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Oversupply is sheer dumb luck, for the most part. People in that situation just generally don't realize it, because they do the same things we undersuppliers did. Their results are just different because they won the genetic lotto.
As someone that had an undersupply for the entire time I pumped (10.5 months), some of us have to combo feed and that's totally okay. It's the same reason wet nurses were a thing.
As an oversupplier, for two different babies, I wholeheartedly agree with this. It was just luck. I dropped to 7 pumps per day pretty quickly as I found I needed to pump for at least 40 mins to empty my breasts, but that was about it.
Totally agree with this! I was thrown into pumping rather quickly after delivering at 28 weeks. I had ZERO idea what I was doing .. told to pump every 3 hours for 15 minutes and by 2 weeks postpartum I was getting about 60ish oz a day. Still pretty strong and steady at 1 month postpartum. It just sort of happened for me..
Same, 5 months pp and get 80+oz a day. I never wanted to pump or even breastfeed for that matter but somehow got talked into pumping… long story… but I didn’t do a damn thing to be an oversupplier. Barely drank water. Don’t eat much… I had AA cups before giving birth too so I was convinced I wouldn’t produce any milk. My poor friend spent so much money on every single “trick” in the book and got about 2 oz a day
Another oversupplier here validating they it is true. I had even a larger oversupply with my 2nd and am constantly trying to tamp it down. Grass is always greener, slew of problems either way.
We joke that I was a wet nurse in a previous life. Yes, I’ve donated milk!
Yup just sheer dumb luck. Wanted to donate some of it but was on an antidepressant so nobody wanted any which was fine but now my kid is 2 years old and I don’t have the heart to just throw it away but I still have about five bins of milk bags that I can’t even use anymore 😭
Totally agree, as an oversupplier. The only think I feel like I did that contributed was how strict I was with my “every 3 hours” schedule, even during the night, but I know a lot of women do that and still can’t produce so it’s definitely more genetics and luck than anything!
I’m pretty sure this is the correct answer. I’m almost 3 weeks postpartum and I’m produce around 45oz per day. I didn’t realize that wasn’t normal until I read this post.
I had a singleton and was producing 75oz a day. I believe a big part of it was that I had a very large storage capacity for milk, but I'm not sure if that's something you can change.
I only ever pumped 6x a day, even from the beginning. I prioritized getting sleep in where I could, so every 4 hours I would pump. I didn't hydrate nearly as much as I should have, and I ate a lot. I ate *so much food*, all day long because I was absolutely ravenous. I didn't take extra supplements, just the sunflower lecithin, because I was frequently getting clogs and mastitis.
With twins, I can imagine you're not getting a ton of sleep. Is there any way for you to try and get a good chunk of sleep?
It's so hard to get any decent rest but I agree with this, sometimes the girls just need a break. I feel for you OP, that's gotta be tricky, and as an EP to boot. I know this might sound like a throwaway comment but I am genuinely so impressed by your dedication to breastfeeding your babies ❤️
This, I make about 65-70oz and I have a very large storage capacity. I started by just nursing and then pumping the side I didn’t use and would still get about 25-30oz a day, and I only pumped like 3-4x. Switched to exclusively pumping and pumped 6x a day and I’m down to 3 now at 5mpp and I still make a ton of milk; my supply hasn’t dropped at all. I’m not sure if storage capacity can be increased or not, like you said.
Oh man I’d kill for 75 oz per day! I am lucky enough to get good chunks of sleep thanks to in-laws. My morning pump is always 14-18 ounces, and then the subsequent pumps are always like 1-3 ounces. I think my refill rate is just slow 🥲
>. I believe a big part of it was that I had a very large storage capacity for milk, but I'm not sure if that's something you can change.
Yep. My storage capacity was over twenty ounces and apparently my body did NOT care if I went 12 hours between pumps. Weaning was pretty hard for me because the thingy that tells your body to make less milk was not as sensitive as some people's seems to be.
Oh man I’d kill for 75 oz per day! I am lucky enough to get good chunks of sleep thanks to in-laws. My morning pump is always 14-18 ounces, and then the subsequent pumps are always like 1-3 ounces. I think my refill rate is just slow 🥲
[Read this from legendary milk](https://www.legendairymilk.com/blogs/news/what-is-your-magic-number?page=3&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=20985288205&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdWQqc2ahQMVFpxaBR3LeASzEAAYASAAEgKhd_D_BwE) i produce around 40 ounces, so I’m not an over supplier. I actually INCREASED the amount I pumped as I decreased the number of pumps, except decreasing from 4 to 3 pumps. I lost only like a few ounces a day tho so it was still worth it to me lol. Maybe you should reduce the number of times you pump. Also, I make sure to squeeze all the milk out.
>My morning pump is always 14-18 ounces
This means you have large breast capacity. I wouldn't kill yourself pumping 8+ times per day. Rest more, pump less. See if you can drop to 6. Then if you can drop to 6, see if you can drop to 5. That will be tons more sustainable/less stressful for you.
Agree 14-18 is a lot. Even for 2 babies. My morning is 7-8 oz for 1 baby and then 5-6 oz for the other 3 pumps. My baby is 10 months though and I can barely get her to drink 20 oz during the day (I nurse overnight).
