You may have heard about establishing supply when breastfeeding. What does this mean, and when is milk supply established? Here’s what to look for.
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What is supply regulation?
To understand supply regulation, it’s helpful to know how milk production works. At a high level, there are three different stages of milk production:
- During the late stages of pregnancy and in the first few days after your baby is born, your breasts produce colostrum. The hormone progesterone, which is present in high amounts throughout pregnancy, keeps the milk volume produced low.
- After your baby is born and the placenta is delivered, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop dramatically. This hormone withdrawal, along with high levels of prolactin present after birth, causes initial milk production to kick into high gear. This happens 1-3 days after birth when your milk comes in.
- Later, the milk production process switches to being driven solely by breastfeeding supply and demand. This means that the demand – the milk that is removed from your breasts (by either a baby or a breast pump) – controls the supply, or how much milk your body produces.
Supply regulation refers to when the hormonal effects on supply that drive the first two stages of milk production peter out, and your milk supply is based entirely on demand, versus hormones. This is also referred to as “established lactation” or an “established milk supply.”
What changes when your supply regulates? What are the signs of an established milk supply?
When your supply regulates, you may notice the following:
- Your breasts don’t feel as full and are softer and you experience engorgement less frequently
- You leak and randomly letdown less often
- Your overall milk supply decreases
The reason that your milk supply might decrease when your supply is established is that your body will match your supply to what you’ve been removing from your breasts. Before my supply regulated, I skipped pumping sessions more often than I should have, and then when the hormone boost when away, I lost a lot of supply.
The supply decrease can be a relief if you have extreme oversupply at the beginning, but it’s something to watch out for if you’re more like me.
So when is milk supply established? When does milk supply regulate?
In the vast majority of cases, this happens sometime in the first 12 weeks, usually between 6-12 weeks postpartum.
This doesn’t mean it happens exactly at 12 weeks; there is nothing magical that happens to your breasts at midnight on your baby’s 12 week birthday. It can happen at two weeks postpartum, or it can happen later than 12 weeks. However, for most women, it has happened by the 12 week mark.
Another thing to note – supply regulation can happen suddenly, where you wake up one morning and notice your supply has decreased and you aren’t leaking anymore. Or it can happen gradually, over a few weeks, so that you don’t even really notice or know when it happens.
(I had it happen both ways – with the baby I exclusively pumped for, my supply regulated overnight and the difference was obvious. For the two babies I nursed, I’m not as sure when my supply regulated.)
What should you do to be prepared for your supply to regulate?
The key thing that you should do to be ready for supply regulation is to stick to your pumping schedule. You need to ensure that the demands you’re making via your breast pump (or baby, if you nurse) match the supply that you want to have.
Also, make sure that your pumping schedule has enough sessions and pumping time. If you’re exclusively pumping and your baby is less than six weeks old, you should be pumping at least seven times per day, and your total pumping time in a day should be at least 120 minutes.
(Note: if your baby is 6-12 weeks old, I think six sessions per day is fine; your total pumping time should still be two hours per day, which means slightly longer pumping sessions.)
What should you do if your supply regulates and you lose supply?
Try not to freak out – you’re still really early on and likely can get at least some supply back.
Here’s what you can do:
- If you weren’t already on a pumping schedule, make sure you get on one that meets the above guidelines for number/length of sessions – and stick to it consistently.
- Oatmeal and power pumping are easy options for increasing milk supply where there is little or no cost or risk, so that’s what I’d start with.
- Supplements can also help increase milk supply if necessary. When my milk supply regulated, I went from pumping 35 oz per day to 24 oz per day overnight. I used fenugreek and was able to get it back up within several weeks, along with being much more consistent with my pumping schedule. However, supplements have risk associated with them, so I would try other options first.
More on increasing milk supply here.
Has your milk supply regulated? What was your experience?
References- Bonyata, Kelly, IBCLC. “My breasts feel empty! Has my milk supply decreased?” https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/breast-fullness/
- Bonyata, Kelly, IBCLC. “How does milk production work?” https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/basics/milkproduction/
Hello,
I started to notice my milk supply regulating around 20 weeks. My milk also came in late in the beginning. I’m worried my milk supply is dropping. Can I still use the same methods (oatmeal, power pumping, frequent feedings) to increase my supply or is it too late?
Hi Pam! It’s still possible to increase milk supply after regulation – it may be a little harder, but it’s definitely worth a shot. Good luck!
Hi, Amanda! I love this page and it has helped me so much. I’ve been EP since about a month pp, and am now 9 weeks pp. I pump 7 times a day for 18 minutes each including a MOTN session. I have an oversupply at around 60 oz per day. I have no idea if I’ve regulated yet but the MOTN pump is really starting to wear on me while my baby is sleeping longer and longer.
Am I at a place where I could think about slowly dropping that pump with out too much of an impact to my supply?
Hi Jill! congrats on your sweet baby! With that oversupply at 9 weeks, I think it would likely be okay. I obviously can’t guarantee anything but it doesn’t worry me too much if you start slowly dropping it. Good luck!
