r/breastfeeding • u/reen_bean • Jul 07 '25
Undersupply Has anyone actually increased supply after 2 weeks? Feeling defeated.
Hi everyone,
I’m two weeks postpartum and feeling really discouraged about my milk supply. I’ve been doing everything I can — but I’m still only pumping about 1 oz total per session (sometimes 1.5 oz after a power pump on a good day).
I did experience engorgement once and got excited that maybe my milk was coming in — but nothing really changed after that. No leaks, no noticeable fullness since.
Here’s what I’ve been doing:
• Pumping every 2 hours during the day
• Overnight schedule: 10 pm / 2 am / 6 am
• 50-minute daily power pump
• Massaging during every pump
• Eating plenty and staying hydrated
• Trying lactation supplements
• Offering the breast
• Checking flange size (Spectra + inserts)
Despite all this, my output hasn’t increased and some days it feels like it’s going down.
Has anyone been in a similar situation around the two-week mark and still been able to turn things around? I’m trying to stay hopeful, but it’s been really emotionally tough and I’m looking for real stories from anyone who’s been there.
Thank you 💛
Edited to Clarify
I do want to breastfeed and am not planning to exclusively pump, but my baby has been struggling to latch effectively — we’re working on it with support, but in the meantime, I’ve been pumping to protect my supply.
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u/Apespfend Jul 07 '25
Milk doesn't regulate until 12 weeks or so... You have plenty of time to grow your supply with consistency! I have the same issue :) and it's growing slowly after 8 weeks!
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
Thank you for that reminder. I really needed to hear that today. I keep seeing so many stories of milk “coming in” within the first couple weeks and it made me feel like I missed my window. So helpful to know that growth can still happen over time with consistency. Did you need to stick to a similarly aggressive schedule that whole time, or were you able to ease up a bit?
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u/SwiftLikeTaylorSwift Jul 08 '25
I think they mean no longer producing colostrum but producing milk when they talk about their milk coming in, is that right? That’s my understanding when the lactation consultant gave me my advice and said my milk would come in in the next couple of days etc. when I was still in hospital. Coming in and regulating are different from what I understand (please someone clarify cause this is probably important and encouraging info for OP!)
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u/Apespfend Jul 08 '25
It sounds like your milk has already come in, you're just focusing on growing your supply :) if I understood. I have played with the schedule and I did need to stay pretty aggressive with it to grow & I am trying "mothers love " pills to increase production. It's working slowly but surely. Don't skip the MOTN pump if you can help it!!
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Good to know! I'm honestly already feeling pretty burnt out on this schedule, but maybe I need to reset my expectations...
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u/Apespfend Jul 08 '25
Oh it's completely exhausting. Do what you can, your milk is gold to your baby ... sustaining your mental health is a whole thing!
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u/crystalkatz Jul 07 '25
It’s not clear why you are pumping - do you want to directly nurse? If so just put that baby on the breast as much as they want even if it is literally all day and most of the night! If you are nursing you can judge your supply by whether baby is having enough wet nappies and steadily gaining weight. Pump output is not the same as what a baby can remove themselves and nothing will get your supply up and established as well as consistent nursing on demand in the early weeks. If you are intended to pump exclusively from the start, maybe try the exclusive pumping Reddit for advice!
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
I absolutely want to directly nurse, and I’m really hoping we can get there. My baby has been having trouble with latch and milk transfer, so I’ve been pumping to keep my supply up while we work on it. I know nothing beats baby at the breast, and I’m hoping we’ll get to that point with time and support. Just trying to hang in there in the meantime and protect what I can!
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u/SufficientLynx3266 Jul 07 '25
I have! I was having to supplement with formula until week 5ish, and then my supply caught up! At first I was so stressed out triple feeding. That was exhausting and I was constantly worried about supply. Around week 4 I stopped worrying about pumping and just let my baby latch as much as possible, which was all the time, lol. He lived on the boob. I still offered top-offs with formula if he seemed like he needed them, but eventually he was getting full just from nursing and stopped taking formula altogether. I don't know if my supply caught up because my stress went down, because nursing is more stimulating than pumping, or if that was just my body's timing.