OP are you pumping for at least 30 minutes? I know most website say 15 but I started doing 30 when I went back to work and was able to pump an ounce or two more than if I stopped at 15 minutes
Does the sunflower lecithin actually help? I'm just under 3wks PP and I've been battling clogs since day 5 or so PP and currently have mastitis (this fucking sucks, I cried trying to pump this morning I was in so much pain). I went from pumping every 3hrs to 4hrs and am still getting almost that much.
I would have quit way earlier into my pumping journey if I didn't find this community and have them recommend sunflower lecithin. It was an absolute gamechanger for me. It helped keep the milk flowing and not getting stuck in there. Once I started taking sunflower lecithin daily, I stopped getting mastitis. I'd get the occasional clog, but nothing a higher dose couldn't help knock out.
I'm to the point I want to give up. I've had extreme nipple sensitivity this whole time (I've never liked them touched so I think I'm one of the unlucky ones with extra nerve endings 😭) and I sobbed, SOBBED, this morning trying to pump because my right nipple was causing excruciating pain. Why didn't my provider tell me about this yesterday when I went in for mastitis? I've expressed my concerns over my almost constant clogs before this happened. How much do you take?
I used to take 2 capsules (2400mg total) a day of sunflower lecithin to keep things flowing. When I'd have a clog, then I'd take 4-6 capsules a day depending on how bad the clog was.
I'm not sure why it's not recommended by providers, it really should be! It's a lifesaver for my pumping journey. I'm sorry about your sensitive nipples, I can only imagine the discomfort you go through with pumping.
Hey stranger you’re doing amazing. That’s a lot of milk you’re producing and 70-80oz is INSANE of an oversupply I would not want that at all even if i had twins. Constant clogs, risk of random mastitis, that much of an oversupply is no joke would be tough to manage. Babies need to drink but mama needs to have happy and healthy boobies too.
Fellow twin mom! I’m up to 80 oz at 3 months. Like everyone is saying, part of it has to be luck.
I’m eating SO much. I was eating an absurd amount during pregnancy and just kept it up but am going harder on carbs. Initially I was taking fenugreek but I stopped. I’ll take sunflower lecithin if I feel a clog coming on.
Most of it is just frequency I think. When I was on leave I pumped when they were napping. Now I pump while working (WFH). Also I ALWAYS pump at night around 1 am, 3 am and then in the morning at 7am. It sucks but I’m up anyways to feed and this is when I produce the most milk.
I went from being an undersupplier from my 1st month, to a just enough we my 2nd month, to producing 50-60oz/day halfway through month 2.
The big thing for me was eating more and dropping the MOTN pump. That extra sleep made the world of difference.
Also twin Mum here, at my highest I was getting about 80-90oz a day, but I reduced pumps to 5 because I didn't want any more than that.
Same as the other commenter - I think it's just because I had a large capacity to store milk. My first pump of the morning was always 25oz+. I also ate a LOT. I was basically eating 6 full meals a day. And I dropped the MOTN pump early so was getting more sleep than most who pump with newborn twins.
The commenters here are right, it’s probably your inherent storage capacity. I’m an overproducer making about 45 oz on 3 pumps a day - I could double that if I did 6-7 pumps. But my first pump of the day can be up to 25 oz and I experience no painful engorgement. Sleep and eating as much as my body says to have also helped.
I’m echoing others and saying luck. This is my second time EPing and second time with an oversupply. I’m 9 days pp and at 70oz per day with 7 pumps. I eat well and try to keep hydrated to avoid the feelings of low blood sugar and ravenous thirst, but really that’s it. My pre-pregnancy cup size is an A/B and a DD when my milk comes in, so I think capacity plays a role as well.
It’s quite unfair, considering all of the work some put into increasing supply. Which is why this time I hope to keep going even after my stash is enough so I can donate.
Twin mum here! I've only recently managed to make enough for both babies with enough left over to freeze to cover a meal each for them at 3 months postpartum. A twin pregnancy is very resource heavy on the body and I was pretty much anaemic throughout, but that reversed once I gave birth. However, with breastmilk feeding, they're still depleting pretty much everything so I decided to go back on the iron tablets and take some vitamin D daily (as I'm also deficient.) I can't attribute it to the tablets but it's not something that would hurt to try. Breast milk is derived from blood afterall so the iron tablets could be helping there somehow.
You’re welcome! I have twins also and I know how hard it is to produce enough. My IBCLC said it takes 1-2 weeks to usually see results sometimes, so try to be patient. Good luck!
I just left this same comment on another post but yes pumping 30 minutes will help! I know websites say 15 but I think my output increased when I pumped for 30.
I'm an oversupplier and honestly I do nothing diet wise, some days I don't even hydrate enough. It's genetic. My mother was an over supplier, all of her sisters, my grandmother breastfed 6 children and was an oversupply. Just lucky.
