithin might also be something to consider. Here is more info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
Hi.. am a mother of 5 months old baby girl. As my baby had to be separated from me for four days after birth as she had to be put on Iv n phototherapy. My baby also had latching problems in the beginning. I didn’t know much about pumping and was feeding formula. Later I started breast feeding my baby but my milk supply was very less that I need to top up with formula. Till now I tried all possibilities to increase my supply but in vain. I pump two times a day n I get less than half an ounce. Finally goat’s rue was a lifesaver and taking it for almost a week. But my baby is not latching properly. As she is used to the bottle feeding n as my milk supply was low she lost interest in drinking from breast.she sucks max to max 5mins. Am afraid that because my daughter is not latching properly and demand decreases the goat’s rue may not help in later days. I gotta keep up and increase my milk supply now n feed my baby maximum of my milk and wean formula. Am ready to pump as much as I can. Will power pumping help in increasing n maintaining my milk supply even after 5months. Please advice. Am in need of your help.
Hi! I definitely think it’s worth a shot. Good luck!
I’ve been trying Milky Mama products from the brownies with herbs to supplement herbs and nothing. When my baby was born I would only do breastfeeding, after that I started pumping but since I used to had postpartum depression I literally stopped pumping and was only breastfeeding him 2 times a day. After that I stayed with formula and only breastfeed him once in the morning and pumping just one time a day, sometimes I used to forget pumping at all. I want to increase my milk supply since my husband and I decided to do only breast milk for the baby and I don’t seem to get to increase my milk supply I really need HELP!
Hi! I need help – my sweet LO (10 days now) refused to latch since day 1 so I’ve been pumping since then. I’m able to pump every 2-3 hours and only getting .5-.75 oz total a session. I drink so much water, take “let there be milk” and eating oatmeal with brewers yeast and flax. Am I doomed or is there still a chance I can get my supply up enough to cut the formula? I feel like I’m doing everything I should be.
Hi Whitney! Congrats on your baby! It definitely sounds like you are doing all of the right things. I would keep going, and maybe talk to your OB or a LC to see if they recommend anything else in terms of supplements or medication? You are doing a GREAT job.
Im having the same problem! I cant get my milk to come in even though im doing everything recommended to increase it and its getting frustrating
You are doing amazing work ❤️👍! Thanks for sharing your wonderful tips. Herbs did nothing to my supply. I was suggested to try Reglan but I preferred the lower risk of side effect with the Domperidone (Motilium). I would highly recommend giving it a try.. It is different. I am on Domperidone (Motilium) since my baby was 2 months old. It is easy to take and increases milk 😊. So happy I found in Google “getdom4bf” and got Dom. No side effects. I take 9 x 10mg tablets every 24 hours (ie. 3 tablets 3 times a day) and that keeps everything going nicely.
I have a 5 week old and started exclusively pumping last week. Before the baby was a month old, I was occasionally pumping from week 3 onwards – once in the morning and once at night. I pump every 2.5 – 3 hours during the day. I’ve been lucky (touch wood) with a baby who’s sleeping 6 hours in the night and I pump an hour after she’s asleep and when she wakes up early am. So that’s a total of 7 sessions in 24 hours each lasting 30 mins. I’ve noticed my supply declining every day by 1-2 oz which is stressing me out. I am drinking plenty of water, taking lactation supplements and not on any diet.
My intent is to build a stash for her when I start working and right now, I’m barely pumping enough for each day’s feed.
Hi there! Which supplements are you taking?
I was doing the same thing when I first started & the only thing that really helped me was to pump more often. I was also doing 30 min sessions & finally saw some lactation consultants who told me to stop pumping more than 20 min at a time. I didn’t see how anyone could pump more than 7x/day, but once I got a schedule figured out, I was able to do a minimum of 8x/day which definitely makes a difference (& I wish I had figured it out earlier as I have struggled with supply my entire time, but I’m still 6.5 months going strong!) …. Per the LCs advice, to mitigate a supply drop from reducing session time, you’ll need to pump more often for 2-3 days. So if you’re pumping 210 min total/day now, you’ll need to pump 10-11 20 min sessions/day for 2-3 days, then you can drop the extra sessions. In order to get at least 8 sessions a day, I pumped every 2h40m with a 5h20m break in the night. Any opportunities you get to pump more than 8x/day will help increase your supply as well. It sounds daunting, but if you’re determined, you can do it!! I hope this helps you 🙂 You’ve got this!