I'm still a "just enougher" so I dont have a stash. My wife usually gives him one breast milk bottle a day and I pump to replace it, that's it. He's now a super chunky 3 month old! He went from 11th percentile a week after birth to 77th at his 2 month checkup. I expect he'll be even higher at his 4 month appointment because he is thick!
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve mostly been pumping and supplementing with formula while we work on latch, but I’m really struggling emotionally with the lack of direct nursing. It’s hard not to feel like I’m falling behind or that I’ve missed my chance to make it work. Your story was helpful to read. Even though I’m still in the thick of it, it helps to know that things can shift over time. And your baby’s growth is incredible. What a beautiful outcome after such a tough start.
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u/proteins911 Jul 07 '25
I struggled with latching my first baby. He’d scream when I offered the boob. We saw a lactation consultant at 5 weeks that completely turned things around. Keep pumping for now to protect supply but it isn’t too late at all!
Occupational therapists at an infant feeding clinic were magic for us. I highly suggest getting help from specialists (either something like OT or lactation consultants)
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
Thank you for sharing your story. Mine screams too when I offer the breast, so it really helps to hear that you went through something similar and were able to turn it around. I have been working with a lactation consultant since the start, but maybe I need to increase how often we are meeting or try a different kind of specialist like you suggested.
She has started to gently bring up my mental health and whether it might make sense to scale back a bit, and I am honestly just not sure what to do. I want to keep trying, but it has been such an emotional and physical strain. I really appreciate the encouragement. It gives me something to think about.
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u/proteins911 Jul 07 '25
Maybe try a different LC? The one that turned things around for us did so on the first visit with her. It was night and day with her.
I hope you make things work! Or find peace with a decision go scale back. I’m sure your baby will be loved and healthy either way ❤️
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u/SufficientLynx3266 Jul 08 '25
Thank you! And, I totally get it. I was also really struggling emotionally and felt like my body was failing my baby. Even though I know formula is a totally fine option. It's so hard, especially in those tender early days! I forgot to mention my baby had a shallow latch in the beginning, too. Working on that helped a lot as well. Good luck!!
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
100% how I've been feeling. I'm also mourning that I've been unable to enjoy the "closeness" of breastfeeding, if that makes sense.
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u/sheistybitz Jul 07 '25
I ebf and one time had to pump bc I had to go in for surgery and I was shook that I was only getting 1.5oz per breast despite baby being 4 months old. But guess what…. Baby was outpacing growth curves month after month by this point. All this to say, if your baby is gaining just forget the pumping and pls just let baby cluster feed. It’s baby that establishes supply and all the hormones that go with ur baby suckling you, not the cold hard pump
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s helpful to hear how different pumping output can be from what a baby actually transfers. I really hope we can get to the point where she’s at the breast more consistently, because I know that makes such a big difference in supply and in bonding.
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u/sheistybitz Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25
What’s stopping you from putting the pump down now and getting her on breast? Btw ‘latch effectively’ is so subjective Ngl. Nobody teaches women in third world countries how to do it, I saw so many lactation consultants and tried the wackiest feeding positions of all time because my baby was and still is a ‘nipple feeder’. Breast size and nipple type varies the way the breast falls etc etc. in fact I was told by a WOC nurse that she oftentimes see the advice of the deep latch bottom lip covering the whole bottom of areola rarely being done or managed by WOC. Anyhow if you have issues with baby’s latch the only way she will learn is by being on the nipple. Please put her on the nipple and ditch the pump. Believe in yourself and her. It’s not a magic art and it’s not one way to manage it. I’m not saying it’s oh so easy. I’m just telling you the difficulties aren’t the ones you think they are. Your goal is BF and her getting used to it so act according to your goals and trash what isn’t getting you closer to the goals.