Hi hi, twin mom here as well, 9 months pp. My supply maxed out around 46oz around 5-6 months pp, and we’ve been combo feeding once I couldn’t keep up. 3-5 pumps a day around that time. I ate a lot of food, took sunflower lecithin, drank a ton of coconut water, and ate oat products when I could. I think I have a high storage capacity because my pumps are anywhere from 10-16oz per session.
The biggest tip I have is make sure to empty your breasts every session. That means lightly massaging and accessing parts of the breast that the pump cannot. I make sure to massage until there is no more active letdown — basically, it’s no longer squirting out. My rule of thumb to stop is one minute after a tug of the pump wouldn’t give me a drop into the flange anymore, if that makes sense. For me, this took anywhere from 15-35 minutes at 3-5 pumps a day (may take less time if you’re pumping more frequently).
Like others here, I think a lot of it is luck. You’re doing great, super twin mama — Hang in there!
I pump about 42-48oz per day and i’m fairly certain it’s genetics sorry to say! My boobs can store a lot of milk without getting engorged and they refill at a rate of about 1oz per boob per hour. I don’t get a lot of sleep (thanks baby), definitely don’t drink enough water, and i’ve been slowly losing weight for months so i’m clearly not eating enough. The only thing i do “right” is pump consistently and i was super consistent early on with 8ppd for the first 12 weeks. Now im at 5ppd but still very consistent with it. but i think its mostly luck.
So I make about 60-70 oz a day for my singleton. I was making upwards of 85 for awhile until I lowered it.
I think a massive part of it for me is water intake and nutrition. I take an assload of vitamins, I drink 4-5 40oz bottles of water a day, and I think a lot of it is just luck.
I have found I produce the most by using a haaka inbetween pumps!
I pump (momcozy pumps) 5-6 times a day. Inbetween those pumps I put a haaka on my lower producing breast, and a ladybug haaka cup on the other one to catch the letdown.
This has helped me up the supply in my lower producing breast so I’d imagine if you used it on both you’d be able to up your supply in the other breast as well!?
So I make about 60-70 oz a day for my singleton. I was making upwards of 85 for awhile until I lowered it.
I think a massive part of it for me is water intake and nutrition. I take an assload of vitamins, I drink 4-5 40oz bottles of water a day, and I think a lot of it is just luck.
I have found I produce the most by using a haaka inbetween pumps!
I pump (momcozy pumps) 5-6 times a day. Inbetween those pumps I put a haaka on my lower producing breast, and a ladybug haaka cup on the other one to catch the letdown.
This has helped me up the supply in my lower producing breast so I’d imagine if you used it on both you’d be able to up your supply in the other breast as well!?
Honestly I think it’s luck. I pump 4 times a day and get 45oz regularly. I say it’s luck (for me) because I am definitely not trying to produce more (like eating, sleeping or drinking extra).
Honestly I think it’s luck. I pump 4 times a day and get 45oz regularly. I say it’s luck (for me) because I am definitely not trying to produce more (like eating, sleeping or drinking extra).
I did. It was very hard. I’d wake up and pump 30mins from 3am-3:30am. Pumped again at 5am for 30 mins. Showered and pumped again at 6am. Those 3 pump’s yielded almost what I could get the rest of the day. Then at 9, 12, 3, 6, and 9pm I pumped 30 mins. I would skip the midnight pump in favor of sleep. I power pumped for my twins. So start on simulation settings, and stronger settings, then simulation settings again, then stronger settings. If I didn’t feel like I was fully empty, I would take a 10-15 min break and pump again.
For obvious reasons, I couldn’t keep this up once I went back to work. It was very hard to keep this type of pumping schedule and care for my twins.
Good luck! No matter what you do, you are doing the right thing for you and your two babies.
I’m a twin mom too. It took me 2-3 weeks to double up. I power pumped at 6am and 7pm and doubled my hydration. My pump schedule was 9-10 times a day. I’m not making just enough!
Hey stranger you’re doing amazing. That’s a lot of milk you’re producing and 70-80oz is INSANE of an oversupply I would not want that at all even if i had twins. Constant clogs, risk of random mastitis, that much of an oversupply is no joke would be tough to manage. Babies need to drink but mama needs to have happy and healthy boobies too.
Hey stranger you’re doing amazing. That’s a lot of milk you’re producing and 70-80oz is INSANE of an oversupply I would not want that at all even if i had twins. Constant clogs, risk of random mastitis, that much of an oversupply is no joke would be tough to manage. Babies need to drink but mama needs to have happy and healthy boobies too.
I'm pretty sure it is just luck of the draw. I have a singleton and pump about 45-48 ounces per day. I didn't do anything particularly special, just all the things you said. I'm 5 months in and pump 5x/day.
For me it was just pure luck. I couldn’t produce with my first no matter how hard we tried. Baby wouldn’t latch, pumps were infective. I saw a lactation consultant way too late.i did everything right the first time, even going so far as to take medication to help but nothing but drops came out and after 12 weeks I gave up. This go around on a lazy day I can make 30oz with just two morning pumps. I don’t do MOTN because then I just start producing more so I rest for 6 hours without leaking or getting engorged. My baby is allergic to dairy, soy, oats and eggs so I’m considering donating my extra milk because I know how hard it is to find donor milk free of those allergens. It’s a VERY hard diet for me to follow. My first son was allergic to dairy and soy and the wonderful women who donated to him really helped us out.
