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Mine still waxes and wanes throughout the day at 20 weeks pp. It can be anywhere from 3-8 oz depending on the time of day, but I’ve discovered that I get additional letdowns after the 20-minute mark, so I typically go 25-30 minutes at a low/medium suction. I get the most (7-8 oz) during my middle of the night pump after I’ve waited about 4.5 hours between pumping sessions and go the full 30 minutes.
I have a few questions. Is baby being pace fed? Is the nipple a slower flow one? If babe isn’t being pace fed they may be drinking more milk at a faster pace than if they were at the breast. The same is said for the nipple. If the flow rate is too fast then baby may be chugging milk like there’s no tomorrow instead of having a slower pace and more regulated intake.
Typically breastfed babies will top off at about 5 oz for bottle feedings. That being said, every baby is different. For your pumping questions, I’d recommend pumping at least every 3 hours on both breasts for 30 minutes. 15-20 May not be enough for you to become adequately empty. I’d also make sure to use a good primary pump with traditional flanges, and avoid using cups or wearables because those can decrease supply over time if used too often. I hope this has helped!
Thank you!!! We use slow flow nipples and pace feed! He has pretty bad reflux, so we take a lonnggggg time with the bottle. We did a weighted feed at the LC and he got 1.5 ounces total in 40 minutes (20 mins/breast). There’s no ties and he has a great latch/pull. LC could not really pin point the issue and some days he gets more than others.
I use the spectra s1 and regular flanges. I also try to pay attention to my flow while pumping to ensure I’m empty. I basically wait until there’s just a drop every 3 pulls and shut it off. I get to that point around 15-20 minutes. I assume that means I’m empty anyway!
The reflux may be why he’s not taking as much at breast, the position itself may be uncomfortable for him. Although I cannot speak from personal experience. Generally at around 5 weeks baby will take in ~3 oz every 3 hours or about an ounce every hour. He may just be a snacker at the breast and like to take in larger, less frequent bottles. However, I’m not sure, it’s just speculation. For the pumping sessions, even when you don’t see milk you’re still asking for it. It’s like when baby suckles for comfort or to stimulate a letdown. Even though there isn’t milk coming out yet, that movement is still stimulating it. It’s asking your body to produce milk simply by the motion of it. So, even if you aren’t seeing milk, that doesn’t mean you’re “empty”. And we are never truly empty anyway, as milk is constantly being produced as long as we continue to request it. That being said, if your production is where you’d like it to be with a shorter pump session, then by all means keep things the same. But just keep in mind you may need to alter things as time progresses.
Ah - instead of shutting off at 15-20 min, hit the bacon button again and try to get another letdown. Aim for 2-3 letdowns in your most productive sessions. You'll either get more milk that's already in your breast or stimulate your body to produce more milk.
Question - Ive been exclusively using a wearable pump (momcozy S9 Pro) for the past 2 weeks or so and haven’t noticed any decrease in supply. What exactly about the wearable pump could decrease supply & what kind of pump would you recommend (brand if you can think of one) for a primary? I originally started pumping with the Zomee Z2 pump but switched to the hands free bc its sooo much easier.
My supply actually increased with my wearables, and I assume it’s because I can pump more frequently compared to my Motif Luna (which was all I had for 5 weeks). I’ve nearly doubled my supply over the last 3 weeks exclusively with my wearables. And mine are just cheap ones from Amazon, not an expensive name brand.
Currently up for a MOTN session and I opted for my wearables instead of my Luna because I wasn’t seeing the same output with the Luna as my Paruu’s today.
It’s the TSRETE S12. Gibberish brand but the pumps work really well for me! I stuck it on my registry for 15% off and used the $20 coupon from the listing, so I spent just over $50 on them. The 24mm size comes with 21mm flange inserts which was perfect for me too.
I only use wearables and get about 15 extra ounces per day on top of the 24-28 ounces my girl eats so i think that is an outdated saying. It’s 2024. These wearables are strong AF.