Love your page! At 11 weeks my supply regulated and dropped significantly. I’ve been having to supplement with formula. I’ve been power pumping and drinking mother’s milk tea but have not noticed an improvement. Any tips? Thank you!
Hi Sam! Sorry to hear that! Here’s what I would try, in the order I would try it. I hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Thanks for this post! I am 16 weeks postpartum. When my supply regulated around the three month mark, we had to start supplementing with formula. I’m currently pumping 6 times a day (no middle of the night pump) with sessions that are about 30 minutes each. I get about 20-24 oz a day, and my baby eats a lot! I wonder if my supply was negatively impacted because I was pumping more like 6-7 times in that first 12 weeks. There were some days it was even less. I didn’t know much about exclusive pumping at the time and kept going back and forth with trying to make nursing work. Would pumping 8 times a day or adding the MOTN pump back in help at this point? I’m torn on whether it is worth all the effort when I don’t know if it would work. I already feel like I’m spending so much time pumping! Thanks so much!
Hi Amanda! Congrats on your sweet baby! I think instead of adding the sessions I might make one session a power pumping session? I would also try oatmeal. Here’s some more info, hope it helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Hi Amanda! Does the same apply for preemie babies? My daughter was born at 29 weeks and I’m currently 4 weeks pp, with an average output of 20oz per day. I’m not sure what my goal is with her being so early and if I should expect my supply to continue to increase over the next 8 weeks.
Hi Sam! My understanding is that things happen based on birth date, not due date. I hope that helps!
Hi there! I am 10WPP. I have been EP for about 3-4 weeks. I pump anywhere from 6-8 times a day for at least 20-30 minutes. Usually 3 hours during the day and 4 at night. Sometimes more than 30. I am producing about 45oz a day, 5-7oz at each seating. What should I expect when I regulate? And am I pumping enough to be able to drop a session without a significant decrease?
Hi Savanna! It’s hard to say – you might not notice anything or have any changes. (And you might have regulated already!) Or you might notice a drop, but I don’t see any red flags for that in what you wrote. Good luck!
Hi! I’m 6wpp. I’m exclusively pumping and I try to pump 8 times a day. My issue is that I get so busy with my LO or older kids I’m always an hour to hour and a half late for my pumping sessions. I make just enough for my LO at 24-26 oz a day, he takes 24oz a day. I’m afraid once my supply regulates, I’ll be an under supplier. Will being late for sessions cause me to lose what supply I have. I’ve increased my pumping time from 20min each session to 30 min to try and compensate!
Hi Jenna! I wouldn’t worry so much about being late as how many sessions you’re getting in 24 hours. If you’re getting 6-8 and 120 minutes total, I think you’ll be okay (but obviously it’s unpredictable). I hope that helps!
Hi there! Thank you so much for all you do. I have a question for you. Is it possible to increase supply after you regulate when you weren’t able to before? I’m wondering if this could be true as it’s a different mechanism at play. I have twin girls, we struggled to increase my supply to meet their demand. They take around 1000ml each, i worked so hard until around 6 weeks pumping 8 time a day, breast feeding (although their latch was terrible) I powerpumped, was on donperidon and ate so much oatmeal! I was told my a lactation specialist that I had hit my limit
and my body couldn’t make more milk. My body doesn’t respond the best with the pump so now I only pump 3 times a day and I breast feed one girl fully. I make enough milk for 1 and 1/3 babies. I would LOVE to make enough for both. Since regulating (stopping leaking) i feel WAY more letdowns. It kinda feels like I may be making more milk but I can’t tell as I’m having to breast feed one baby. Could that be possible? Maybe my hormones weren’t working and that was why I couldn’t get my supply up but now they are. I’m wondering if I should try an aggressive pumping schedule again to get it up? Any thoughts?
Hi Isla! It could be worth a try? I wish I could give you a clear answer. What I might try is adding 1-2 sessions and also seeing if hand expression or a manual pump is more effective for you (in addition to/along with the electric pump). Hopefully that makes sense, let me know if you have any questions!
Hi! I had twins 7 weeks ago and have been EP since day one. I’m at around 47 oz now and would like to get up to 64 oz to be able to fully meet their demand as they get older. I pump 8 times a day for probably about 140 mins, power pump 4 times a week, and take a supplement. I’m drinking about 120oz of water a day and have been eating plenty to make sure I wouldn’t drop supply although I would really like to drop some weight. I feel like for 2-3 weeks my supply hasn’t really changed. Is this my max? Is there anything I am doing wrong? Do I need to pump longer? Sometimes if I pump another 10 mins I get a small let down but not always.
Thank you for your advice!
Hi Christine! I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong, it sounds like you’re doing a great job! I might add oatmeal if you haven’t tried that yet? What supplement are you taking and do you think it’s helped?
Hello,
Thank you so much for your articles!
I am 2 weeks post c-section. I nurse 2-3 times per day for around 40mins/session but baby is often hungry shortly afterwards. I pump around 10-11 times per day ~15mins sessions and started power pumping 1x/day for the past 3 days. Currently daily total milk production is around 400ml and baby requiring alot of formula. Is there anything else I can do to increase supply to match what baby needs?