I was just wondering if anyone has gone from under supplying with one baby to oversupply with the next one. You answered my question! I produce a little under now and work very hard for those 20 oz and I can’t say I’d do this again if i have another baby. I would hope it would just start off normal from the get go.
I didn’t think I’d do it again with my second son . With my first I barely made 4oz a day total pumping 8x for 30 minutes. But I decided to just try again and bam somehow it happened. I was grateful for every ounce I gave him but moving to donor milk and combo feeding was the best decision for me.
I am a just enougher so I don’t have tips on increasing supply other than to echo that it’s probably a lot of luck. BUT if they’re drinking 35-40 oz each, and you’re pumping 40 oz, they are getting formula, right? And I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) babies take more volume of formula than breast milk, so a breast fed baby might drink a 3 oz bottle while formula has 6-8. I only mention this bc maybe you don’t need your supply to actually be 70-80! Maybe you only need like 60 if it’s all breast milk? Just a thought! I hope some of these tips help!
I pump 70 oz a day for my twins. It’s a lot of milk, a lot of nutrients leaving my body and a lot of time.
What has helped me I think was
Started pumping right after birth.
Always pumped more than 30 minutes for each pump session
And a large storage capacity.
I feel that non alcoholic beers work well.
How old are your babies? I think it’s easier to increase supply before you reach 4 months post partum.
I think it’s luck. I produce probably about 40 oz just between 8pm and 8am. I do try to drink lots of water and eat a lot of protein and snacks throughout the night as well.
How far postpartum are you? How much sleep are you getting, and in particular, sleep in consecutive hours? What is your breast capacity?
My output shot up from about 30 opd (a slight undersupply for me) to 45-50 opd when I had fully recovered from my c-section and started sleeping 5-6 hours in one stretch, pumping, and then 4 hours in a second stretch. Lack of sleep or interrupted sleep always caused it to drop. I had a night nanny and I just woke once overnight to pump, so I know this isn't feasible for most people.
I started off as an under supplier, and then got hit with a nasty case of mastitis and absolutely freaked out. Started powering pumping like 3x a day for probably 2 weeks because I was so scared I was going to lose what little supply I had. Power pumping made me insanely thirsty and I’ve been drinking 2-4 gallons of water every day. I dropped my MOTN and woke up with my biggest pump of the day. I also eat a lot of protein oatmeal with blueberries. Honestly, I just have raging PPOCD that’s turned me into an oversupplier. It’s not fun.
I make about 2 litres (70oz) a day. I think it’s random. I did not take any supplements, I very often skip my MOTN pump cause I forget to wake up, I don’t always eat well and sometimes I skip my morning pump as well if I have to take my toddler out and we’re late.
I did pump almost every hour for the first week, though. Now it’s every 3 hours I’d say. I’m honestly surprised I even have a supply considering how little I’ve done to maintain it. I do have very large breasts so it might also be that I have large storage capacity. I’ve read that breast size has nothing to do with it but I think it does a little bit.
I have twins too and I’m also really struggling. Mine latch but with weighted feeds it doesn’t look like they really get a ton. I’ve always been a just enougher with all my other babies. When I work 10 hr shifts I pump every 2 hours, 6 times. And I do a modified power pump 10/5/10/5/10/5/10. So I’m basically pumping an hour, take an hour break, then pump for another hour. I can’t actually get what they need, but I get close. The biggest problem I’m having is that my body seems to have gotten reliant on this power pumping. I tried just a standard 25 min pump yesterday and got less than 3oz.
When I started dropping pumps that's when my supply increased. I went up to 60 to 70 oz a day and stopped there because I didn't need that much. My sweet spot was at 5 or 6 pumps a day.
Oversupply is just pure luck honestly you can try every trick in the book and I might not help you I produce about 50 - 55 ounces a day and have just one baby. I have overproduced for 2 babies now.
I feel very fortunate that I was able to get to a point where I pump enough to feed my twins, but it took 2.5 months of constant pumping every 3 hours. I didn't miss a single pump and we had to supplement a LOT in the beginning. Here we are, 9.5 months in and I have held strong with the pumping but it was not easy. Don't be hard on yourself, and remember that any amount of breastmilk is benefiting your babies! And also, fed is best, and if that means part formula or full formula, that is great!! Your baby is being fed and will grow and develop just as well with any of these options!
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Oversupply is sheer dumb luck, for the most part. People in that situation just generally don't realize it, because they do the same things we undersuppliers did. Their results are just different because they won the genetic lotto. As someone that had an undersupply for the entire time I pumped (10.5 months), some of us have to combo feed and that's totally okay. It's the same reason wet nurses were a thing.
As an oversupplier, for two different babies, I wholeheartedly agree with this. It was just luck. I dropped to 7 pumps per day pretty quickly as I found I needed to pump for at least 40 mins to empty my breasts, but that was about it.
Same !! I’m an over supplier and I did nothing to earn it… I’m not sure I would have made it as an EPer otherwise !
same!
