Supply regulating?

[Katteh]

When did your supply regulate?

My little boy is 10.5 weeks and he still doesn't drink all the milk that I'm producing, especially in the mornings. I do sometimes express when I've got quite a bit left on the side he has eaten from so I suspect this isn't helping, but I'm just wondering if I stopped expressing whether my supply would regulate to just producing what he needs.

I quite like having a bit extra as it means I can express for the freezer, I probably express a couple of ounces a day so not a huge amount.

Thanks x

 

[embeth]

I'm wandering this too. My lo is only heading for 2 weeks but I always have a problem with over supply.
My boobs keep getting engorged so i started yesterday expressing just an ounce from each boob each evening to relieve. I know this risks increasing supply but hoping once he is bigger and takes a bit more just an ounce per breast shouldn't have too much effect.

If you're only expressing very little then I can't imagine it should have too much effect on your supply. Not 100% sure though, hope someone else can help xxx

 

[Rachel_C]

I think my supply regulated around 6 weeks but every now and then there have been times when more milk was suddenly needed (growth spurts etc) or less milk was needed (after a growth spurt when there was a bit of a lull) so it's a constantly evolving thing. I wouldn't expect it to suddenly become 'right' and stay there forever. You just get used to it I think!

How do you know you have too much milk? I'm just asking because it's pretty common for people to think, "There's still milk coming out if I try to express so LO hasn't taken it all" but your boobs will never actually be empty as they continue making milk throughout the feed. Milk will always be available, usually just slower than at the start of the feed when some has been stored up ready. If LO hasn't fed as much in the night, it might be the case that your boobs will not feel quite so 'empty' after the first feed of the day but as long as you're not uncomfortable and LO takes a bit more later in the day it's not an issue. If you stop expressing, your supply should accommodate that - your boobs will make however much you normally express less than otherwise, but it might not change how your boobs feel. It's normal for your boobs to feel different at different times of the day; I wouldn't expect it to always be a case of "I can feel LO hasn't fed for a while" followed by a feed followed by "Now my boobs feel empty".

Whatever you express will have an effect on your supply. If you're happy to always express an ounce (or however much) there's no problem with that. If not, I would only express to take the edge off if you really feel you have to. What I preferred to do instead of proper expressing was to hold a muslin to/under my boob (you could use a cup to collect it if you want to save it) and just massage your boobs a bit. If they're really full, they might leak a bit which will take the edge off while hopefully not stimulating supply quite as much.

 

[NoodleSnack]

Around 13w, I still have engorgement once in a while, but before that, I would be engorged in the morning even though he fed through the night and leak copiously at every feed, he would also sometimes feed until it pours back out.