Thank you!
Hi Rose Kay! Congrats on your sweet baby! It sounds like you are doing all of the right things. I might add oatmeal to that and also just troubleshoot to make sure you don’t have any issues with milk removal. I’ll put a link with a list of things to look at. Good luck!!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Hello Amanda!
About 8 weeks postpartum and EP since week 1 (with a little experimenting with BF following a lactation consultants guidance- but I actually enjoyed EP and so does baby).
Anyways, I can’t tell if I’m not regulated or if I have an oversupply. I pump 8X a day for 20 mins and have rarely missed a session. The other day I fed baby frozen milk and collected about 68oz within the 24hour period. Part of me is exhausted and would love to drop a night session/length/or extend time between sessions, however I fear that I’m not regulated and that I may damage my supply? One breast did drastically lose supply (which I assumed was regulation?) but the other one picked up its slack and pumps double!
Do you think I can minimize my time or drop a session?
Hi Wilhelmina! I think with that supply you’re good to drop to 7 sessions whether you’ve regulated or not! After dropping this one (i.e. when you drop to 6), I would add the time back to the remaining sessions but I don’t think it’s 100% necessary this time. Good luck!
Hi Amanda,
I am 5.5 weeks postpartum and exclusive pumping. My current pumping schedule is 5am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 9pm, 1am. I am pumping 6 times per day for 12 minutes each pump. I have an oversupply, but I don’t think my milk has regulated yet as I still feel engorgement and am leaking a lot. I am producing between 50 and 60 oz everyday.
My question is should I be worried about a significant drop in production when my supply regulates? And to combat that should I be pumping for longer intervals even though I have an oversupply currently?
Love your site, couldn’t be on this exclusive pumping journey without it!
Hi Sarah! Congrats on your sweet newborn! So it’s hard to know what will happen – I wouldn’t EXPECT one, but sometimes it does happen. I think you are totally fine doing 6 sessions a day given your oversupply and I’m not particularly concerned about that. The 12 minute sessions make me a little bit nervous because you’re at 72 minutes total pumping for the day when I’d usually recommend 120. I might bump that up by a few minutes until your supply regulates – but then again, that might give you more of an oversupply which you probably don’t want. I wish I could 100% tell you what to do but there are kind of risks either way, you know? You’re probably fine to just keep doing what you’re doing given your supply. Sorry for the novel!
Hi Amanda thank you so much for this site. My baby is now almost 9 months old. At Max she drink milk directly once a day for three months. I’ve been exclusively pumping for the past six months. I had a great milk supply and was able to pump about 30 ounces a day. I decided I wanted to increase supply and started pumping more. That almost immediately Dropped my supply to half. I’ve been drinking lots of lactation teas and eating lactation cookies to try and bring it back up. No luck. This past week My supply suddenly dropped to max 6 ounces a day. I have no idea why. I didn’t change my diet at all. I don’t know what to do. Is it too late for anything to increase my supply again?
Hi there! What’s your schedule like? Also – is there any chance you might be pregnant again?
Hey there! Thanks for all of the amazing information!
My baby will be 3 months old when I go back to work next week. I work in a very busy ICU, and I’m nervous about being able to pump!
I make about 50 ounces a day, and have dropped down to 5 pumping sessions a few weeks ago. I am still totaling 120 minutes, and my supply hasn’t changed. I feel I am regulated at this point. Would it be too soon to drop to 4 sessions? I’m just worried when I go back to work I won’t be able to do three pumps during my shift.
My baby takes 30 ounces a day and I have about 500 ounces in the freezer. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! How long do you think you want to pump for? If (say) 6 months, I think that’s probably fine. If it’s a year, it could be okay but it’s a little more risky. If that’s the case you could maybe do 4 sessions on the days you work (I’m guessing that’s 3 days a week? but I obviously don’t know) and 5 on the other days? Just a thought.
Hi Amanda.
My boy is now 12 week.
I have been exclusively pumping since first week due to latching problem.
My concern is if I am over supply the breast milk .
Currently I pump every 4-5 hours for 20-30 mins each including night time.
Each session I can make 12 oz, and most of them go to freezer so that I can stop pumping earlier in the future.
The problem is if I don’t pump more that 6 hours or so because I am busy, sleep over or whatever the reasons, I get sick. My breast is very full and I get Sore body, fatigue, fever, which I believe that is the symptoms of mastitis.
I like to have stock in the freezer, but I don’t want to get sick anymore.. I have had this problem maybe 5 times so far.
Should I reduce the frequency or time for each session?
Hi!
Thanks so much for this helpful information. I am currently 6 weeks pp and I am an under supplier. I pump on average 28-20oz per day and then supplement with formula the remaining roughly 8oz my baby girl girl needs. I am currently pumping 6 times per day for 25 mins each so a total of 150 mins. I do not pump for one long stretch overnight for 5-7 hours depending on what’s going on. Is this bad? I really really want to increase my supply. I try to do one power pump a day but I don’t always get to it. I take legendary milk supplements and try to eat oatmeal at least a bit a day. Should I force myself to get up in the night and pump? Should I make my schedule more consistent during the day? Right now I don’t have set times because it just depends what’s going on with baby girl and with my day. Sometimes I even get 7 pumps in the day if I can so like I said, I’m not super consistent. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks so much!