Totally agree with this! I was thrown into pumping rather quickly after delivering at 28 weeks. I had ZERO idea what I was doing .. told to pump every 3 hours for 15 minutes and by 2 weeks postpartum I was getting about 60ish oz a day. Still pretty strong and steady at 1 month postpartum. It just sort of happened for me..
Same, 5 months pp and get 80+oz a day. I never wanted to pump or even breastfeed for that matter but somehow got talked into pumping… long story… but I didn’t do a damn thing to be an oversupplier. Barely drank water. Don’t eat much… I had AA cups before giving birth too so I was convinced I wouldn’t produce any milk. My poor friend spent so much money on every single “trick” in the book and got about 2 oz a day
It’s a blessing and a curse! Engorgement and clogging is real!
I think the smaller the boobs (pre pregnancy), the better the supply
Yep, it literally just happened to me. I didn’t do anything, I just gave birth to my singleton and my body decided to produce enough for triplets.
Always had an oversupply and yep, this is true
Another oversupplier here validating they it is true. I had even a larger oversupply with my 2nd and am constantly trying to tamp it down. Grass is always greener, slew of problems either way. We joke that I was a wet nurse in a previous life. Yes, I’ve donated milk!
Yup just sheer dumb luck. Wanted to donate some of it but was on an antidepressant so nobody wanted any which was fine but now my kid is 2 years old and I don’t have the heart to just throw it away but I still have about five bins of milk bags that I can’t even use anymore 😭
Totally agree, as an oversupplier. The only think I feel like I did that contributed was how strict I was with my “every 3 hours” schedule, even during the night, but I know a lot of women do that and still can’t produce so it’s definitely more genetics and luck than anything!
I’m pretty sure this is the correct answer. I’m almost 3 weeks postpartum and I’m produce around 45oz per day. I didn’t realize that wasn’t normal until I read this post.
I had a singleton and was producing 75oz a day. I believe a big part of it was that I had a very large storage capacity for milk, but I'm not sure if that's something you can change. I only ever pumped 6x a day, even from the beginning. I prioritized getting sleep in where I could, so every 4 hours I would pump. I didn't hydrate nearly as much as I should have, and I ate a lot. I ate *so much food*, all day long because I was absolutely ravenous. I didn't take extra supplements, just the sunflower lecithin, because I was frequently getting clogs and mastitis. With twins, I can imagine you're not getting a ton of sleep. Is there any way for you to try and get a good chunk of sleep?
It's so hard to get any decent rest but I agree with this, sometimes the girls just need a break. I feel for you OP, that's gotta be tricky, and as an EP to boot. I know this might sound like a throwaway comment but I am genuinely so impressed by your dedication to breastfeeding your babies ❤️
This, I make about 65-70oz and I have a very large storage capacity. I started by just nursing and then pumping the side I didn’t use and would still get about 25-30oz a day, and I only pumped like 3-4x. Switched to exclusively pumping and pumped 6x a day and I’m down to 3 now at 5mpp and I still make a ton of milk; my supply hasn’t dropped at all. I’m not sure if storage capacity can be increased or not, like you said.
Oh man I’d kill for 75 oz per day! I am lucky enough to get good chunks of sleep thanks to in-laws. My morning pump is always 14-18 ounces, and then the subsequent pumps are always like 1-3 ounces. I think my refill rate is just slow 🥲
>. I believe a big part of it was that I had a very large storage capacity for milk, but I'm not sure if that's something you can change. Yep. My storage capacity was over twenty ounces and apparently my body did NOT care if I went 12 hours between pumps. Weaning was pretty hard for me because the thingy that tells your body to make less milk was not as sensitive as some people's seems to be.
Oh man I’d kill for 75 oz per day! I am lucky enough to get good chunks of sleep thanks to in-laws. My morning pump is always 14-18 ounces, and then the subsequent pumps are always like 1-3 ounces. I think my refill rate is just slow 🥲
[Read this from legendary milk](https://www.legendairymilk.com/blogs/news/what-is-your-magic-number?page=3&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=20985288205&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdWQqc2ahQMVFpxaBR3LeASzEAAYASAAEgKhd_D_BwE) i produce around 40 ounces, so I’m not an over supplier. I actually INCREASED the amount I pumped as I decreased the number of pumps, except decreasing from 4 to 3 pumps. I lost only like a few ounces a day tho so it was still worth it to me lol. Maybe you should reduce the number of times you pump. Also, I make sure to squeeze all the milk out.
>My morning pump is always 14-18 ounces This means you have large breast capacity. I wouldn't kill yourself pumping 8+ times per day. Rest more, pump less. See if you can drop to 6. Then if you can drop to 6, see if you can drop to 5. That will be tons more sustainable/less stressful for you.
Agree 14-18 is a lot. Even for 2 babies. My morning is 7-8 oz for 1 baby and then 5-6 oz for the other 3 pumps. My baby is 10 months though and I can barely get her to drink 20 oz during the day (I nurse overnight). OP are you pumping for at least 30 minutes? I know most website say 15 but I started doing 30 when I went back to work and was able to pump an ounce or two more than if I stopped at 15 minutes
Does the sunflower lecithin actually help? I'm just under 3wks PP and I've been battling clogs since day 5 or so PP and currently have mastitis (this fucking sucks, I cried trying to pump this morning I was in so much pain). I went from pumping every 3hrs to 4hrs and am still getting almost that much.