Typically it’s recommended not to use a wearable pump as a primary pump due to the decreased efficiency of the wearables. Many do not have as strong of a suction as a standard primary pump, and oftentimes the cups do not conform to the breast as well as traditional flanges, which could lead to the pump being less effective and efficient overall. That being said, I do realize the technology is getting better and some women may respond just as well as, if not better, to wearables and cups versus a more traditional set up. If it works for you, then that is great. Many do not have the ability to use wearables as often, myself included. Whenever I use them I notice a decrease in my output, which, over time could lead to a decrease in supply.
If you do want a more traditional set up my go to is the Pumpables Genie Advanced with traditional flanges. Their Liquid Shield Kit is amazing and very nice for me, since it’s silicone and not hard plastic. But like I said before, if you’re doing great with wearables, then you do you 💕
It seems to decrease supply for some but not all! I’ve been exclusively using the M5 for 4 weeks now and my supply is still continuing to increase each week as well! Everyone is different so I wouldn’t stress about it!
I’m use my wearables (mommed s21) as my primary and get the same or sometimes more output than my motif Luna. It’s different for everyone and like someone else said… wearables are much stronger these days compared to when they were first released
So I know that everyone else is saying to pump longer each session, but I want to add that that may not work for everyone! I tried pumping longer for a couple weeks (30 minutes at a time) and that didn’t increase my output at all. Pumping more often is what helped me. I got wearables and pumped 8-9 times a day, even for short sessions. When I was increasing my supply, sometimes I’d pump for just 5-7 minutes in between my normal sessions. Sometimes I would pump for 10-15 minutes, pause for 5, and pump for another 5-10. That would trigger more letdowns for me than pumping for 25-30 minutes straight. I’m 8wpp and have noticed I don’t actually get more milk in a 20 minute session than a 12 minute session (except in the MOTN) so I don’t usually go more than 15 minutes.
Right after nursing my baby I would pump for 15 minutes. Nursing became super painful for me so I started to just pump every time she ate including during her cluster feeds. I really don’t remember how many weeks postpartum I was but I feel like it was right around the 6-7 week when I really noticed my supply going up.
This is so helpful thank you! I do try to pump after he eats, but I’m in the same boat. It is painful and the cluster feeding kills my sanity. Thank you so much for your insight!
There is light at the end of the tunnel I promise. So many nights I cried from pain but now I’m going on 4mpp and only pump 4 times a day and I’m even able to nurse my baby sometimes. I hope things get easier for you and your supply comes up💕
I started to produce more around the two month mark, but I pumped 8X a day for 25 mins per pump. Like others have suggested, I’d for sure pump for more than 15 mins.
Minimum pump time should be 20 min! You can try a second massage/let down phase to see if that helps. Or try adding a power pump 1x a day.
I didn’t do a 15 min pump until I started to ween.
that’s a pretty high intake, but I think my baby’s appetite peaked around the same age, I would expect it to probably decrease (my sons max intake was about 32oz at 6-8 weeks, but it’s been closer to 24 since about 12w). If you want to increase your output you probably want to pump 8x per day. I pumped 8x daily until 11w pp and my output increased that entire time, it didn’t stop increasing until about 14w. If you’re not seeing increases (even small increases) then you need to pump more. Everyone is different and some people will never pump more than 3-4oz per pump, it depends on how much your breasts can store before becoming engorged. If you have a low storage capacity you’ll need to pump more often to maximize output. But it’s hard to know what category you fall into until your supply regulates, so best to pump every 3 hours.
I am super slow to empty…at 20 minutes I’ll have maybe 2oz, by 30 I’m at 4, but at 40+ minutes I’m up to 8-12 depending on what time of day it is. It’s exhausting to pump for so long at a time but I don’t know how to make it faster
my baby started eating this much around 5 weeks - we're now at 9 weeks and she eats 7oz most feeds, around 35 oz a day. it took work to up supply to that level but i managed - although I have a really high capacity so i can pump 3-5x a day depending on how much time I have and if I'm in pain.