Hi Sophia! It sounds like you’re doing a GREAT job! You’re doing all of the things I would recommend. I think you could TRY doing a middle of the night session for a week and see if it helps. (I wouldn’t do less than that or it wouldn’t be a good test.) If you don’t see an increase, you can go back to what you’re doing now. If you do, then you know it works. I hope this helps!
Hi! I’m so grateful to have found your posts! I’m an under supplier and am 14 weeks PP. I’ve struggled immensely since day 1 (lots of complications led to late milk supply) and started my LO with formula. I’ve had the SLOWEST increase in that time span and am now at 12-13oz per day, with the rest supplemented. It’s been a very gradual increase, and I’m actually kind of proud but still hopeful it continues up. I pump 6-7 times a day, at 30-40mins each. I never really did a MOTN bc my LO has slept thru the night since week 5. So I’d pump at 12:30am, sleep, and pump at 6:30am. Recently I got the worst clogged duct when I woke up. I introduced MOTN only bc I feared another. Sorry long intro but…
1 – I’m taking sunflower lecithin. Might it be ok to go back to normal? I will say my supply had dropped but this MOTN seemed to help it back up.
2 – Am I a lost cause to ever increase more? I return to work in 2 weeks and can’t sustain this 6-7 a day pumping. But I’m deathly afraid to drop the little I already get. I’m giving it all I’ve got (I just ordered some Milky Mama products and a Freemie as my last shot with everything else I’ve tried).
Thanks so much for your time. This has all been a trying experience for me.
Hi Karen! First, congrats on your baby and second, you should be proud! Great job on your hard work!
1 – I think it’s okay to try to make it through the night without pumping now. Good luck!
2 – You are doing all of the right things! I don’t know that I would say it’s a lost cause, but I think you’re already doing most of the stuff I would recommend. I hope the Milky Mama products help and if you’re not eating oatmeal for breakfast, you could try that too. However much you make, though, you should definitely be proud. You are doing awesome!
Hi Amanda,
I am 5 weeks PP. I have been exclusively pumping since week one due to latching issues. I aim to pump 8x a day for 15 min each, but at times only squeeze 7 pumps in on crazy days. I’m currently producing around 31 ounces a day. I have an excess of breast milk stored at all times in the fridge, but I’m concerned that will change as my little one begins to eat more. What are your thoughts on my current supply? Does it seem low?
Thank you!!
Hi Holly! I think your supply sounds great!
Hello Amanda!
I am 12 WPP and I am pumping 7 times a day for 20 minutes each. I am yielding about 50 oz. per day and my son is eating about 31 oz. He sleeps anywhere from 5-8 hours at night. I am wanting to drop the middle of the night pump, but I am nervous. My boobs still get pretty hard if I haven’t pumped by hour 5. The longest I have gone was 7 hours on accident and I was pretty uncomfortable. Your thoughts?
Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi Lauren! I think you can drop the night session now. I would just slowly push it back, to train your body to go longer. Here is more info about how to do it!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hi Amanda, this site is really useful. Thank you!
I am 3weeks postpartum. My baby was in NICU for first one week and due to his low sugar I wasn’t allowed to breastfeed. They started giving him formula and now he is completely used to the bottle. Honestly I didn’t know anything about exclusive pumping. My milk supply was good (early 2nd week I was getting 3 oz per session) and leaking a lot. However I was recovering from csection and with lack of knowledge I wasn’t very disciplined with pumping schedule. I did 4-5 pumping sessions and had 8-9 hr gaps 🙁
Late last week I educated myself and now trying to get into a routine. But I already see a dip in my supply (no leaking any more and no engorgement)… is it possible that I regulated at just 2 weeks?!
I am really trying to establish a good supply now… for last 5 days I have been pumping 8-9 sessions (including power pumping) for total of 3.8 hrs and producing 25 oz. However 3.8 hrs is too much and I was hoping I would be able to build a supply and maybe go down to 2 hrs.
Will I be able to recover from my mistake or the damage is already done? Will I need to keep pumping for close to 4 hrs just to get 25oz which is his current demand…
Hi Amira! Congrats on your sweet 3 week old! It’s still really early and I think there is a good chance to increase your supply! Maybe there is a way to speed up the 4 hour process. Is it that it takes your milk awhile to let down, or is the flow super slow when it happens. Here is a post with some ideas. I hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
Hi Amanda, I wasn’t able to reply to your comment hence replying here.
Both the let down and flow are slow. The letdown (to see first drop of milk) takes about 4 minutes with spectra S1. Flow rate is roughly 0.1 oz/minute …. Do you think renting a madela hospital grade might help?
Yesterday my production was total 26 ounce from 3.9 hrs pumping… is it too low for someone who started 4th post partum?
I think your supply is great – it’s just that it takes to long to get it out! The hospital grade could help. Have you tried lecithin yet?