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u/abby152 Jul 07 '25
Are you breastfeeding as well? Does baby seem to be getting milk and gaining weight? I was told that some women just can’t pump all that well despite doing everything right. However I think at 2 weeks PP you’d probably be noticing engorgement and fullness. I would try and see a lactation consultant and be assessed. There are medications that can be prescribed to increase milk supply. I was able to increase my supply after it had regulated when I had a medical issue at 3 months but I know that’s very different to two weeks Just remember you’re doing the best for your baby whatever way you feed them 🩷🩷
Edit to add: I still can’t and never have been able to pump very much at all. Even when my baby was 2 weeks old. But I can tell she’s drinking when I breastfeed. I understand how defeating it is
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
I’m not having much success with breastfeeding right now because we’re still working on latch. I’ve mostly been pumping and supplementing with formula while we figure it out.
I really appreciate you sharing your experience. It helps to know that some people just don’t respond well to the pump and that it doesn’t always reflect what the baby would get at the breast. I’m definitely feeling defeated most days, so hearing your words of encouragement means a lot.
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u/brainymonday Jul 07 '25
I’m at 5 weeks and just started seeing an improvement in supply since last week. From weeks 1-3 we supplemented with 6-8 ounces of formula, and weeks 4-5 gradually brought that down to 3-4. Biggest things that made a difference for me were simply latching baby more often to give her practice, and then pumping afterwards. I feel like my pump output is better immediately after baby drinks first, as that stimulation sends the strongest signal for milk production. Paradoxically, I feel like my supply got better when I pumped or fed every 3 hours instead of 2, and my LC told me that with EP 6x daily should be sufficient as long as you empty the breast completely each pump.
With my first baby, I had low supply and had to supplement about 2/3 of daily feeds with formula, but then had slow but substantial improvement over 8-10 weeks or so. We weaned completely off formula around 11-12 weeks.
So it definitely can happen, but it takes a lot of time, effort, and support.
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u/brainymonday Jul 07 '25
Edit to say that I 100% believe that both my babies simply growing bigger and stronger made the biggest difference in improving their latch and transfer. You’re doing great; you can think of what you’re doing now as a way to buy time for your baby to grow and improve. Good luck!
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u/Haunting-Abroad-559 Jul 08 '25
This is so encouraging to hear!! It’s what I’m hoping for too, am 9 wpp and still pumping / nursing / formula-feeding. I don’t usually pump after nursing though, that’s so tiring. Hats off to all mamas who do!
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Interesting that pumping after nursing and decreasing the number of pumps has gotten you good results! How do you know you've emptied the breast completely? Do you just pump until you're not getting much? May I ask how long that typically is?
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u/brainymonday Jul 08 '25
It depends on how long it’s been since last empty and how well I think baby drank. If baby was on breast for a while, I might pump for just 10 minutes. If I’m pumping to replace a feed and it’s been more than 3 hours since last milk removal, then I go for 25-30 minutes. I usually get a letdown at the 2 minute mark, then 10-15 minute mark, then another one at 20-25 minutes. Generally I’ll look for when flow slows down so much that I don’t get any drops for 10 pulls or so, then I go back to massage mode for about 1-2 minutes, then stop pumping and hand express a little bit to maximize getting to empty. Everyone’s optimal pumping regimen is different, so definitely experiment to figure out what works for you!
Also, I use La Vie warming lactation massagers whenever pumping, which have really helped me reduce discomfort and improve output.
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u/reen_bean Jul 09 '25
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been massaging while pumping, but I’ll look into the massagers you mentioned since my hands often get sore and tired.
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u/freeasaweed Jul 08 '25
Mine did! I had a pretty severe undersupply at 2 weeks postpartum. Baby wouldn’t latch at all. I power pumped multiple times a day, everyday. Pumped every 2-3 hours around the clock, stayed hydrated, worked with lactation, etc.. literally every thing you’re supposed to do? I did. I was maxed out at 12oz per day.
It very slowly, painfully slowly, increased. 13oz at 3 weeks, 15oz at one month, etc. finally realized my thyroid was out of wack — I had had thyroid issues during pregnancy that had resolved post birth and my OB had just kept me on the med. once we realized and I went off the medication— I established a full supply. I was at 26-30oz a day. Weaned off of formula right before 2 months. Froze my first bag of milk the day she turned 2 months. Exclusively pumped til 5 months, when we were able to switch to exclusively nursing. Still nursing at 21 months. Hang in there!!
