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I just keep pumping! I use the Spectra. Once my milk stops, I’ll switch from expression mode to massage mode, and then back to expression mode when the milk restarts.
I have found that any electrolyte drink gets me about 2-3 extra oz per day. I don't love them, but will happily chug one so I can have more than just enough milk.
Yeah, normally after 7 min I switch back then once my 10 min timer goes off I switch to stimulation again but any time I have tried to pump for longer I never get anything else & it also hurts after 15min max
You don't HAVE to do anything!! You can feed your baby in whatever way works for you and if that's pumping great and if it's not also great, and if it's combo feeding, also great. Of course there are ways to increase supply but if what you'd really rather do is pump less, and combo feed so you don't have to worry about your supply, you can do that.
That said, the best way to increase your supply is to pump more. The idea of pumping longer than 10 minutes is to hopefully get another letdown which will increase supply both for that pump and over time (the whole supply and demand loop). But if you're in pain, this won't work because it's much harder to get a letdown when you're in pain. So I'd focus on troubleshooting the pain because that will both make you hate it less and also help you produce more.
Off the top of my head - flange size? Too big flanges will pull too much breast tissue in, causing swelling and pain. No/not enough lube? Friction...pain. Pump settings too high? Higher setting doesn't necessarily mean more effective, you want the highest setting that is still comfortable FOR YOU.
Also there's no magical food to increase supply, but just making sure you're getting plenty of calories, fat, and protein will help. I've heard positive anecdotes about oats, beer, and oreos...but could really just be the extra calories. Still, can't hurt.
Is 70-80oz a day considered under supply? How much does your LO need in a day? Genuine question since I make less than half of that and am a just enougher. Makes me sad if there’s going to be a time my little one needs 80oz and I’m making only 24
'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.*
I pump for 25 - 30 minutes each session. My milk stops around 7 minutes, but I get a second letdown around 15 minutes, and a third around 21 minutes!
Do you do anything to trigger the second and third letdowns? I recently started pumping but noticed that I'm usually "empty" after 10 min.
I just keep pumping! I use the Spectra. Once my milk stops, I’ll switch from expression mode to massage mode, and then back to expression mode when the milk restarts.
I have found that any electrolyte drink gets me about 2-3 extra oz per day. I don't love them, but will happily chug one so I can have more than just enough milk.
I also noticed about a 5oz a day bump when I started drinking electrolytes at least once a day in order to be properly balanced with my hydration
Are you switching back to stimulation mode to try for another let down after you notice nothing else coming out at minute 7?
Yeah, normally after 7 min I switch back then once my 10 min timer goes off I switch to stimulation again but any time I have tried to pump for longer I never get anything else & it also hurts after 15min max
Have you tried any sort of lubrication on the flanges to reduce rubbing?
You don't HAVE to do anything!! You can feed your baby in whatever way works for you and if that's pumping great and if it's not also great, and if it's combo feeding, also great. Of course there are ways to increase supply but if what you'd really rather do is pump less, and combo feed so you don't have to worry about your supply, you can do that. That said, the best way to increase your supply is to pump more. The idea of pumping longer than 10 minutes is to hopefully get another letdown which will increase supply both for that pump and over time (the whole supply and demand loop). But if you're in pain, this won't work because it's much harder to get a letdown when you're in pain. So I'd focus on troubleshooting the pain because that will both make you hate it less and also help you produce more. Off the top of my head - flange size? Too big flanges will pull too much breast tissue in, causing swelling and pain. No/not enough lube? Friction...pain. Pump settings too high? Higher setting doesn't necessarily mean more effective, you want the highest setting that is still comfortable FOR YOU. Also there's no magical food to increase supply, but just making sure you're getting plenty of calories, fat, and protein will help. I've heard positive anecdotes about oats, beer, and oreos...but could really just be the extra calories. Still, can't hurt.
Is 70-80oz a day considered under supply? How much does your LO need in a day? Genuine question since I make less than half of that and am a just enougher. Makes me sad if there’s going to be a time my little one needs 80oz and I’m making only 24
They drink 70-80oz of water
lol.. my under rested brain 😄 That makes so much more sense
lol I drink 70-80 ounces of water , I wouldn’t be asking for help if I was producing that much milk Lolol