If I just started exclusively pumping (literally day one from nursing only a 2 week old) and have already pumped 120 minutes today. Should I stop for the day. It is 5PM still 2-3 feedings tonight. Or is it okay to go over 120? Will it interfere with my building of supply?
Supply is only giving me 1.5-3 oz. per pump 🙁 but I did power pump today and ordered some fenugreek! I know it will take some time.m, but any additional tips would be great.
Hi Lyla! No, you can pump more – it won’t hurt anything (but stopping for the day would) – so definitely keep pumping. 120 is more a minimum guideline. 🙂
I think oatmeal will help too!
Is it possible to increase breastmilk after 7 weeks? I am only power pumping twice a day evening and night 20 minutes each session.. only getting 2-3 oz total
Yes it is!
My daughter is now 4 months and she has never latched properly bcz of inverted nipples so had to introduce bottle. Now she don’t want to see the breasts and drink only through bottle. I don’t have much supply and want to increase it. Is it possible after this long of I start pumping now.
Hi Priya! At 4 months I think so, yes! Everyone is different but lots of women see success at this point.
Thanks for the great article! Domperidone works really well! I had a nice supply, but ended up really sick and had a bad spinal tap which caused horrible migraines that forced me to have to lay flat and it interfered with nursing my newborn. I got all worried and didn’t want him to suffer so I order the Dom from “getdom4bf”. and it worked. I had a huge over-supply! I could have fed triplets. We are now on our 14th month of breastfeeding with no end in sight lol. I took the Dom. only for a couple months and had salmonella food poisoning which made my milk dry up and then took it again for 6 weeks.
Hi, I have been exclusively pumping since my baby was 3 days old. At first I would get 4-6 oz from each side every 4-6 hours and has plenty to freeze. But then he started sleeping 6-8 hours at night so I slept with him and those night sessions got cut out. At first I would get engorged and I would wake up to pump for about 30 min and empty out. But then I started my period and my supply went down. Then I started work as a nurse so I was lucky to pump 1-2 times at work for 30 min each time and 2-3 times at home and was getting 4-6 ounces total per session. Now my baby is 9.5 months, i pump 3 times a day and am lucky to get 3-4 oz per session. I’ve been on vacation for a week and have been pumping 2 times and getting 2-3 ounces total each time which is like a snack for him. My baby has been supplemented since four months because he eats a lot. I’m really debating if I should try to increase my supply or just give up on the pumping. I really wanted to make it to a year like my first son but I’ve been a single mom with him since day one and I’m exhausted. I feel terrible to just stop because I’m done but I don’t know that he’s getting any benefit from just 5-6 ounces a day that is worth the effort and headache of pumping. Any advice about this is greatly appreciated.
Hi Michelle! Congrats on your baby and on making it 9.5 months! That is amazing!
You sound like you’re done. I wouldn’t keep going because of the arbitrary timeline of a year. I would only keep going if you feel you really want to do it. To me it sounds like you are struggling, and it is okay to stop pumping whenever you’re ready. You are the only one that can decide when it’s time, but please don’t feel terrible or guilty. You have done a great job.
I was exclusively breastfeeding until 4 weeks, when he was found to have dropped centiles in weight. I’m now breastfeeding on demand, giving about 120ml of formula (until weight is up) and doing loads of pumping in an attempt to increase supply. I’d love to increase yield so I can drop the formula, but I can at best pump 60ml a session and not every time, and hard to tell what goes in from breastfeeding. I’m taking a supplement of fenugreek and blessed thistle and doctor unwilling to prescribe domperidone (not licensed here for that purpose). I’m pumping about 3hrly, how long might it take to raise supply? And what volume of expressed milk per day should a baby of 6 weeks have on average? How can I work around not knowing what volume is taken in at the breast?