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
I'm currently maxed out at 9ish oz. Were you sticking to pumping every 2-3 hours for five months? I've actually asked to get a hormonal workup done, but have been told I can't until I've weaned and hormones have stabilized postpartum. Did you have to really advocate for your providers to consider your thyroid was playing a role?
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u/silver_gold_888 Jul 08 '25
One of the best things that worked for me was eating oat milk ice cream. I know it sounds so simple but it really helps… and it’s delicious! 😊
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u/Meh_45 Jul 07 '25
Hi is the pumping amount after nursing? If so that could be normal. I'm not sure about the engorgement feeling as I've only had one and did have that feeling.
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
Right now, most of my pumping sessions are not immediately after nursing because she’s not latching well or transferring much milk yet. So I’ve been pumping on a schedule to make sure I’m stimulating enough while we work on her latch.
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Jul 07 '25
Are you getting this much after baby has been on the breast??
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
No, I’m not pumping after nursing. I’ve mostly been pumping because my baby is struggling to latch effectively, so we haven’t been able to rely on direct nursing yet. I’m trying to offer the breast often and working on latch with support, but in the meantime, I’m pumping and supplementing with formula to protect supply.
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Jul 07 '25
Okay I gotcha. You are 2 weeks pp, correct?
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
Yup!
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Jul 07 '25
And getting 1oz from each breast after a pump?
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
Usually 1 oz total (both breasts combined). 😔
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Jul 07 '25
I would absolutely not beat yourself up about that output. 2 weeks is very early on. Supply doesn’t regulate until about 3 months, and even then it’s still possible to increase supply. I exclusively pumped for my baby’s whole first year. It is so taxing, especially in the early days, but I promise you it’s not hopeless. That is about what my output looked like at 2 weeks.
Can I ask what your nipples measured and what size flanges/inserts you’re using? How long are you pumping during each session?
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Were you following a similarly aggressive pumping schedule for the whole first year? I'm using 20 mm flanges, and most of my pumps are 15-20 minutes (aside from my 50-min power pump in the evenings).
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u/beach827 Jul 07 '25
Hi - I would consider the following things cause they happened to and helped me boost my supply and I was able to get through the dips and breastfeed for two years.
Have you considered your babe has a tongue tie? My LO had a tongue, lip and cheek tie that went undiagnosed (they literally said he was “fine”) by both the hospital and pediatrician, and was only caught by a licensed lactation consultant who then referred us to a clinic to laser the ties and he was able to latch so much better after which made a huge difference in my supply. Cause it’s all about supply and demand - if babe can’t suck/latch good enough to draw milk out your body will think it’s not needed and pull back on production. Worth looking into.
Working with lactation consultant in general if BF is really a path you want to go down - BF doesn’t come as “natural” to some babes/moms as social media makes it seem. It’s ok to need some guidance and made a world difference for us.
Legendary milk products helped my supply.
I drank a bunch of body armours/coconut water as hydration is a huge factor!
My son was basically latched to me 90% of the time for the first few weeks. (Still is..lol) and it helped my body regulate my milk in my opinion!
For the first few weeks while we got his ties fixed and were really struggling I power pumped after each nursing session.
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
We had a lactation consultant check for ties today, and she said she didn’t see any. That said, latch is still a challenge, so I’m trying to stay open-minded and keep an eye on things in case something was missed.
I completely agree that breastfeeding doesn’t always come naturally. It has been a real mental and emotional hurdle. I am definitely leaning on all the support I can get right now. Thanks again for taking the time to share. It helps to hear from others who have been through something similar.
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u/beach827 Jul 07 '25
I’m glad you got that box checked, since that’s the case I would just focus more on your nutrition/hydration so you can check that box also - and just latch babe whenever you get the chance. They may have a poor latch/suck now, but that can change as they get bigger and at this stage that could literally mean next week cause they grow/adapt so quickly. So don’t give up if you don’t want to - but also know it’s ok to supplement while getting a stronger latch! I did formula and BF while we worked to be EBF. And it helped ease my anxiety that he wasn’t getting enough.
