|
Post by Dramaphile on Jan 21, 2019 8:49:46 GMT -6
Anyone else dealing/dealt with oversupply? I had it with my first, but it didn't cause too many issues. I just started back at work last week and have been pumping twice a day. My left boob is my overproducer, I get have been getting 5-6 oz in a 15 min pump session on that side and 1-3 oz on the right side. I screwed up over the weekend, had to go into work for a few hours, and decided not to pump because I didn't want to be there longer than I had to. By the time I was done, my left boob, the overproducer, was super engorged/ and I had to pump when I got home because baby feeding off it didn't help at all and I was worried about clogs. Got 8 oz out of the one boob in a 15 min pump session (I stopped when it felt soft again). Then yesterday, he was fussy on lefty because there was too much milk and so didn't eat as much on that side. MOTN, he slept some decent stretches and I woke up this morning super engorged. Hand-expressed in the shower and then fed baby before I left for work and I'm super full again 45 min before my usual pump time.
Should I try and pump fewer ounces on this side? Any other tips?
|
|
vvvvvfee
Platinum
Posts: 1,954 Likes: 4,605
|
Post by vvvvvfee on Jan 22, 2019 10:00:52 GMT -6
given that you're only pumping 2x per day and you just went back to work it doesn't really sound to me like you have an oversupply... i would definitely give things a few weeks to settle down. pumping doesn't stimulate your breasts as well as nursing does, so your output may drop a little bit after a few weeks back at work. even beyond that, i've found that once baby starts solids your supply also drops a bit and it is nice to have a freezer stash to dip into if necessary. having a few ounces extra each day is not a bad thing IMO. of course you don't want to have so much milk that you're uncomfortable all the time, but i think you need to give it more time before you can assess that accurately.
it's very common to have a "stud and a dud." i always pump 2x as much from my right breast as from my left breast. i don't do anything different while pumping, but at home i always try to start DS nursing on my left side.
how many hours are you away from LO and how much is he taking from bottles during that time?
|
|
|
Post by Dramaphile on Jan 22, 2019 12:08:48 GMT -6
I'm away from him 9.5-10 hours and he takes 8-12 oz while I'm gone, and nurses a bunch when I get home. Last time around, I had so much milk in my freezer I donated several times. I also got a new Spectra this time around and I think I respond a little too well to it, yesterday and today I shut my left boob off at 4-5 oz after about about 6 minutes of pumping and let my right boob go the full 15 min and got 3-4 oz each time. Have no idea how much I would get if I pumped to empty on my left. I pump at 10:30 and 2:30 at work, so it works out to 3-4 hours between feeds/pump sessions, but I'm feeling full again at the 2 hour mark. I made an appt with an IBCLC in a week and a half (first available weekend slot). My main concern is him not wanting to eat off my left because it's too full and has such a fast flow, as I don't want to pump at home and stimulate my supply even more.. He was fussy on it again yesterday evening/last night unless I was side-lying feeding him.
|
|
vvvvvfee
Platinum
Posts: 1,954 Likes: 4,605
|
Post by vvvvvfee on Jan 24, 2019 11:23:11 GMT -6
Dramaphile, glad you're seeing a LC! i'd be worried about getting blocked ducts if you're not fully emptying your breasts during the day. for 2 pumps a day and with a 3 month old it still doesn't sound like a tremendous amount to me, though? usually i get the majority of the milk in my first few minutes of pumping, but the way i understand it is that your breasts need the additional 5-10 min of stimulation to keep up your supply since the pump isn't as effective as baby nursing. i have always pumped 3x a day for the first 6 months or so back at work (until baby is 9ish months and well established on solids)- so feeling full when only pumping 2x a day doesn't seem that unusual to me, either. but obviously the LC will be able to advise you on how to proceed!
|
|
|
Post by Dramaphile on Jan 24, 2019 12:10:53 GMT -6
Dramaphile , glad you're seeing a LC! i'd be worried about getting blocked ducts if you're not fully emptying your breasts during the day. for 2 pumps a day and with a 3 month old it still doesn't sound like a tremendous amount to me, though? usually i get the majority of the milk in my first few minutes of pumping, but the way i understand it is that your breasts need the additional 5-10 min of stimulation to keep up your supply since the pump isn't as effective as baby nursing. i have always pumped 3x a day for the first 6 months or so back at work (until baby is 9ish months and well established on solids)- so feeling full when only pumping 2x a day doesn't seem that unusual to me, either. but obviously the LC will be able to advise you on how to proceed! I'm pumping about 17 oz per day and he eats maybe 12. And that's with limiting how much I pump. If I pump more than I'm even more engorged the next day. Pumping seems to stimulate my supply more than nursing, I guess I'm weird that way.
|
|
|
Post by grumpycat on Jan 25, 2019 22:31:35 GMT -6
I EPed with my first and always had oversupply. With my second, my supply didn't regulate until he was six months old and now it's finally getting used to him eating solids at 15 months old 🙄 so I honestly think it just takes awhile for some women's bodies to adjust. I know that's not helpful though.
|
|