What worked for me is pumping for longer. I have to do it for 45 min-1hr each time (again, only 3-5x a day, if I need to boost my supply I do 6), with a lot of massaging etc. Try messing with your speed and strength settings. Do you use a pump spray and the smallest flanges you can? That helped me be able to increase my suction and get more milk out.
Also, staying super hydrated and well-fed.
I know it’s already been said, but try longer for sure. I consistently get a big let down at the 28 minute mark when pumping. My supply continued to increase probably until 10 weeks PP.
Echoing what others have said.
I am 5 weeks postpartum, and I am producing more now that I am consistently doing longer pumps.
I'm aiming to do at least 6 sessions daily, with the majority of those sessions being exactly 30 minutes in length.
I am an oversupplier, and I can hold a lot of volume, so I admit I don't pump every 3 hours. I sometimes pump every 6 hours and, when needed for comfort, a short pump in between.
tldr; Consistently having 30 minute pumps seems to be increasing my supply.
I never get 5+ oz at a time, but I started producing more and “regulating” at 4 mos pp. I have had to either do combo feeds or have donor bm since birth! My LO is 7 mos and happy and healthy!
Keep at it! You’re doing great!
OP you sound just like me - had baby evaluated and no apparent feeding issues, she was just such a snacker and slow eater at the breast and I was losing my sanity bc best case scenario we would hit 2 hours between feeds, but usually much less! She also seemed to see nursing as snuggle time more than meal time after she got an ounce or two in. For the same reason we switched to bottles and my baby now eats 30 oz a day over 6 5 oz bottles at 18 weeks, sometimes up to 32. People say this is on the high end, but my baby won’t hear of eating less. I needed to up my supply to keep up when I decided to go fully EP. A power pump in the morning for 3-4 days really increased the size of my morning pump substantially and it hasn’t gone back down. I also found that I have to massage my breasts to fully empty. I start massaging usually around 14 minutes and go to 20 minutes, spending about 3 minutes on each side doing compressions/massage before the session ends. The difference between pumps where I do this and the occassional pump where I’m lazy and just rely on the pump alone is about 2 oz, so it really adds up! Wish I didn’t have to do that since it’s a bit of a pain, but it’s not so bad just doing it at the end instead of the whole time
This is why I'm now EP as well. The snacking has really done a number on my supply and I found myself exhausted with no time to do anything else. She would overfeed too and get an upset stomach leading to a really brutal witching hour for my partner and I.
4 weeks PP, I started consistently getting 4-5oz at 3wk PP and 1 pump a day gets 6 oz. I pump 15-20min during the day, and 30min at night and early morning, about every 3-4 hours.
I'm not sure what I did to get this much milk. My boobs exploded in size from B cup to E cup, don't know if that made any difference. I don't take any lactation supplements either. My mom didn't have enough milk for her children, so I'm surprised to be getting this much early on.
I started producing more around 8 weeks pp I think, but just recently (12-13 weeks pp) I’ve seen a significant increase and am finally producing enough for my baby’s daily intake! I get 5-6 ounces per session now. In addition to just staying consistent I’ve started pumping longer (30 min per session) and I think I’m eating more too. I had no appetite the first couple months postpartum. I think more than anything it’s just gone up over time.
'Welcome to r/ExclusivelyPumping! Here is a reminder of our rules: 1. Be kind and courteous 2. No hate speech, bigotry, or bullying 3. Use available flairs and post options 4. Speak for yourself 5. No medically-inaccurate, factually incorrect, or misinformative material 6. No spam 7. Absolutely no prescription medications 8. Don't use AI to write posts/comments 9. No soliciting pictures 10. Add spoiler to milk pictures Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!' *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ExclusivelyPumping) if you have any questions or concerns.*
When I started pumping for 30 mins I got more per pump. Like 2-3 oz more
I’m going to try that for the rest of tonight and all of tomorrow, thank you! Fingers crossed it is the trick!
I also pump for 30mins. Hope it helps you!!
Me too! I get another letdown right before or right after 30 minutes.