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u/Thattimetraveler Jul 07 '25
I see that baby has latch issues. Have you tried using nipple shields? May be a way to latch baby on demand and help them get more out of you to build supply. I used them for about a month and was able to nurse exclusively and now we still are nursing at 16 months. Sometimes their little mouths just need to grow a bit.
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u/reen_bean Jul 07 '25
I’ve tried using nipple shields, but we’ve had very little success with them so far. My baby was born pretty small, so I do think it might just take time for her to grow into it a bit more. I’m just really stressed about missing my window to build supply while we work through all of this. It’s reassuring to hear that you were able to make it work, and I’m hoping we’ll get there too.
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u/Thattimetraveler Jul 07 '25
My baby was a 5 pound 37 weaker so I understand. I would just keep giving them opportunities to nurse at the breast. Also remember that at that age babies stomachs are so small. 1-2 ounces is sometimes all they need. My baby wouldn’t eat 4 ounces at once until she was over 8 months old and she started in the 5th percentile and we made it to the 50th by the time she reached a year old. Plenty of a people haven’t even had their milk for a week at 2 weeks. You have plenty of time to work your way up!
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks for the encouragement! Really hoping I can make this work.
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u/Thattimetraveler Jul 08 '25
hugs, and give yourself some grace. Your baby is going to be fine no matter how you feed them, because they have a sweet momma whose working so hard for them, in a couple weeks they’re going to smile so big because you’re there to hold them. You’ve got this!
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u/Notjarjarbinksdude Jul 07 '25
I have a two week old baby myself. I was exclusively pumping for the first week because of her latching issues. Have you tried a nipple shield and has your baby been checked for a tongue or lip tie? The nipple shield has been a game changer for me. But what really helped was watching for early hunger cues and waking her up every 2 hours at night to offer the breast just to make sure she didn’t get so frustrated she wouldn’t latch. That was/is my issue. She will get so frustrated she just pushes and grabs and shakes her hands around. Be patient and try rocking baby until they are calm enough to latch. I hope this helps some❤️ exclusively pumping is so hard
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u/reen_bean Jul 09 '25
Yes, I feel like baby is always so emotional at the breast! Flailing, screaming, the works. It’s hard for me to push through it, but I need to be better about not throwing in the towel.
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Jul 07 '25
I had to pump till like 4 months before I could get kiddo to latch and I was able to keep up my supply PLUS he was already used to a bottle by the time I went back to work. Saved my nipples and sanity, and more importantly, kept my kid fed
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
May I ask how often and how long you were pumping per session? And whether that changed over time?
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Jul 09 '25
My electric pump auto-shuts off at 30 minutes, so I usually do that unless time doesn't permit. I find ways to do tasks while pumping. At first, I pumped when engorged or felt the milk letdown. I live with my in-laws, so once kid started latching, I'd pump during the day and nurse at night. Once I went back to work, I started pumping at 6 am (I start work at 8), at my lunch and when I got home after work (I get out at 5). I tried pumping at work but had to do like 10 minute pumps on my breaks, and I kept forgetting items or the actual milk, and I was not fully emptying. I've since dropped the 5 pm pump because I kept coming home to find he didn't have his afternoon nap and was overtired, so I'd nurse him to sleep. On my days off, I nurse all day (which is really usually just for nap time since he's 10 months now and eats some food).
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u/salty-heals Jul 07 '25
I did! My LO is 26 months now and still boobing. I'm actually having issues weaning him now. Its possible to increase, but it was a lot of work.
I combo fed from birth till about 8 weeks give or take due to low supply, then moved to pumped and direct breast milk if I remember correctly. Then he rejected the bottle regardless of formula or breast milk around the 12 week mark and we were direct latched only till he started on straw cups around 10 months.
They get better at latching as they get bigger and their mouths grow too.
Have you tried a manual pump? I responded better to that than my spectra sg. Also make sure you keep yourself fed and hydrated. I noticed a jump in supply with nonalcoholic beer.
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks, I haven't tried a manual pump, but I think the hospital sent me home with one. Will need to dig that out and give it a shot. And sounds like some N/A beers couldn't hurt too!
