https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:45:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-981484 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 13:19:29 +0000 LaineysMom 981484@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I started EPing when my LO was about 4 weeks. Like you, I didn't pump at night and pumped every 3-4 hours during the day. At the time I was producing 35+ ounces a day. Those early days I pumped 5 times a day. I always made sure I was completely empty before bed and pumped as soon as I woke up. My supply never suffered. At almost 10 months my baby girl has always been exclusively fed breast milk and I have 1200+ oz. in my freezer. That being said, I may be an anomaly and I'm just speaking from experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-981111 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:57:31 +0000 mrs. wagon 981111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: hehe. no problem. and if you're planning on a second, it's SO much better the second time around...!! I had no oversupply issues at all and barely any engorgement. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-981103 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:56:07 +0000 Anagram 981103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: was hoping you'd weigh in here. I know you've been pumping a looong time!! Thanks!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-981091 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:52:56 +0000 mrs. wagon 981091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I had your oversupply problem as well. The way I dealt with it was, if I wasn't nursing, whenever the baby ate I got up and pumped. So I ONLY pumped when the baby was eating. This obviously stunk because I wanted to sleep through the night, but it was great for WS since when he was getting up for a night feeding, at least I was up too. It took a while but my supply regulated and I felt comfortable with what I was producing. (And when I was way overproducing in the beginning, I did deal with a lot of engorgement, but eventually my boobs got used to it and regulated.)</p> <p>This meant going to sleep at 10 or 11pm totally engorged, which was not fun. </p> <p>Once the baby was STTN consistently, I started pumping right before bed, which was bliss, to go to bed completely empty. Then first thing in the morning he'd have a very big breakfast.</p> <p>So basically, with my oversupply, balancing supply and demand worked great for me. You can't listen to the advice of people only pumping 2-3 oz per session ("pump round the clock!") because your body is different from theirs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-981054 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:39:53 +0000 Anagram 981054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: @highwire: I totally get what you are saying about telling my body to pump less now might mean problems in the future---which is why i'm a little worried, lol.</p> <p>But at the same time, when I was trying to BF exclusively, the LC kept telling me NOT to pump at all, so my supply would regulate (IE--lessen) to meet my newborn's demands. My LO is only eating about 21 oz a day right now, and only feeds from one side at a time (never takes the second breast, probably because she can get 4 oz from 1 side if she wants) so if I were BFing, I would be block feeding and each side would only be eaten from every 6-8 hours (my LO goes 3-4 hours between feedings).</p> <p>Also, if I were BFing, I'd only be producing the 21 oz my LO eats and right now I'm producing more, even with the dropped night time feedings.</p> <p>And that's why I'm confused. I have friends who only get 2-3 oz every time they pump and I wonder if the "pump every three hours around the clock" advice is more for people like that?</p> <p>I'm just confused and want to 1) sleep at night 2) keep a decent supply 3) lessen my oversupply a bit now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-980819 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:48:48 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 980819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably want to be safely at 40 ounces before dropping just In case. </p> <p>It's really hard to say, is go to the ep'ing boards on baby center or I village and ask the same question. Logically it sounds like you should be totally fine and at 3 weeks, that is a TON! But people tell scary stories about supply drying up. I would want to hear from a few people in your exact position.</p> <p>(But at the same time, I would probably do what you have done. Just don't go below 6x before 12 weeks. And I wouldn't go 7 hours, just pump for less time.(lucky!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-980738 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:28:54 +0000 Alivoo01 980738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>30+oz a day?!?!?! That's awesome!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-980582 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:55:34 +0000 Foodnerd81 980582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no experience pumping but if your stash is getting too big, you could look into donating it. I know there are a lot of requirements so it might not be something you want to do, but that's one way to deal with extra stash. But I'm three days into this breast feeding thing- no real advice here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-980575 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:53:47 +0000 DillonLion 980575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It is much harder to produce more once you have already told your body to produce less. Your baby will start drinking more and more as time goes on. 30 oz feels like a ton now, but soon enough your baby will be drinking almost that much every day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-980563 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:51:03 +0000 aprk 980563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd think at three weeks your supply is still regulating, so it sounds like you are doing great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-980533 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:41:54 +0000 blackbird 980533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If your body over produces, you're probably safe to drop the night feeding since you're still making 30+oz! That's a TON! </p> <p>After 2-3 weeks, I dropped my night pumping sessions and I was able to produce as much in my first morning session as I did when I got up to pump. So for me that was ok. Until I got super stressed out and had a few clogged ducts in a week, then my supply dropped and never came back and I just threw in the towel. </p> <p>For me, not getting up at night to pump numerous times allowed me to trade off nights with my husband and catch up on sleep on the weekend. It was an absolute lifesaver for me and enabled me to enjoy my first 3 months a lot more than if I had been getting up!</p> <p>If you pump less, your body should learn to produce less, so I hope you can find the sweet spot where you aren't making too terribly much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusively-pumping-experts-am-i-hurting-my-supply#post-980465 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:28:25 +0000 Anagram 980465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, I'm practically exclusively pumping at this point (we feed at the breast maybe 1x a day). My little one is just under 3 weeks old, so I'm very much still in the "establishing your supply" phase.</p> <p>However, from the beginning I've had an oversupply issue--- I have 120 oz frozen from the last 2 1/2 weeks. I was pumping every three hours like I'd read online and it was just making my body produce more. My boobs would start aching at 2 1/2 hours and i'd be dying to Pump. So I went to every 4 hours, which helped a bit.</p> <p>Then, my husband stayed taking 1 night waking, and our LO already sleeps 3 1/2-4 hours at a time, so for the last 4-5 nights I've easily gone 7 hours without pumping. When I wake up, I pump more (about 10 oz in that one session). Then the rest of the day I pump every 4 hours or so. The regular every-4-hour sessions usually produce 5-7 oz and the morning pump (after going a long time) usually produces 9-10 oz.</p> <p>I'm producing 30+ oz a day doing this...but I keep reading online this could hurt my supply since I'm in the early days. Will it? Or is it better for my oversupply if I continue pumping less?</p> <p>I mean...if in the future I notice a big decrease, will my supply come back if I start pumping more often?</p> <p>Input please! I don't really want 1000 + oz frozen. I live in a small place and don't have a second freezer. I go back to work when my LO is 4 months old, so I have more than 3 months to keep building my freezer stash. </p>