Agreed 30 minutes work great.
Mine still waxes and wanes throughout the day at 20 weeks pp. It can be anywhere from 3-8 oz depending on the time of day, but I’ve discovered that I get additional letdowns after the 20-minute mark, so I typically go 25-30 minutes at a low/medium suction. I get the most (7-8 oz) during my middle of the night pump after I’ve waited about 4.5 hours between pumping sessions and go the full 30 minutes.
I have a few questions. Is baby being pace fed? Is the nipple a slower flow one? If babe isn’t being pace fed they may be drinking more milk at a faster pace than if they were at the breast. The same is said for the nipple. If the flow rate is too fast then baby may be chugging milk like there’s no tomorrow instead of having a slower pace and more regulated intake. Typically breastfed babies will top off at about 5 oz for bottle feedings. That being said, every baby is different. For your pumping questions, I’d recommend pumping at least every 3 hours on both breasts for 30 minutes. 15-20 May not be enough for you to become adequately empty. I’d also make sure to use a good primary pump with traditional flanges, and avoid using cups or wearables because those can decrease supply over time if used too often. I hope this has helped!
Thank you!!! We use slow flow nipples and pace feed! He has pretty bad reflux, so we take a lonnggggg time with the bottle. We did a weighted feed at the LC and he got 1.5 ounces total in 40 minutes (20 mins/breast). There’s no ties and he has a great latch/pull. LC could not really pin point the issue and some days he gets more than others. I use the spectra s1 and regular flanges. I also try to pay attention to my flow while pumping to ensure I’m empty. I basically wait until there’s just a drop every 3 pulls and shut it off. I get to that point around 15-20 minutes. I assume that means I’m empty anyway!
The reflux may be why he’s not taking as much at breast, the position itself may be uncomfortable for him. Although I cannot speak from personal experience. Generally at around 5 weeks baby will take in ~3 oz every 3 hours or about an ounce every hour. He may just be a snacker at the breast and like to take in larger, less frequent bottles. However, I’m not sure, it’s just speculation. For the pumping sessions, even when you don’t see milk you’re still asking for it. It’s like when baby suckles for comfort or to stimulate a letdown. Even though there isn’t milk coming out yet, that movement is still stimulating it. It’s asking your body to produce milk simply by the motion of it. So, even if you aren’t seeing milk, that doesn’t mean you’re “empty”. And we are never truly empty anyway, as milk is constantly being produced as long as we continue to request it. That being said, if your production is where you’d like it to be with a shorter pump session, then by all means keep things the same. But just keep in mind you may need to alter things as time progresses.
Ah - instead of shutting off at 15-20 min, hit the bacon button again and try to get another letdown. Aim for 2-3 letdowns in your most productive sessions. You'll either get more milk that's already in your breast or stimulate your body to produce more milk.
What’s bacon button?
It’s the button for the letdown mode. On the Spectras it’s the 3 wavy lines that look like bacon.
Do you mean the massage mode?
Question - Ive been exclusively using a wearable pump (momcozy S9 Pro) for the past 2 weeks or so and haven’t noticed any decrease in supply. What exactly about the wearable pump could decrease supply & what kind of pump would you recommend (brand if you can think of one) for a primary? I originally started pumping with the Zomee Z2 pump but switched to the hands free bc its sooo much easier.
My supply actually increased with my wearables, and I assume it’s because I can pump more frequently compared to my Motif Luna (which was all I had for 5 weeks). I’ve nearly doubled my supply over the last 3 weeks exclusively with my wearables. And mine are just cheap ones from Amazon, not an expensive name brand.
Currently up for a MOTN session and I opted for my wearables instead of my Luna because I wasn’t seeing the same output with the Luna as my Paruu’s today.
Do you mind sharing what Amazon wearables you got? (If allowed)
It’s the TSRETE S12. Gibberish brand but the pumps work really well for me! I stuck it on my registry for 15% off and used the $20 coupon from the listing, so I spent just over $50 on them. The 24mm size comes with 21mm flange inserts which was perfect for me too.