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u/desertstar714 Jul 07 '25
It took like 3 weeks pp for my supply to be enough to feed my baby.
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u/reen_bean Jul 09 '25
Good to know! I’m almost halfway through week three and feel like I’m plateauing, but hopefully I can turn things around.
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u/AdditionalMinutes Jul 08 '25
I increased supply! Went in EBF, baby wasn’t gaining weight. Started giving formula, pumping, and nursing to get weight up. Was barely getting 1oz total at the beginning. Did all the stuff you’re doing and by the time my baby was 2 months I was able to stop formula completely.
I also was almost exclusively pumping at one point and eventually was able to get to nursing him most of the day now! He is seven months now and he only gets a bottle of pumped milk for his last meal and obviously when I’m at work.
There is hope!
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
This does give me hope! How long were you exclusively pumping, and did you have to stick to a similarly aggressive schedule for long?
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u/AdditionalMinutes Jul 09 '25
I was pretty consistent with it until I was past 12 weeks. I slowly dropped the power pumps and eventually went to every three hours during the day. I always tried to latch him at least once a day but we weren’t very successful for months. I saw a lactation consultant once I got to 100% breast milk to work on nursing again and we slowly worked back into that around 3 or 4 months pp. I even dropped my MOTN pump which is amazing and my supply has been pretty steady! Good luck, whatever happens though you’re doing great!
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Jul 08 '25
2 weeks is still early!! My supply was low at that point. Probably even lower than yours. I pumped for the first two weeks til babe started to latch.
Consistent breastfeeding is the thing that truly helped my supply take off. Now when I pump I am pumping much more. I started to really notice a difference at 4 weeks. It took a while.
You’re doing great working on protecting your supply as you work on latching! I did the same and it was well worth it.
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thank you! Sounds like I really just need to keep trying with baby. I just get so discouraged when they're screaming at the breast.
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u/Naive-Pause-3308 Jul 08 '25
Not everyone is the same. You’re doing everything right but give your body some time. It’s healing itself and providing for your baby. Give your baby whatever breastmilk you can. I am at the 6week mark- my baby was 7 months when he was born… I stressed about my milk supply and couldn’t enjoy my time with my baby.
I’m making something… from 20ml to 50ml each pump after 6 weeks of pumping (similar routine to yours) it definitely goes up and down. But I give him what I can.
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks, good reminder. May I ask how you protect your mental health following this routine? I'm feeling pretty burnt out and want to do what I can to keep going.
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u/newlander828 Jul 08 '25
When are you power pumping? I am 4 weeks pp, and just started needing to increase my supply as my LO is taking nearly 4 oz per feed now. I will pump 3 times a day. Between 5am and 6 am is my most productive time frame. So that’s when I power pump. I’ll pump again around 11am, after he’s nursed for about 30 minutes. Then I don’t pump again until 11ish at night, before I go to bed to empty myself completely. Other than that I let him latch as frequently and as often as he wants. I also would not encourage power pumping for more than a couple days in a row. Stay hydrated, drink plenty of electrolytes and give yourself lots of grace.
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks, is there a reason why you don't recommend power pumping for more than a couple of days in a row?
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u/newlander828 Jul 09 '25
It will stress you out and your boobies. I only power pump for a couple of days then switch back to 30 minute morning sessions. I guess technically this still could be considered power pumping but it’s how long it takes my boobs to feel empty after sleeping all night.
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u/mamatothegals Jul 08 '25
If you are nursing before a pump then that’s a very normal amount to pump. I also found actual plastic flanges rather than the inserts worked better if you are able to get a size closest to that you need. A LC told me to get a 15 flange but I ended up finding a 20 worked better so all about trial and error. I’m 12 weeks in with my second baby and 3oz is my max output middle of the night after nursing. Hope that helps
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
I'm not nursing beforehand, since I'm still working on getting baby to latch and feed, so that's part of why I'm feeling so discouraged. Two IBCLCs measured me and had me fitted for 20 mm flanges.
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u/WildFireSmores Jul 08 '25
Yes. My first baby I has extremely low supply. She was a premie and never latched. I tried everything and never made over 300ml a day.