Hi Amanda, haven’t tried lecithin yet. I started trying the herbal tea and taking oats and flexseed. Any recommendation for the
Lecithin? Thank you so much for your reply.
Hi Amira! Here is some more info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/lecithin-recurrent-plugged-ducts/
Hi Amanda,
Appreciate all the work you’ve put into this. I bought your workbook and feel like I’ve read your site front to back! It’s gotten me through my first month of exclusive breastfeeding.
I have a 2 month old and I’m pumping for typically a half hour (Spectra + pumpin pals) or 20 min (medela pump in style) 10 times a day, fairly consistently. I get about 35 oz a day and have been basically a just-enougher for my hungry bub.
I go back to work in three weeks and I’m trying to find a way to drop a session or two safely (I am prone to mastitis). Should I wait for my supply to regulate before dropping a session? I also want to spend more time with my baby while I have the chance so if I have to supplment, that’s fine with me.
Just worried because I know you mentionned for folks prone to mastitis to cut down sessions rather than cut them entirely.
Appreciate your help!
Hi Liz! Congrats on your sweet baby! I think you’d be okay to drop a session now, I would just do it slowly! Also, are you taking lecithin at all for mastitis prevention? ❤️
HI! My daughter is 20months old and still breastfeeding during the night. I try to at least pump once a day, as long as my schedule permits. Will my routine affect my bm supply? Thank you for taking time to reply!
Hi Koko – at 20 months that sounds fine – how long have you been doing this? Any recent changes?
HI Amanda,
I started this routine 3 weeks ago when I noticed that my day supply reduced around late Nov last year. I got back to office from a WFH arrangement on late Oct. But prior the lockdown, I pump 2x/day at the office and breastfeed through the night.
Hi Koko, if you’ve been doing it for 3 weeks and haven’t seen a drop I think it will likely be fine. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for all this information! No one ever told me the 6-12 week timeline for regulating so I freaked out when I decrease supply overnight at 9 weeks postpartum. I went from 850-950ml per day to 700-800ml. Do you have any suggestions of keeping supply while working 12-15 hour shifts? How long can I go between pumps without losing supply if I think I’ve regulated to 700-800? Is it still important to pump till empty and a bit longer to keep this supply?
Hi Alisha! How old is your baby now?
Hi Amanda! Thank you so much for your amazing site!
Just wondering if I’m totally screwing myself with my pump schedule…I’m 6wpp, 7ppd, 30 min sessions, but I usually go 5-6 hour stretches twice (from 8/9 to 2/3, then again til 8/9). During the day I pump every 2.5 hours. Is this a big no no? Not sure if my supply has regulated yet, I’m still getting around 38-40 opd…
Thank you!
Hi Sam! I think this is probably okay. 🙂 It’s impossible to be sure but this schedule doesn’t make me concerned at all.
Hi! Thank you for this amazing info! I’m constantly checking your site with questions. Currently 4 weeks pp… wondering why do you think your supply dropped so much when you regulated? It seems strange that if we tell our bodies we need 30 oz per day and are pumping that much — why did it drop to 24 per day?? I’m nervous about this happening. I’m currently pumping 7 times per day for 23 minutes each. (That’s usually enough for both boobs to stop spraying) I range from 34-40 ounces per day. My baby is a big eater, and I’d like to keep producing this much even after my supply regulates. Should I try to boost my ounces now so that they regulate around this amount? I was pumping 8 times per day but recently dropped one for sanity…
Hi Jacquie! I think it was because I wasn’t great about sticking to my schedule. So some days I pumped 35 oz, and some days I missed a bunch of sessions and only did 24oz. So the issue was that I wasn’t consistently removing the milk I should have been, meaning demand dropped. So when the hormones stopped helping me, my supply dropped to meet demand. Hopefully that makes sense!
I think what you’re doing now sounds good!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for your website – it was a lifesaver when I exclusively pumped for my first, and I’m now EPing again for my second baby.
Last time around, I was pumping about 68oz per day at the peak. I had to hire an extra deep freezer to store all the milk I was making. So far this time, I’m 9 days post-partum, and am pumping 7 times per day and am already over halfway there (about 34 oz per day), with my milk supply rapidly increasing each day. I really don’t want to hire a freezer this time; I’d much rather pump less to just supply my son with what he needs each day.
Obviously I’m still weeks off my milk regulating, but is there a way to tell my body to regulate to a lower amount this time? If I pump 6 times per day from now, will my body know that I don’t need so much milk? Or will I risk my supply plummeting altogether?
Thanks so much for your help!
Kate
Hi Kate! This is so tricky. You might be able to, but there is definitely the risk. I think you would probably be okay at 6 times a day for 20 minutes each, but I can’t guarantee it. Have you considered donating at all, if you don’t want to deal with freezing and storing everything? Just an idea.
Thank you for your help! Really appreciate your reply!
Hi Amanda! Thank you so much for this website and the emails. I was so unprepared for nursing/pumping and your website has been so helpful! I’m 9 wpp and currently pumping 7x a day for 30 minutes each. I yield about 50 opd and my daughter is eating about 25-30. I’m dying to drop my MOTN session but I’m worried my supply hasn’t regulated yet. I have occasionally missed a pumping session and usually I make up for it in the next session. Do you think it’s safe to drop my MOTN session without affecting my supply? Thanks again for all your help and info!
