Pumping while dealing with oversupply?

[@llli*mrshagie]

A little background, I'm a first time mom to a 7 week old & have been dealing with some oversupply & overactive letdown issues for a couple of weeks. Looking back, I think my oversupply issues started when I began pumping daily in the mornings to begin stockpiling for when I go back to work next month. Over the past few days I've been block feeding in 2-3 hour blocks & quit pumping to get my supply under control. Things definitely feel better, but I'm worried that if I go back to pumping my supply will go crazy again.

Is there a way to pump while block feeding without bringing back my oversupply? When I was pumping in the morning (about an hour after feeding) I would get 5-6oz from the breast he hadn't fed on & 2-3oz from the breast he had fed on. Would it be better to only pump from one side? And if so which one?

[@llli*mommal]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm so sorry pumping sent your supply into overdrive. It's the last thing the mom of a new baby needs- an additional complication! I'm really glad you did the smart thing and shelved the pump. I'm guessing that you have a pretty great stash already sitting in the freezer, am I right? If so, you may not need to do too much more pumping before returning to work. Assuming you have sufficient pump breaks, you may need to be only a few days ahead of your baby's needs, so that you can rapidly start gving your baby fresh pumped milk rather than fussing with rotating a freezer stash.

If you want to start pumping again, I would actually choose a time of day that is later in the day, when your supply is likely to be a little less abundant. Maybe the evenings? That's when a lot of moms notice a dip in output. Pump the breast the baby didn't nurse on, and don't pump it until it's empty. Go for 2-3 oz, max, and then set the pump aside. That shouldn't be unduly stimulating to supply. But if it is, just dial it back again!

[@llli*mrshagie]

Thank you! I've got about 40oz in the freezer so I'm not in desperate need to continue pumping.

I think once I'm sure we have my supply issues under control I'll try adding in that evening pumping session. You're right that my supply is much lower in the evenings & then spikes overnight into the morning.

Thank you again for your help!!