Hi Alex! The best way I’ve found to work around it is to weigh baby before and after with a baby scale like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Health-meter-Toddler-Scale-Growth/dp/B0009MFUZE/
For how much on average, here is some info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/how-much-milk-do-breastfed-babies-eat/
Hope this helps!
Thank you for the info! I’ve been doing 7 30 minute pumping sessions a day & have just gotten my supply to about 13 oz per day. Just found your site here & am wondering if you might know if my supply will decrease if I try to change to 120 minutes a day as you suggest. 20 minute sessions would be a lot more manageable! 🙂 Also going to try increasing my fenugreek intake to see if more than 6 capsules will make a difference. Thanks for any advice!
Good luck Lindsay! Why don’t you try decreasing one at a time a see what happens? I wouldn’t make the change quickly. Also the 120 minutes is a minimum, so you CAN do more if you want (though yes, WAY more manageable)! Good luck!
I had supply issues since my baby birth and was struggling hard to establish a good milk supply but fenugreek, power pumping, oatmeals nothing worked until I started drinking Healthy nursing tea that is an herbal natural supplement and now I am successfully bfing my son since one year.
My son was born at 29 weeks I have been breastfeeding him since birth I was making so much milk and I had something called Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex so I decided to slow my milk down but now I want to increase it. The problem is I only pump he dont actually latch on to the breast. So what can I do to increase my milk?
Hi Ronnisha! Have you tried anything yet (like fenugreek, oatmeal, power pumping, etc.)?
That’s from both breasts combined.
My little boy is 6wks on Monday. I’m pumping for 10 mins every 2hrs. I’m getting 1.5oz to 2oz off. Doesn’t seem enough. Is that about right?
I think I would make the sessions at least 15 minutes to see if you can get another letdown. Is that 1.5-2oz per side or total?
Healthy nursing tea REALLY helped bring my supply up after dipping around 2 1/2 months into breastfeeding. I have continued drinking three times a day for a month an a half and I am doing so much better. I did try to stop and saw a dip again. I WILL continue taking it until I am done breastfeeding.
Hi, is it absolutely necessary to pump multiple times during the night also?
I’m a single mom of a newborn (10 days) and I started pumping because my little boy was losing weight while I breastfed him.
He has a bad latch and probably couldn’t get the milk out efficiently.
He’s supplemented with formula right now, and I pump so I know for sure how much breastmilk I can give him. but I would very much prefer him to be only on breastmilk.
Sadly, I pump about 50 ml both breasts combined in half an hour (double electric pump).
I’ve started eating oatmeal and drinking fenugreek tea, and doing power pumping. And I think it may be starting to help…but my biggest problem is the night.
I’ve been pumping every three hours for about half an hour…but I’m afraid I won’t be able to cope with both feeding my child and pumping. My boy drinks every three hours, pumping, feeding and changing him takes me an hour easily which means two hours later I’ll have to get up again.
Right now I have help during the nights but that won’t last much longer. Is there a way to keep your supply going without having to pump as much at night? Because if not, I fear I won’t last very long.
Hi Saskia! Congrats on your baby! You are doing a great job. Okay, here’s what I would suggest. Skip ONE pumping session at night – probably the first one of the night. Just get through the feeding/diaper change as fast as you can, with the lights low, and go back to sleep. The next time he wakes up, you can pump then. Try to get 8 sessions in in 24 hours (though they don’t need to be 30 minutes). As time goes on, he’ll start sleeping longer stretches at the beginning of the night – if at all possible, go to bed then. That might mean going to bed at 8 or 9pm, but it’s not forever. Your goal is to get a 4 to 5 hour stretch of sleep and get yourself through a full REM cycle. If you can do that, life will be much better. GOOD LUCK! Let me know if I can help with anything else.
I can not use fenugreek, is there something else I can try.
Have you tried oatmeal at all?