Hi Stephanie! At 9 weeks and with that supply I think you could do a longer stretch at night – like 6-7 hours maybe? And then go up to 7-8 hours in a few weeks? Your supply is fantastic but I think you are right to be concerned about the middle of the night session. Is you baby sleeping through the night?
Thanks so much Amanda!! If I can get a solid 6-7 hours right now that would be a huge help! Currently she is sleeping for about 7-9 hour stretches so pretty much through the night. I think I can hang in there until 12 weeks and then push it out to 8 hrs. Thanks again for the response and for this amazing website!
Hi Amanda,
I am 16 weeks pp today
For the last week, my little ones appetite has changed and he’s eats for about 4 minutes on each side, Max. As per the pediatric dentist I took him to see (FTM FOR NO REAL Reason) he has a fast and hard suck-swallow. Before today, I could feel let downs on both sides. I woke up this morning with a flat left breast, and after 3.5 all I was able to get out was 1.5 ounces. I’m so worried I regulated, literally overnight, and now don’t have enough supply. Other than oatmeal and water, what can I do? I mostly just breast feed, unless I need to go out to the store, then my husband will give him a bottle. Since this has happened, babe wants nothing to do with nursing but is taking a bottle. I’m distraught
So sorry to hear this Meghan! That’s so stressful. I would also try pumping and maybe power pumping. I’ll include a few links below. Good luck!
https://exclusivepumping.com/nursing-pumping-and-bottle-feeding/
https://exclusivepumping.com/power-pumping/
Hi! I’m 6.5 weeks postpartum, and have been exclusively pumping for about a month. In that time, I’ve reduced down to 4 times a day, but supply is still increasing, I’m up to an average of 35oz a day, a week ago (when I moved from 5-4x) was an average of 32 and when I started a month ago it was about 20oz. Every session is between 25 and 35 minutes, so I think I’m hitting the 120 daily minutes.
Have I screwed myself with 4 sessions? I didn’t know that I was still in the window of needing more! Should I lengthen sessions a bit more? I usually go until my slow side is down to getting a drop every 5 suction.
Hi Thea! I would move to 6 sessions a day if you can! Just because your supply probably hasn’t regulated yet. 🙂
Hi Amanda!
I’m so glad I came across your page. I’m 6wpp and exclusively pumping. I pump anywhere from 4-6x day for 20min and it’s very sporadic I cannot stick to a pumping schedule. I yield 37-50opd. During the night I typically go about 7-9hours without pumping. I know around 12weeks when supply regulates my supply will drop. I cannot see myself adding anymore pumping sessions nor will I add another pump during the night. I need sleep. 😩 How many ounces does one typically lose when supply regulates? Do you think my pumping schedule is sustainable to keep up 37-50opd?
Thank you!!!!
Hi Alexandra! It’s hard to know for sure – I lost about 30% when I regulated. You could lose nothing or lose half or more – the only way to know is to wait and see. Good luck! I hope it’s not that drastic for you.
Thanks for all the great advice on this site, it’s been a life saver. I am currently 10 wpp and exclusively pumping, 6 ppd. My son eats about 28-30 oz per day and I get 60+ oz during 6 15 min pumping sessions. I want to drop my middle of the night session and try to reduce supply because I keep getting plugged ducts. Also, my son is now sleeping through the night and I would love to enjoy the extra sleep. In your opinion, what are the chances my supply will drop by 50%? I’d love to have some quality of life back. Thanks.
I think it’s unlikely that it’ll drop by 50% or more. I would just add the time of the dropped session to the remaining 5 sessions. Enjoy the extra sleep!
Hi! I am 15wpp and am so thankful I found this post. My supply peaked at around 12 wpp, and at that time I dropped my motn pump and went to 6 ppd (I also went back to work around that time). over the last 2 weeks my supply has been slowly decreasing only on one side though?? Is that normal? Is this me regulating? Should I add back my motn pump?
I am thankful to have found your site. I find it very helpful. I just have a couple questions if you can answer. With all the Covid going on, our hospital experience was different and we did not get a location consult. My other 3 all had reasons they didn’t breastfeed. This one seemed to take to it. But I hav such anxiety not knowing she is getting enough and was so used to a bottle for the 3 prior that I switched from breast feeding to pumping exclusively during the day and breast feeding for ease at night. My questions are what should I be getting while pumping. I downloaded an app to keep track and set reminders on my phone. I’m pumping about 7 times a day (spread out from time up to time sleeping every 2-3 hours) for 20 mins. Usually I yield around 20 oz total for the day with about 3 oz each session. My 5 week old seems to want to bump up to drinking 4 oz a day and my concern is I never pump that in one session. And she is eating every 2 hours still and hasn’t stretched to the 3-4 hours of eating yet. I have hypothyroidism but it’s been stable for years. I started taking Natal Nourish about 5 days ago and have been eating Lacation cookies daily as well! I’m just worried I don’t get very much currently and that it will drop at some point soon. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Katie! So I think I would try oatmeal and I would see if adding hand expression to your routine helps at all, if you don’t do that already. Sometime women respond better to that. Also – if you have a manual pump, I would experiment with that too. Just to see how it goes. Congrats on your 5 week old!
