Exclusive pumping - oversupply - help!

Hello all,

I’ve been exclusively pumping since my son was born two weeks ago. The midwives told me to pump every time I feed to establish supply, so I have with my double pump.

The result is that after two weeks, every time he feeds 100-110ml I pump 200ml, sometimes a lot more, even in the shortest amount of time (5-7min). I was too brain dead to realise for days that I am literally producing double what he consumes, until I noticed my fridge and now freezer are filling up with milk bags.

Tonight I left almost 5h between pumps and woke up with very full and slightly painful breasts. I’m worried I overdid it.

Question: should I aim to reduce supply and if so, how does one do it? My worry there would be that at some point he’ll want more than 100-110ml, but I’m also hopeful the will stop eating every 2-3h?

Or should I continue this way and just store it until I can open a shop? My problem with continuing as I am is that I can’t get a break for pumping, not even when he (rarely) sleeps more than 3h in one stretch at night.

What should I do about moments like tonight when my breasts are too full, without further stimulating supply?

Thank you!!

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Pump for comfort to relieve the pain in the breast, but only for a few minutes for example so that you're not draining the breast and stimulating more milk to be made.
You could also hand express, which apparently doesn't send the signal to the body to make more milk, like the electronic ones do?

Also, be careful about freezing too much of your supply. Apparently some babies don't like the taste and can refuse it.
I'm based in Aus, so not sure about UK, but you can also donate breast milk apparently.

Thank you very much !

@Sma I feel you this was me at the beginning but it's far too tying to have to do every 3hours! I also have an absolute stash in the freezer 🙈 I started to do just 4 pumps a day and was still getting plenty so then decide the night time pump was the most problematic so I stopped that and waited a week to see how it affected my supply I'm still all good so only do 3 pumps a day. They say the one in middle of night is most important, but you have to do what's best for you x

Thanks !! Did you have engorged breasts? I woke up tonight with a stone hard, hot breast and flu-ish symptoms. I have no idea if they’re related or if am separately also getting ill, which would be a disaster

mastitis?

I was wondering whether it could develop so quickly. Last night everything was fine.

@Sma oh really, they do sound like symptoms of mastitis. No I never had a problem they were hard but I massaged them before I pumped and then also I massage whilst pumping?

thank you great tip. I will do this, pump a bit less but frequently and see how it develops. If not might contact the GP

@Sma or maybe do as you have been doing but the one in the night gradually shorten it, so you are telling your body not to overproduction then. As I say I'm not sure what impact this would have on the rest of your milk supply, I just told myself if I couldn't make enough I'd substitute 1 formula on a night 😊 x

that’s exactly what I want to do, reduce and give some formula, otherwise I will go crazy. I will try to reduce gradually

Do what's best for you always, aslong as baby is fed you can make it work for you!

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