My supply has been completely stagnant. I’ve been exclusively pumping since birth because my son wouldn’t latch (4 weeks early) and on a magical awesome day can only pump around 800ml. I average around 700-750ml a day. He’s 12 weeks today and I’ve been increasing the number of pumping sessions (around 9-10 a day up from 7-8). Each session I average 1.5 oz a breast, pumping for 25-30 minutes. I know my breasts can handle storing a lot more milk on the offchance I miss a pump or two (like in the middle of the night when I sleep through my alarms) I can get up to 3 oz a breast. I’ve tried different flanges, power pumping, teas, oatmeal, and supplements. Right now, my setup is the Spectra S1 with the medela 24mm flanges. I can’t set the suction higher than 3. We’ve been supplementing with 1-3 extra bottles a day. He’s a big boy – almost 15 lbs – and has been taking in an average of 1000ml a day. Is there anything else I can do? Anything I’m not thinking of?
Hi Amber! You are doing a great job. The only thing I can think of that you haven’t tried is prescription meds, like Reglan and Domperidone. Those have their own disadvantages, so I would understand if you didn’t want to use them. But that would probably be the only thing you haven’t tried?
Hi I am weeks postpartum and started to pump at day 5 but wasn’t too religious in the pumping so did not see any improvements in milk supply.
3 days ago I started to pump more religiously, 7-9 times a day, each time 20-30 min long, but I am only getting 30-40 ml both breasts tgt (dual pump). My baby eats 120ml each meal already. What can I do to increase my yield?! Am I doing this wrong? Did I mess up in the first 2 weeks already and can never catch up? I am very stressed. Hope u can help!!
^3 weeks post partum
Hi! You’re doing great! I think I would give your body a little time to get used to the new schedule. I also had a really good experience at 3 weeks pp with fenugreek – have you considered trying it?
YEs I smell like maple now and I been taking them for three days now
Perfect! Hopefully you will see an increase in the next day or two then! Other than that, I would keep doing what you’re doing – stick to your schedule and power pump when you can (but don’t overdo it so you don’t burn out). Try eating oatmeal for breakfast and drink a decent amount of water. If you don’t see the increase you want from fenugreek you can talk to your OB about maybe trying domperidone? Anyway, that’s what I would suggest. Good luck!!! 🙂
Hi, I have a newborn that is taking about 3oz per feeding. I only make 1oz per feeding from my breast and I have to supplement the rest. I have been eating lactation cookies, taking 2 capsules of fenugreek three times per day so a total of 6 per day, eating oatmeal once a day, power pumping for four days already and trying to pump sometimes between feedings. When I pump between feedings i barely make half an ounce out of both breasts co mbined. Do you have any suggestion of what can I do?
Hi Evelyn! It sounds like you are doing all of the right things. How long have you been taking the fenugreek and do you smell like maple syrup at all?
Hi Amanda. Not sure if you have some advice for me but here we go. I was exclusively BF but went back to work three weeks ago and started pumping 3x at work but only get nearly15oz total for the day. I BF when I get to daycare and then for the rest of the night. This seems to not be enough anymore as for the daycare started supplementing (with my consent) to make sure she has what she requests. How can I increase my supply? Do I need to exclusively pump? Should I talk to my Dr for supplements? I’ve been taking fenugreek, lactation cookies, oatmeal twice a day and still only pump about 1oz a breast. Only on my first pumping session will I get 3oz per breast. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Hi! I don’t think you should switch to exclusively pumping for supply reasons, I think what you’re doing is good. Can I ask what dose of fenugreek you are taking?
Amanda
I’ve read your e book and your website – thank you for helping all of us pumping mums out there!
My supply was established well with a professional (we got to 685mls per day by week 3). I then took bad advice and it went through he floor. After taking all the advice on your blog I’m back up – getting back to the previous level was quick and easy – took a week, no supplements no power pumping. But we’ve then only crawled up to 720mls per day after a full week of power pumping and doing everything you recommend. I have the patience and the commitment but want to know – when you had to work hard to get supply up over time, approx how many additional mls per week were you making ie how long will it take me to get to more like 850. Power pumping is exhausting so would be nice to know where the light at the end of the tunnel is!
