Does your supply slow down at certain point? I don't want to lose my milk ;(

[MamitaM]

My son is 8 months old and we nurse on demand and he's getting enough,at least he seems to be b/c he's happy and fat I also pump so I can donate. I used to be able to pump between 10-15 ounces a day. I took a small break from pumping for about a month or so and just started to pump again this week. I'm only able to pump about 4 ounces a day though. My breasts feel full and start to pump and it takes a good 2-3 minutes for the milk to come out. I've been drinking mothers milk tea over the past week as well,almost once a day. I just feel my supply has slowed down and I'm a little sad about it. Do you think if I keep pumping more and more it will go back up? I'd love to be able to pump 10-15 ounces a day again.

[Llyra]

It is very common for pumping output to decrease over time. There are many possible reasons for this. First, when you stopped pumping, your supply regulated itself to meet your son's needs exactly-- the reduced demand signaled a reduced supply. This is simple to deal with-- you need to increase the demand, by pumping more often, for a sustained period of time, and the supply will rebound. Secondly, it may be that your son is taking more milk than he used to, and so there's less "left over." Again, ordinary supply-increasing measures should help-- more demand equals more supply.

But it's also quite common for pumping output to decrease after a few months because the soft parts of a pump wear out, and you stop getting the best possible seal when you assemble your pump. (This will very a LOT from pump to pump-- I haven't pumped in several years, so I am not up on the different pumps anymore.) If your pump has soft parts, those may need to be replaced-- you can contact the pump manufacturer for information.

Finally, you mention taking longer to let down for the pump-- that's common, too. Being able to letdown for a pump can be tricky for some mamas-- it's in many ways a very psychological thing, and it can be conditioned, and when you took a pumping break, your body may have gotten out of the habit of responding well to the pump. This again can be solved by getting back into a regular pumping routine.

Best of luck to you. I don't think you need to worry that you're losing your milk, though-- that just doesn't happen, unless there's some cause, like reduced demand, or pregnancy hormones, or thyroid problems. It really does sound like you just need to reestablish the pumping habit, for a few weeks, and possibly look into replacing your pump parts if you've never done so.

[MamitaM]

I think I'm going to pump more often then. My pump doesn't have any soft parts,so it isn't the pump. I think it's just that I took such a long break from pumping,but I've started again so I guess I just need to get into the routine of pumping again for my supply to go back up. My pump is set up right beside me on the couch so I can easily grab it and pump while I type,watch tv or sometime even nurse my boy!

[Erin77]

I have exactly the same issue- my son is 8 months old and I gave myself a break from pumping for about 6 weeks. I was just sick of it, and I'm not sorry, but now I'd like to get 6-8 oz in a single pump again and it's not happening. I am drinking water, Mother's Milk tea and making myself pump during his naps and my output is increasing for sure. When I first pumped about a week ago after my vacation (ha ha) I only got about 2 oz per pump! Just now I got 4 oz and he had eaten only 30 minutes before. So it's coming back, but I have to re-adapt, I guess.