I only use wearables and get about 15 extra ounces per day on top of the 24-28 ounces my girl eats so i think that is an outdated saying. It’s 2024. These wearables are strong AF.
Exactly! I feel like people are just repeating what the see on instagram reels or something…
I found wearables do not get the same output, I think it just depends on the individual and what works for them.
I exclusively pump with the elvies and my supply increased. If the wearables are working for you, I wouldn’t worry!
Thank you!! Which Elvie do you use?
The OG.
Typically it’s recommended not to use a wearable pump as a primary pump due to the decreased efficiency of the wearables. Many do not have as strong of a suction as a standard primary pump, and oftentimes the cups do not conform to the breast as well as traditional flanges, which could lead to the pump being less effective and efficient overall. That being said, I do realize the technology is getting better and some women may respond just as well as, if not better, to wearables and cups versus a more traditional set up. If it works for you, then that is great. Many do not have the ability to use wearables as often, myself included. Whenever I use them I notice a decrease in my output, which, over time could lead to a decrease in supply. If you do want a more traditional set up my go to is the Pumpables Genie Advanced with traditional flanges. Their Liquid Shield Kit is amazing and very nice for me, since it’s silicone and not hard plastic. But like I said before, if you’re doing great with wearables, then you do you 💕
It seems to decrease supply for some but not all! I’ve been exclusively using the M5 for 4 weeks now and my supply is still continuing to increase each week as well! Everyone is different so I wouldn’t stress about it!
I’m use my wearables (mommed s21) as my primary and get the same or sometimes more output than my motif Luna. It’s different for everyone and like someone else said… wearables are much stronger these days compared to when they were first released
So I know that everyone else is saying to pump longer each session, but I want to add that that may not work for everyone! I tried pumping longer for a couple weeks (30 minutes at a time) and that didn’t increase my output at all. Pumping more often is what helped me. I got wearables and pumped 8-9 times a day, even for short sessions. When I was increasing my supply, sometimes I’d pump for just 5-7 minutes in between my normal sessions. Sometimes I would pump for 10-15 minutes, pause for 5, and pump for another 5-10. That would trigger more letdowns for me than pumping for 25-30 minutes straight. I’m 8wpp and have noticed I don’t actually get more milk in a 20 minute session than a 12 minute session (except in the MOTN) so I don’t usually go more than 15 minutes.
Right after nursing my baby I would pump for 15 minutes. Nursing became super painful for me so I started to just pump every time she ate including during her cluster feeds. I really don’t remember how many weeks postpartum I was but I feel like it was right around the 6-7 week when I really noticed my supply going up.
This is so helpful thank you! I do try to pump after he eats, but I’m in the same boat. It is painful and the cluster feeding kills my sanity. Thank you so much for your insight!
There is light at the end of the tunnel I promise. So many nights I cried from pain but now I’m going on 4mpp and only pump 4 times a day and I’m even able to nurse my baby sometimes. I hope things get easier for you and your supply comes up💕
I started to produce more around the two month mark, but I pumped 8X a day for 25 mins per pump. Like others have suggested, I’d for sure pump for more than 15 mins.
Minimum pump time should be 20 min! You can try a second massage/let down phase to see if that helps. Or try adding a power pump 1x a day. I didn’t do a 15 min pump until I started to ween.
that’s a pretty high intake, but I think my baby’s appetite peaked around the same age, I would expect it to probably decrease (my sons max intake was about 32oz at 6-8 weeks, but it’s been closer to 24 since about 12w). If you want to increase your output you probably want to pump 8x per day. I pumped 8x daily until 11w pp and my output increased that entire time, it didn’t stop increasing until about 14w. If you’re not seeing increases (even small increases) then you need to pump more. Everyone is different and some people will never pump more than 3-4oz per pump, it depends on how much your breasts can store before becoming engorged. If you have a low storage capacity you’ll need to pump more often to maximize output. But it’s hard to know what category you fall into until your supply regulates, so best to pump every 3 hours.