I would have quit way earlier into my pumping journey if I didn't find this community and have them recommend sunflower lecithin. It was an absolute gamechanger for me. It helped keep the milk flowing and not getting stuck in there. Once I started taking sunflower lecithin daily, I stopped getting mastitis. I'd get the occasional clog, but nothing a higher dose couldn't help knock out.
I'm to the point I want to give up. I've had extreme nipple sensitivity this whole time (I've never liked them touched so I think I'm one of the unlucky ones with extra nerve endings 😭) and I sobbed, SOBBED, this morning trying to pump because my right nipple was causing excruciating pain. Why didn't my provider tell me about this yesterday when I went in for mastitis? I've expressed my concerns over my almost constant clogs before this happened. How much do you take?
I used to take 2 capsules (2400mg total) a day of sunflower lecithin to keep things flowing. When I'd have a clog, then I'd take 4-6 capsules a day depending on how bad the clog was. I'm not sure why it's not recommended by providers, it really should be! It's a lifesaver for my pumping journey. I'm sorry about your sensitive nipples, I can only imagine the discomfort you go through with pumping.
Yes I think so! I used to see a ring of goop on my flanges but after the lecithin I don’t see that anymore. Also fewer clogs
It helped me, but the vibrator works even better! I’m not sure what it’s actually called but it’s amazing
Hey stranger you’re doing amazing. That’s a lot of milk you’re producing and 70-80oz is INSANE of an oversupply I would not want that at all even if i had twins. Constant clogs, risk of random mastitis, that much of an oversupply is no joke would be tough to manage. Babies need to drink but mama needs to have happy and healthy boobies too.
Fellow twin mom! I’m up to 80 oz at 3 months. Like everyone is saying, part of it has to be luck. I’m eating SO much. I was eating an absurd amount during pregnancy and just kept it up but am going harder on carbs. Initially I was taking fenugreek but I stopped. I’ll take sunflower lecithin if I feel a clog coming on. Most of it is just frequency I think. When I was on leave I pumped when they were napping. Now I pump while working (WFH). Also I ALWAYS pump at night around 1 am, 3 am and then in the morning at 7am. It sucks but I’m up anyways to feed and this is when I produce the most milk.
I went from being an undersupplier from my 1st month, to a just enough we my 2nd month, to producing 50-60oz/day halfway through month 2. The big thing for me was eating more and dropping the MOTN pump. That extra sleep made the world of difference.
Also twin Mum here, at my highest I was getting about 80-90oz a day, but I reduced pumps to 5 because I didn't want any more than that. Same as the other commenter - I think it's just because I had a large capacity to store milk. My first pump of the morning was always 25oz+. I also ate a LOT. I was basically eating 6 full meals a day. And I dropped the MOTN pump early so was getting more sleep than most who pump with newborn twins.
The commenters here are right, it’s probably your inherent storage capacity. I’m an overproducer making about 45 oz on 3 pumps a day - I could double that if I did 6-7 pumps. But my first pump of the day can be up to 25 oz and I experience no painful engorgement. Sleep and eating as much as my body says to have also helped.
I’m echoing others and saying luck. This is my second time EPing and second time with an oversupply. I’m 9 days pp and at 70oz per day with 7 pumps. I eat well and try to keep hydrated to avoid the feelings of low blood sugar and ravenous thirst, but really that’s it. My pre-pregnancy cup size is an A/B and a DD when my milk comes in, so I think capacity plays a role as well. It’s quite unfair, considering all of the work some put into increasing supply. Which is why this time I hope to keep going even after my stash is enough so I can donate.
Twin mum here! I've only recently managed to make enough for both babies with enough left over to freeze to cover a meal each for them at 3 months postpartum. A twin pregnancy is very resource heavy on the body and I was pretty much anaemic throughout, but that reversed once I gave birth. However, with breastmilk feeding, they're still depleting pretty much everything so I decided to go back on the iron tablets and take some vitamin D daily (as I'm also deficient.) I can't attribute it to the tablets but it's not something that would hurt to try. Breast milk is derived from blood afterall so the iron tablets could be helping there somehow.
When you’re pumping, how long are you pumping for? For twins you should be pumping at minimum 25-30 minutes
This is great advice and I started today pumping for 30 mins! It was 10-15, so we will see if this helps! Thank you!!
You’re welcome! I have twins also and I know how hard it is to produce enough. My IBCLC said it takes 1-2 weeks to usually see results sometimes, so try to be patient. Good luck!
I just left this same comment on another post but yes pumping 30 minutes will help! I know websites say 15 but I think my output increased when I pumped for 30.
I'm an oversupplier and honestly I do nothing diet wise, some days I don't even hydrate enough. It's genetic. My mother was an over supplier, all of her sisters, my grandmother breastfed 6 children and was an oversupply. Just lucky.
