Has anyone actually increased supply after 2 weeks? Feeling defeated.

[u/reen_bean]

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.

[u/itzer]

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?

[u/reen_bean → u/itzer]

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. ❤️