Hi Amanda! I’m 7wks pp and first time mom. I’ve been struggling with my supply since I gave birth. I have never pumped enough for my baby, the max I pumped out was only 2oz.
Think now my supply is regulating, i hardly got any pump yield more than 2oz anymore, now down to 1.5oz. My baby is taking 3-4oz now. Any tips what should I do?
I have increased my pumping sessions to 10x a day, and do power pumping too. I couldn’t take fenugreek as I am taking thyroid hormone replacement.
Thanks!!
Hi Rike! Congratulations on your sweet baby! So I think the first two things I would try (if you’re not doing them already) is trying eating oatmeal for breakfast (any kind is fine) and maybe learning hand expression and seeing if that gets you anywhere if you do it for 5 minutes or so at the end of the your sessions. I’m just wondering if the issue might not be that your body doesn’t respond as well to the pump. Do you have a manual pump? If so, I would see how your output compares with an electric. It might be the same but some women find manual works better for them. Good luck!
Hi!
When you regulated and dropped ounces, you mentioned you got it back up by pumping on schedule. Did you continue to pump 7x a day (amount before regulation) or increase number of pumps till you got it back up?
I am currently 9wpp and pumping 8ppd. I’m producing 30-36 ounces a day and my baby drinks about 24. I’m really wanting to go down to 7ppd, but not sure if I’ve regulated yet. Was going to try going down and see what happens
I did continue at 7. The difference is that I actually stuck to it. 🙂 I think you’d probably be okay to go down to 7 but it’s impossible to know for sure until you try. Good luck!
No matter how hard I try I can’t get in 6 pumping sessions a day. I have a 3 year old who is testing boundaries like one ones business and I’m working from home. Because of this I’ve been combo feeding and my supply dropped. I’m averaging about 13 oz in 4 session. I see you suggested 120 minutes per day. Could I do 4, 30 minute session to help my milk increase? Thanks!
Hi Gina! I totally understand. It’s so hard when you have a toddler. How old is your baby?
Hi Amanda,
She’s 6 weeks tomorrow. I should add I’m not against supplementing with formula and would be happy if I could manage 50/50 feeds. Right now she’s averaging about 24 to 26 ounces 13 of which is breastmilk, but I know her needs will increase soon which is why I’m trying to up my breastmilk production. Thanks!
Hi Gina! I think, given that, 4 30 minutes sessions should be good!
Hi. Thank you so much for this page!
I have been exclusively pumping since birth. I am now 5 weeks pp. I have been doing 3-4 sessions per day of pumping and get about 35-40 oz per day. Is this ok to maintain if it’s working? Just the 4 sessions per day? Will I lose more supply at some point if I keep only doing this many sessions? I pump about 8-11 oz per session in total. Is this ok? Thank you in advance!
Kristin
Hi Kristin! How long are your sessions and how long do you think you want to pump?
Hi Amanda, it won’t let me reply to your comment so replying to mine. My sessions are each at least 30 mins – sometimes 45 mins for 4 times a day. I’d like to pump until at least 3 months or maybe 6. I’m 5?weeks pp now. Thank you so much!
Hi there.
I am 8 weeks postpartum. I have been exclusively pumping since I gave birth. I pump 8x within 24 hours. When do you think it’s safe to start Decreasing the amount of pumps? How do I go on about doing this safely? I intend to do this for 6 months at least. I’m just so tired and need a longer stretch so where do I can get some rest.
Hi Anna, I think you’d be okay to drop a session now. Just keep your total pumping time the same (so increase the length of your remaining sessions). I would wait a bit before dropping another, but I think 7 sessions is okay at 8 weeks (with the disclaimer that anything can happen when you drop a session). Good luck!
Hello, I’m so glad I found this website, it has been so useful.
I am 6 weeks pp tomorrow and have pumped since the beginning. I started off hand expressing colostrum then used a pump to bring my milk in and have continued ever since.
My question is, I believe my supply has regulated based on the parameters you note above. I’ve been pumping regularly 850mls a day for the last 3 weeks, this matches my sons demand of about 800mls a day. I’ve never really leaked except when I am close to a pump time and I feel a let down (and it’s only a few drops), I’m never engorged (even if I have a hot shower) and my breasts always feel reasonably soft.
I pump 7 times a day for 2 hrs total. Is it safe to drop down to 6 pumps a day and increase time per pump to maintain 2 hrs a day? If I notice a drop in supply, will this be permanent or can I get it back by picking up the session I dropped if I fix in a few days?
I went from 8 to 7 sessions at 3 weeks pp and saw my supply actually continue to increase before levelling out 1 week later.
I don’t have any plans to pump to freeze, I’d prefer just to pump what my son needs at the time.
