The exclusively-pumping world refers to "dropping pumps" as the slow process of reducing the number of times we pump per day. Interestingly, many moms experience an increase in supply as they drop pumps. However, there is a point at which supply decreases. I pumped four times a day for quite a few months, getting about 40 ounces consistently each day. Recently, I started pumping three times a day from time to time, when my schedule didn't allow four. Then I went three times for a week straight, and suddenly, my supply dropped to under 30 ounces per day.
This is just about exactly what Sam eats, and we have a freezer full of milk too. So he has plenty to eat now. But I've been daydreaming about pumping past the one-year mark--and what if my supply continues to dwindle? I also had my heart set on donating more milk--those preemies need milk more than I need my 20 minutes back!
So, I am backpedaling, pumping four times a day again in hopes of getting my supply back. There's definitely no guarantee though, and I am feeling slightly guilty about getting lazy and overconfident and allowing this to happen.
I will try, but if I'm down to 30 for good, I will accept it and carry on.
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do you take any supplements to make more milk? I have never been able to pump more than four oz and I would love to donate milk. maybe I am pumping wrong?
ReplyDeleteI don't take any supplements. Honestly, I think because I don't nurse, my body got used to the pump--it just seems to work for me. If you wanted to pump more milk, you could experiment with a few things: try "power pumping" (watch an hour of TV and pump during all commercials) once a day, try another pump speed, different horns, or another pump. I get the feeling that after 12 weeks PP it's much harder to increase supply though.
ReplyDeleteyou are a milk machine =) amazing. for me it was hard to do both nursing and pumping. when i was at work mon-wed i'd be on a good pumping schedule and my body adjusted every 3 hours of pumping and by wed afternoon i'd be getting a lot more. then i'd be home and only nurse for the long weekend and it was depending on when Karter wanted to eat, not the strict 3 hour schedule i was on at work, and my supply would dip by saturday night. so i didn't really have a chance to pump extra on the weekends, it was a pain trying to figure it out! it's definitely easier to do one or the other! i'd always pump one side if he didn't nurse both, and there's truth to what they say about having more in the morning. with Kian i was working and about 10 mos when he really went for solids big time, and i was pumping, i dropped my supply a lot no matter what I did and added fenugreek in, it helped some. but you amaze me, i never got more then 4 oz a sitting/per side on a great day! like that you're thinking of pumping so he has breastmilk past one year, most "pumping only" moms stop right at 12 mos, like it's the law! I'm already getting the "are you almost done with that" from some people...sigh. No, no I'm not, cuz he's not. =)
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