Hi! I’m SO GLAD to hear that the book was helpful and that you’ve been able to get your supply back up! I actually think that seeing results from power pumping in a week is really good. It takes your body a while to get the message that your baby “is having a growth spurt” (what power pumping is trying to tell your body) and kick up production. So I think your results are great.
I think my supply went fairly quickly from fenugreek and then slowly climbed from there as I stuck to my schedule and power pumped. It’s hard to speak to the exact rate because supply is so inconsistent – the trend line can be up but individual days can be down. I wish I had a more clear answer for you!
Power pumping is definitely exhausting! Make sure that you are taking it as easy as possible when you do it – watching Netflix or reading a good book or something. 🙂 You are doing an AWESOME job!
I have been exclusively pumping since my baby was a week old. He is now 7.5 weeks old. I pump every 4 hours for 30 min but I can’t seem to increase my milk supply. I’m only getting about 20oz a day and I feel like he needs at least 24. I’ve tried cookies, teas, and supplements. Any other suggestions to help me increase my supply?
Hi Natalee! What supplements have you tried?
I have tried several different brands of fenugreek and blessed thistle supplements
What dose of fenugreek did you take, and did you smell like maple syrup at all?
The brand for the fenugreek is mother’s select: 2 capsules 3x daily and it is 1220mg per serving. The blessed thistle is 2 capsules 3x daily and is 800mg per serving.
OK great, that’s a good dose. Did you find that smelled like maple syrup at all?
The other two things (besides prescription meds) that I can think of to try are having a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, and power pumping. You could also try domperidone or Reglan but you need a prescription.
I’m taking Fenugreek and noticed it’s faster for me to pump the normal 2oz that I usually get. I now can achieve this is 15min vs. 30min. Does this mean I should still pump
the 30 min to ensure increasing my supply, since it typically took me 30 min to empty my breasts? I get lazy and just enjoy the 15min sessions but something tells me I should pump longer. Thanks!
I think it depends what your goals are. If you want to increase your supply, then it probably makes sense to pump longer. If you were just looking to be done faster, then you are probably okay. How many times do you pump a day?
I think 6 by the time I start work( 3 at work and 3 at home). I would love to eventually get down to 5 if possible –I think it is more likely I will stick with it longer. I haven’t tried power pumping yet either so I can add that in but again, not something I can do daily, not sure if the benefit is there if done a few times per week?
Okay if you only have one session to drop, I would do it the week before you go back to work. And yes, I do think there is a benefit to non-regular power pumping. Good luck!
Hi! Thanks for the advice. The last few days, I have noticed my supply has increased so now I am pumping 30 oz daily, and I am freezing milk since my baby is not eating as much. Is decreasing my sessions next week too early to drop if I just noticed this change? Will it drop my supply? Or if I drop the sessions, do I extend the time slightly?
Hi! That’s great! I think next week is fine. There is no way to tell what will happen (your supply could go up, down, or stay the same), but that’s true whenever you drop the session. Yes, you do extend the time slightly in order to minimize the chances of losing supply. Your total amount of time pumping in a day should stay the same.
Hi! Love this site! Quick question- I am essentially exclusively pumping due to aversion from reflux and refusal to latch. I have noticed my supply has decreased a little since my baby stopped nursing and I rely on the pump more over the last week. My baby is 9 weeks old, I pump 7 times daily for 20 minutes and get 3-5 ounces for a total daily volume is 24-26 oz. we do typically need to supplement with 8 oz formula per week. I go back to work in 3 weeks and would need to cut down on pumping frequency to make the schedule work. When is the right time to do this so I dont lose the supply I have? I would ideally like to have a few ounces more but not sure that is possible without spending a ton of extra time pumping- I just need to sleep one 3 hr block now that baby is! Any advice?
Thanks!
Hi! How many sessions can you do per day once you’re back at work?
This is the second time I use Healthy nursing tea. I had milk supply issues with my first baby and this tea really helped to boost milk production. Luckily, there are no issues with milk production with my second baby, but I use the tea to increase milk production so that I could build my milk stash for when I go back to work. It really works and tastes great!