Thanks in advance
Hi Liz! I can’t guarantee anything, but I think there is a decent chance it will be okay to do this. If you see a drop, I would add it back in within a few days. You’re still pretty early so I think there is a good chance you could get supply back if you lost it, but again, no guarantees. Good luck!
Hi there, I’m so thankful for your website when breastfeeding did not work out for me and my little guy! He’s 6 weeks now and I exclusively pump, two weeks ago I went from 7 sessions to 6 and had the same supply, about 1500 ml a day! I’m pumping at 3am, 8am, noon, 3pm, 7pm and 10pm. I plan on pumping til he is at least 6 months! Since I don’t need 1500ml a day, more like 1000-1300ml, could I drop a session? I missed a session once and I just doubled the amount when I was able to pump next! Looking forward to your advice.
Hi Samatha! If you can hold out to 10-12 weeks I would – I just worry a bit that your supply isn’t established yet and if you did drop another, you could get a big drop when that happens (or not, it’s not predictable). Missing a session once and dropping it long term often isn’t the same in terms of long term supply. I’m sorry – probably not the answer you wanted!
Hey! I just pumped at 4am (supposed to be a golden hours for pumping). My LO (now 10 weeks) typically nurses around 2-4 am, but only one side. I recently had a blocked duct on my right side, so I try to nurse that side first.
So I nursed the right side first, and then pumped both sides. I only got 3.5 ounces. Before, I could easily pump 5-6 ounces during the night. Is this typical? I feel like I spoiled be pumping 5 ounces at a time. Though I mostly breastfeed, sometimes I do pump if he’s sleeping or I am running around. Even then, I’m pumping 3-3.5 ounces.
He’s gaining weight fine, he’s 13.5 lbs, but my LC consultant says he should be eating 4-5 ounces at a feeding. Perhaps it’s because my LO feeds a little more often than 4 hours in between? He’s more of a 2.5-3 hour feeder. Wheni do pump more than 3 ounces, I’ve tried to get him to take that from a bottle and he rarely will drink more than 3. Is there something wrong with my supply?
Hi Casey! Does your baby seem satisfied? Do you nurse throughout the day or pump then, too?
Yes he does. But like i mentioned, he’s nursing 2.5-3 hours. I’ve tried offering both sides but he usually only wants one. Right now I’m still on maternity leave so I’m just nursing. I usually only pump like 1-2 times per day. I have about 60 oz saved for when I go back, but I see people’s bottles filled with 4-5 ounces each and I’m not there.
If those people are pumping INSTEAD of nursing (like exclusive pumpers, or if they are pumping at work), then they would definitely pump more (because your baby is removing tahat milk when he nurses). I think the amount you pump is great, especially given how much you are nursing.
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for the super-useful info on your website! My LO will be 12 weeks old this week and my current pumping schedule is 6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm, 10:30-11 pm, 3 am. I average 40-43 oz per day. Have lots of stash in the freezer as well. I want to drop MOTN session by pushing it slowly to 6 am one. My only concern is losing supply in the long run (want to pump till little one is a year old). Obviously, when she starts solids we wont need the same amount of milk per day, but would the milk production continue if I do about 2-3 sessions per day after she’s 6 month old and no MOTN pump. What is your experience with this? Thank you!
Hi Emi! So there is always a risk when you drop a pumping session – anything can happen, your milk supply could increase, decrease or stay the same. My experience was that when I dropped my MOTN session, I just got more milk in the morning and didn’t lose any supply. I would just make sure to keep your total time pumping in a day the same. Here is more info!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hi – I am 13 weeks postpartum and have been exclusively pumping the entire time. For the past 8 weeks I have been pumping between 40-50 oz per day. In the last two days my supply has drastically gone down. I am not sure what happened or what I can do about it. I am pumping 5 times per day and went from 6 ppd to 5 ppd about 3 weeks ago. I pump for about 25 min each session. I have not gotten my period postpartum yet and there are no other factors that I am aware of. Any advice?
Thanks.
Ugh, I’m so sorry that happened. A few thoughts – even though you haven’t gotten your period back, is it possible that you’re pregnant again? Does the suction on your pump seem the same? Have you tried changing your pump parts? Are you still getting the same number of letdowns?
Definitely not pregnant again!!! 🙂
The suction on the pump does seem the same. I have changed out the membranes about a month ago (I have the Medela PISA). The supply reduction mostly seems to have happened just in my left breast, about half the amount of oz pumped per session. I always had gotten about double the amount in my left compared to my right. The right breast has stayed about the same. I think the letdowns are the same in my right breast but not in the left. I am doing compressions and really trying to stay relaxed but it’s hard!
Maybe it would be helpful to do hand expression or warm compresses on the left side before/after pumping and see if that helps?
Did you ever use brewers yeast to increase supply?
I did through lactation cookies and brownies! They all also had oatmeal so it’s hard to narrow down how much either ingredient helped 🙂
I had trouble producing milk a week after delivered. In one side of my breast I got only half ounce and on the other just 1 or 2 oz. So after I drink Healthy nursing tea my milk increase a lot. I feed my 3 months baby only with my milk and also I get 8 oz in one pumped to storage twice a day.
What nursing tea did you drink?