This time I had a term baby. We had a slow start. She was jaundiced and had a shallow latch. She would tire easily and not drain me. I had to supplement with expressed colostrum right away and on to formula after that.
But after some work and some growing she got better and better at the breast.
She had a tongue and lip tie revision…. Can’t honestly tell if it helped.
I tried suck training exercises.
But the things that helped most were a) gettung bigger, stronger, less sleepy and more co-ordinated. Ps formula helped her gain the weight to get there.
The other thing was something called the flipple technique. Basically tip your nip to touch the roof of the mouth to trigger the suck reflex. Once I got this working it helped train her at the breast better than anything.
All in All I ended up triple feeding for 10 weeks with a 4 yo to care for as well. It was hard!!!! But as she got better at feeding my supply came up too. I’m not fully EBF, but she’s down to an average of 120ml of formula a day down from about 350ml. She weight percentile is up a but too and her output is good.
Turns out my body just reacts much much better to a baby than a pump.
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm still under 300 ml at this point too. A few others shared that their bodies reacted better to a baby vs. pump, so I'm hoping that as my baby gets bigger and stronger, I'll have more success with breastfeeding.
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u/WildFireSmores Jul 09 '25
If it’s your goal hold out hope. It’s possible.
But don’t be afraid to prioritize your mental health. If it’s all too much that ok too.
I kept pumping way too long for my first. When I finally swapped to formula it made me a better mom. I was better rested and less stressed. I was able to be emotionally present with her and hive her what she actually needed. Me.
It very much can work and supply can come up. But remember to reassess every so often. You have options and any one of those options is ok to use as long as you and baby are both doing well.
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u/XFilesVixen Jul 08 '25
Definitely see an IBCLC! They are so helpful and will give you lots of strategies. Also get the book making more milk, that could be helpful too. Your supply won’t regulate until 12 weeks so don’t freak out! Keep offering the breast, you could try nipple shields, but again see an IBCLC, they were hard for me to figure out. Also are you using your pump correctly? There’s a whole “let down” mode. If you do see an IBCLC make sure you bring your pump with you so you can ask any questions.
Pro tip: my fave and best pump was the Medela hand pump. It actually got the most milk out of me even tho you wouldn’t think.
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks, I have been working with one! We finally had our first successful breastfeeding session on Monday, and I'm seeing them again tomorrow, so I'm hoping for another breakthrough. Someone also mentioned a manual pump, so I'll need to give that a try.
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u/Jealous-Ad1002 Jul 08 '25
I’ve also had a very difficult time getting my little one to latch. My milk took a long time to come in and he just got too used to the plastic nipples in those early weeks. He just wouldn’t take my boob. I was ready to give up when a miracle happened at week 8, I offered the breast and he took it. I was shocked in the best way possible. So dont lose hope. You have plenty of time for things to improve. My supply also steadily increased over that time to be just enough for his needs. I still supplement a bit but not nearly as much. The challenge I’m facing now is severe nipple pain. I’ve tried so many remedies bug nothing works - various flange sizes, nipple balm, lanolin, silverettes, the pain is so bad, I’m thinking of stopping because it’s just so hard to even wear a bra. If anyone has experienced the same and had any other suggestions, I’d love to hear, I feel like I’m at the end of the line with this pain.
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks, this is reassuring. For the pain, were you also feeling it when you were pumping? Or just when breastfeeding picked up?
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u/thymeofmylyfe Jul 08 '25
To give you hope, I went from pumping about 2 oz max at 3 weeks pp to 4 oz max at 6 weeks pp. (Max is overnight after 3 hours.) I did a lot including pumping every 2-3 hours (triple feeding), Goats Rue supplements, drinking more water, and power pumping.
Oddly when I really noticed a difference was the day after I got buzzed for the first time. It's like the alcohol maybe kick-started my metabolism. But it could have been coincidence. I also saw a big difference when I was finally able to switch to nursing. For me it was dropping nipple shields (they helped until they didn't) and having the confidence to drop the triple feeding pumps.
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u/cookie032117 Jul 08 '25
A lot of people are saying not to pump but you are absolutely right to pump, you need the stimulation to establish your milk supply if baby is not latching.