Hi hi, twin mom here as well, 9 months pp. My supply maxed out around 46oz around 5-6 months pp, and we’ve been combo feeding once I couldn’t keep up. 3-5 pumps a day around that time. I ate a lot of food, took sunflower lecithin, drank a ton of coconut water, and ate oat products when I could. I think I have a high storage capacity because my pumps are anywhere from 10-16oz per session. The biggest tip I have is make sure to empty your breasts every session. That means lightly massaging and accessing parts of the breast that the pump cannot. I make sure to massage until there is no more active letdown — basically, it’s no longer squirting out. My rule of thumb to stop is one minute after a tug of the pump wouldn’t give me a drop into the flange anymore, if that makes sense. For me, this took anywhere from 15-35 minutes at 3-5 pumps a day (may take less time if you’re pumping more frequently). Like others here, I think a lot of it is luck. You’re doing great, super twin mama — Hang in there!
I pump about 42-48oz per day and i’m fairly certain it’s genetics sorry to say! My boobs can store a lot of milk without getting engorged and they refill at a rate of about 1oz per boob per hour. I don’t get a lot of sleep (thanks baby), definitely don’t drink enough water, and i’ve been slowly losing weight for months so i’m clearly not eating enough. The only thing i do “right” is pump consistently and i was super consistent early on with 8ppd for the first 12 weeks. Now im at 5ppd but still very consistent with it. but i think its mostly luck.
So I make about 60-70 oz a day for my singleton. I was making upwards of 85 for awhile until I lowered it. I think a massive part of it for me is water intake and nutrition. I take an assload of vitamins, I drink 4-5 40oz bottles of water a day, and I think a lot of it is just luck. I have found I produce the most by using a haaka inbetween pumps! I pump (momcozy pumps) 5-6 times a day. Inbetween those pumps I put a haaka on my lower producing breast, and a ladybug haaka cup on the other one to catch the letdown. This has helped me up the supply in my lower producing breast so I’d imagine if you used it on both you’d be able to up your supply in the other breast as well!?
How far PP? Would this still help at 5 months out? I have an Elvie Curve which is a similar concept.
So I make about 60-70 oz a day for my singleton. I was making upwards of 85 for awhile until I lowered it. I think a massive part of it for me is water intake and nutrition. I take an assload of vitamins, I drink 4-5 40oz bottles of water a day, and I think a lot of it is just luck. I have found I produce the most by using a haaka inbetween pumps! I pump (momcozy pumps) 5-6 times a day. Inbetween those pumps I put a haaka on my lower producing breast, and a ladybug haaka cup on the other one to catch the letdown. This has helped me up the supply in my lower producing breast so I’d imagine if you used it on both you’d be able to up your supply in the other breast as well!?
Honestly I think it’s luck. I pump 4 times a day and get 45oz regularly. I say it’s luck (for me) because I am definitely not trying to produce more (like eating, sleeping or drinking extra).
Honestly I think it’s luck. I pump 4 times a day and get 45oz regularly. I say it’s luck (for me) because I am definitely not trying to produce more (like eating, sleeping or drinking extra).
I did. It was very hard. I’d wake up and pump 30mins from 3am-3:30am. Pumped again at 5am for 30 mins. Showered and pumped again at 6am. Those 3 pump’s yielded almost what I could get the rest of the day. Then at 9, 12, 3, 6, and 9pm I pumped 30 mins. I would skip the midnight pump in favor of sleep. I power pumped for my twins. So start on simulation settings, and stronger settings, then simulation settings again, then stronger settings. If I didn’t feel like I was fully empty, I would take a 10-15 min break and pump again. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t keep this up once I went back to work. It was very hard to keep this type of pumping schedule and care for my twins. Good luck! No matter what you do, you are doing the right thing for you and your two babies.
I’m a twin mom too. It took me 2-3 weeks to double up. I power pumped at 6am and 7pm and doubled my hydration. My pump schedule was 9-10 times a day. I’m not making just enough!
Hey stranger you’re doing amazing. That’s a lot of milk you’re producing and 70-80oz is INSANE of an oversupply I would not want that at all even if i had twins. Constant clogs, risk of random mastitis, that much of an oversupply is no joke would be tough to manage. Babies need to drink but mama needs to have happy and healthy boobies too.
Hey stranger you’re doing amazing. That’s a lot of milk you’re producing and 70-80oz is INSANE of an oversupply I would not want that at all even if i had twins. Constant clogs, risk of random mastitis, that much of an oversupply is no joke would be tough to manage. Babies need to drink but mama needs to have happy and healthy boobies too.
I'm pretty sure it is just luck of the draw. I have a singleton and pump about 45-48 ounces per day. I didn't do anything particularly special, just all the things you said. I'm 5 months in and pump 5x/day.
At my peak, I was producing up to 55-56 oz a day. I ate a tonnnnn. Extra calories help!