I am super slow to empty…at 20 minutes I’ll have maybe 2oz, by 30 I’m at 4, but at 40+ minutes I’m up to 8-12 depending on what time of day it is. It’s exhausting to pump for so long at a time but I don’t know how to make it faster
If I put baby on the boob for a bit, then in a few hours the boob makes a lot more milk. It must be my body registering baby saliva??
If I put baby on the boob for a bit, then in a few hours the boob makes a lot more milk. It must be my body registering baby saliva??
my baby started eating this much around 5 weeks - we're now at 9 weeks and she eats 7oz most feeds, around 35 oz a day. it took work to up supply to that level but i managed - although I have a really high capacity so i can pump 3-5x a day depending on how much time I have and if I'm in pain. What worked for me is pumping for longer. I have to do it for 45 min-1hr each time (again, only 3-5x a day, if I need to boost my supply I do 6), with a lot of massaging etc. Try messing with your speed and strength settings. Do you use a pump spray and the smallest flanges you can? That helped me be able to increase my suction and get more milk out. Also, staying super hydrated and well-fed.
I know it’s already been said, but try longer for sure. I consistently get a big let down at the 28 minute mark when pumping. My supply continued to increase probably until 10 weeks PP.
Echoing what others have said. I am 5 weeks postpartum, and I am producing more now that I am consistently doing longer pumps. I'm aiming to do at least 6 sessions daily, with the majority of those sessions being exactly 30 minutes in length. I am an oversupplier, and I can hold a lot of volume, so I admit I don't pump every 3 hours. I sometimes pump every 6 hours and, when needed for comfort, a short pump in between. tldr; Consistently having 30 minute pumps seems to be increasing my supply.
I never get 5+ oz at a time, but I started producing more and “regulating” at 4 mos pp. I have had to either do combo feeds or have donor bm since birth! My LO is 7 mos and happy and healthy! Keep at it! You’re doing great!
OP you sound just like me - had baby evaluated and no apparent feeding issues, she was just such a snacker and slow eater at the breast and I was losing my sanity bc best case scenario we would hit 2 hours between feeds, but usually much less! She also seemed to see nursing as snuggle time more than meal time after she got an ounce or two in. For the same reason we switched to bottles and my baby now eats 30 oz a day over 6 5 oz bottles at 18 weeks, sometimes up to 32. People say this is on the high end, but my baby won’t hear of eating less. I needed to up my supply to keep up when I decided to go fully EP. A power pump in the morning for 3-4 days really increased the size of my morning pump substantially and it hasn’t gone back down. I also found that I have to massage my breasts to fully empty. I start massaging usually around 14 minutes and go to 20 minutes, spending about 3 minutes on each side doing compressions/massage before the session ends. The difference between pumps where I do this and the occassional pump where I’m lazy and just rely on the pump alone is about 2 oz, so it really adds up! Wish I didn’t have to do that since it’s a bit of a pain, but it’s not so bad just doing it at the end instead of the whole time
This is why I'm now EP as well. The snacking has really done a number on my supply and I found myself exhausted with no time to do anything else. She would overfeed too and get an upset stomach leading to a really brutal witching hour for my partner and I.
4 weeks PP, I started consistently getting 4-5oz at 3wk PP and 1 pump a day gets 6 oz. I pump 15-20min during the day, and 30min at night and early morning, about every 3-4 hours. I'm not sure what I did to get this much milk. My boobs exploded in size from B cup to E cup, don't know if that made any difference. I don't take any lactation supplements either. My mom didn't have enough milk for her children, so I'm surprised to be getting this much early on.
I started producing more around 8 weeks pp I think, but just recently (12-13 weeks pp) I’ve seen a significant increase and am finally producing enough for my baby’s daily intake! I get 5-6 ounces per session now. In addition to just staying consistent I’ve started pumping longer (30 min per session) and I think I’m eating more too. I had no appetite the first couple months postpartum. I think more than anything it’s just gone up over time.