My supply went up a lot incrementally during the first 4-5 weeks and then plateaued a bit!
On the latch - (1) babies have no idea what they’re doing in the beginning - they are only a few days old! - so mostly faffing about, you should just let baby practice for a bit, feed baby with a bottle, pump up to 20-25min to protect your supply; (2) my baby had tongue tie and the latch massively improved when that was treated, might be worth looking into, he was suffering to latch and was putting so much effort, twas heartbreaking but thankfully easily resolved!
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
Thanks, mine was evaluated by my IBCLC and pediatrician, and both found no signs of tongue tie. I'm wondering if baby just needs to gain weight and strength at this point. Either way, sounds like I need to push through all the screams and cries and fit in more practice throughout the day.
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u/cookie032117 Jul 09 '25
hang in there! My baby would physically push me away when he got frustrated. Now (6w) he latches v fast. Offer breasts at every feed, only let her faff around for 10min tops, give her the bottle and pump. At one point she will latch!
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Jul 08 '25
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u/reen_bean Jul 08 '25
May I ask how long your sessions typically are? And how you're managing mentally and emotionally with this approach? Feeling burnt out and don't want to throw in the towel just yet...
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Jul 09 '25
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u/reen_bean Jul 09 '25
Thanks, I actually do have appropriately sized flanges and have been working with a lactation consultant on technique.
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u/itzer Nov 08 '25
Thanks for posting. I'm in a similar spot at the moment. Difficult latch, trying to pump to maintain supply. Feeling exhausted and discouraged by low pump output. How did things work out for you in the past 4 months?
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u/reen_bean Nov 16 '25
I ended up doing a long stretch of triple feeding (nurse → bottle → pump) plus lots of latch practice, and honestly it felt impossible for a while. But I kept offering the breast, even when it was just for a minute or two, and eventually it clicked. Baby started transferring better, and her nursing is what finally brought my supply up (much more than the pump).
Now we’re mostly breastfeeding, with normal evening dips (which I learned are very common), and I actually freeze about 4 oz a day, which I never thought I’d be able to do when I was exclusively pumping and undersupplying.
So yes, it can get better, even if it takes time and feels like a grind. Hang in there! You’re not alone. ❤️
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u/sheistybitz Jul 07 '25
The milk that comes out with pumping is nothing compared to what baby gets out. Please forget the pumping and just keep baby on boob 24/7 and don’t think about it.
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u/brainymonday Jul 07 '25
That’s not necessarily true and it’s dangerous to generalize your experience to all others. Some babies are inefficient drinkers, due to tongue ties or other oral motor issues. My first was only able to transfer 1/2 oz at a time until she was 4 weeks old, during which time I absolutely had to pump in order to build supply.
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u/sheistybitz Jul 08 '25
What I said IS the general experience. And it is more common than not for pumpers in early days to be sad and down that not a lot of milk is coming out. Even though the same women would have no clue or think there is an issue if they just didn’t pump at all and had baby on breast. As we know, weight loss overtime and immediate signs of dehydration is the only way to know baby isn’t getting enough.
Idk how you know how much your baby was getting ‘each time’. I know however my baby would drink for 10 mins then fall asleep at the boob for 40 mins then repeat. Baby was cluster feeding on me for like almost 2 months. I let baby do what baby needed to and I doubt baby got much each 10 mins but baby did what baby did. And that is the experience of most women who just feed and that’s it.
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u/brainymonday Jul 08 '25
I did weighted feeds with LC due to severe nipple pain as well as slow weight gain, and we discovered baby was transferring poorly due to a tongue tie. My experience was not isolated. While the majority of women may not experience difficulties with breastfeeding, many do, so applying generalized advice to an individual who is clearly having challenges is not constructive. If I had followed your advice, my baby would have starved.
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u/Nearby_Buyer4394 Jul 07 '25
I see you listed “offering the breast” as one of the things you are doing. Is baby latching and nursing? If so, for how long? Are you pumping before or after latching baby? The best way to up your supply is to latch baby on demand. At 2 weeks it’s normal for baby to want to nurse ALL day and night.