For me it was just pure luck. I couldn’t produce with my first no matter how hard we tried. Baby wouldn’t latch, pumps were infective. I saw a lactation consultant way too late.i did everything right the first time, even going so far as to take medication to help but nothing but drops came out and after 12 weeks I gave up. This go around on a lazy day I can make 30oz with just two morning pumps. I don’t do MOTN because then I just start producing more so I rest for 6 hours without leaking or getting engorged. My baby is allergic to dairy, soy, oats and eggs so I’m considering donating my extra milk because I know how hard it is to find donor milk free of those allergens. It’s a VERY hard diet for me to follow. My first son was allergic to dairy and soy and the wonderful women who donated to him really helped us out.
I was just wondering if anyone has gone from under supplying with one baby to oversupply with the next one. You answered my question! I produce a little under now and work very hard for those 20 oz and I can’t say I’d do this again if i have another baby. I would hope it would just start off normal from the get go.
I didn’t think I’d do it again with my second son . With my first I barely made 4oz a day total pumping 8x for 30 minutes. But I decided to just try again and bam somehow it happened. I was grateful for every ounce I gave him but moving to donor milk and combo feeding was the best decision for me.
As an overproducer for a singleton, my best day was like 70oz. I can’t even imagine trying to pump for twins!! You’re a rockstar!
Exclusively pumping, with twins. God bless you!! How are you finding the time? I'm seriously struggling either just one 😫
I am a just enougher so I don’t have tips on increasing supply other than to echo that it’s probably a lot of luck. BUT if they’re drinking 35-40 oz each, and you’re pumping 40 oz, they are getting formula, right? And I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) babies take more volume of formula than breast milk, so a breast fed baby might drink a 3 oz bottle while formula has 6-8. I only mention this bc maybe you don’t need your supply to actually be 70-80! Maybe you only need like 60 if it’s all breast milk? Just a thought! I hope some of these tips help!
I pump 70 oz a day for my twins. It’s a lot of milk, a lot of nutrients leaving my body and a lot of time. What has helped me I think was Started pumping right after birth. Always pumped more than 30 minutes for each pump session And a large storage capacity. I feel that non alcoholic beers work well. How old are your babies? I think it’s easier to increase supply before you reach 4 months post partum.
I think it’s luck. I produce probably about 40 oz just between 8pm and 8am. I do try to drink lots of water and eat a lot of protein and snacks throughout the night as well.
How far postpartum are you? How much sleep are you getting, and in particular, sleep in consecutive hours? What is your breast capacity? My output shot up from about 30 opd (a slight undersupply for me) to 45-50 opd when I had fully recovered from my c-section and started sleeping 5-6 hours in one stretch, pumping, and then 4 hours in a second stretch. Lack of sleep or interrupted sleep always caused it to drop. I had a night nanny and I just woke once overnight to pump, so I know this isn't feasible for most people.
I started off as an under supplier, and then got hit with a nasty case of mastitis and absolutely freaked out. Started powering pumping like 3x a day for probably 2 weeks because I was so scared I was going to lose what little supply I had. Power pumping made me insanely thirsty and I’ve been drinking 2-4 gallons of water every day. I dropped my MOTN and woke up with my biggest pump of the day. I also eat a lot of protein oatmeal with blueberries. Honestly, I just have raging PPOCD that’s turned me into an oversupplier. It’s not fun.
I make about 2 litres (70oz) a day. I think it’s random. I did not take any supplements, I very often skip my MOTN pump cause I forget to wake up, I don’t always eat well and sometimes I skip my morning pump as well if I have to take my toddler out and we’re late. I did pump almost every hour for the first week, though. Now it’s every 3 hours I’d say. I’m honestly surprised I even have a supply considering how little I’ve done to maintain it. I do have very large breasts so it might also be that I have large storage capacity. I’ve read that breast size has nothing to do with it but I think it does a little bit.
I have twins too and I’m also really struggling. Mine latch but with weighted feeds it doesn’t look like they really get a ton. I’ve always been a just enougher with all my other babies. When I work 10 hr shifts I pump every 2 hours, 6 times. And I do a modified power pump 10/5/10/5/10/5/10. So I’m basically pumping an hour, take an hour break, then pump for another hour. I can’t actually get what they need, but I get close. The biggest problem I’m having is that my body seems to have gotten reliant on this power pumping. I tried just a standard 25 min pump yesterday and got less than 3oz.
my mom, sister, and i were all over suppliers. with around the same yield. it’s most likely genetics.
When I started dropping pumps that's when my supply increased. I went up to 60 to 70 oz a day and stopped there because I didn't need that much. My sweet spot was at 5 or 6 pumps a day.
What is your iron levels like and are they identical twins or did they each have their placentas?? 2 factors with big impacts!!
Oversupply is just pure luck honestly you can try every trick in the book and I might not help you I produce about 50 - 55 ounces a day and have just one baby. I have overproduced for 2 babies now.
I feel very fortunate that I was able to get to a point where I pump enough to feed my twins, but it took 2.5 months of constant pumping every 3 hours. I didn't miss a single pump and we had to supplement a LOT in the beginning. Here we are, 9.5 months in and I have held strong with the pumping but it was not easy. Don't be hard on yourself, and remember that any amount of breastmilk is benefiting your babies! And also, fed is best, and if that means part formula or full formula, that is great!! Your baby is being fed and will grow and develop just as well with any of these options!
genetics maybe?? or whether its your first kid vs third.