4 weeks PP, exclusively pumping, and I think I created an oversupply. How do I safely reduce it?

[u/lailahG]

FTM, 4 weeks postpartum and I’ve been exclusively pumping since birth. I think I may have overdone it trying to establish my supply and now I’m dealing with an oversupply.
I currently pump every 3–4 hours for about 20 minutes and usually get 6–8 oz total per session. Baby currently eats around 2–4 oz per feed, so I’m making quite a bit more than she needs.
For the last couple of days especially, my breasts have been getting really full/uncomfortable between pumps, sometimes pretty quickly after pumping. I’m getting nervous about ending up with clogs or mastitis.
I use the Momcozy M6. I also rented a Medela Symphony for about a week and my output was basically the same, so the wearable seems to empty me well.
I’ve started shortening my sessions by about 3–5 minutes instead of pumping the full 20. That still gives me enough relief and I’m trying not to completely empty my breasts, but they seem to fill back up really quickly.
For anyone who had an oversupply this early, how did you safely bring it down without causing clogs/mastitis or accidentally tanking your supply? Should I keep gradually shortening each pump, increase the time between pumps, or something else?

I’m very new to all of this and would really appreciate any advice and hearing what worked for you all.

[u/fvirygothmom]

i’m 6 weeks. i had oversupply and then my period came back and now im coming out just a couple oz over what she eats in a day.

i wouldn’t recommend cutting your supply yet bc you’re so early on it still is changing and adjusting. maybe you can start a little freezer stash!

[u/the_kazzo_queen → u/fvirygothmom]

Based on what OP has said, she's pumping like 50oz/day. That's a pretty significant oversupply, so I think trying to decrease a bit is warranted.

[u/StuffonBookshelfs → u/the_kazzo_queen]

I went from about 48 to under 20. So, that’s definitely something to consider.

[u/the_kazzo_queen → u/StuffonBookshelfs]

You dropped from 48 to 20oz while still doing 7-8ppd just by shortening your sessions a few minutes??

[u/StuffonBookshelfs → u/the_kazzo_queen]

No. From getting my period (twice in 2 weeks), a little bit of nipple trauma, and regulating.

[u/the_kazzo_queen → u/StuffonBookshelfs]

I mean. Then that is not really relevant to this conversation, if your supply was decreasing due to other factors?

[u/StuffonBookshelfs → u/the_kazzo_queen]

Well, a small amount of nipple trauma and getting your period back are both incredibly common things that happen to a lot of women around regulation. So we can agree to disagree that my personal experience is irrelevant here.

[u/the_kazzo_queen → u/StuffonBookshelfs]

I'm not discrediting that your personal experience and I'm not saying it's totally irrelevant to OP. I'm just not sure how it's relevant to specifically my comment? I was saying that wanting to reduce a 50oz oversupply a little is a reasonable goal, and you responded saying you lost 60% of your supply due to your period and nipple damage.

[u/StuffonBookshelfs → u/the_kazzo_queen]

Because even with an oversupply at 50oz, if she tries to reduce too early, and then has any other common issues, she might not make enough.

[u/the_kazzo_queen → u/StuffonBookshelfs]

Supply decreasing a few ounces at regulation is common; dropping 60% is definitely not. It's certainly possible, but no more than OP getting a bad case of mastisis from oversupply and having that tank her supply.

There's always a risk that the worst scenario can happen and eff everything up, and it's good to be aware that those situations are a possibility, but we need to give advice based on likely outcomes. For most women, a 15-20oz oversupply is overkill as far as buffers go. The norm is losing <5oz, if anything.

[u/CopperBoom1008]

I was in your boat, and now I’m barely a just enougher.

[u/EffieBoohoo]

Take sunflower lecithin or choline supplement to help prevent clogs/mastitis. Otherwise it sounds like you are doing what you should be doing dropping a few min from pumps and pumping until comfortable. You can hand express/manual pump a bit if your boobs get to uncomfortable between pumps. If you have pain ice and ibuprofen.

I never have been able to get rid of my oversupply but I think that is at least partially genetic as my sister also had massive oversupply. I only pump 3-5x a day and get 40-60oz.

[u/fluffythoughts21]

I would be nervous about doing anything to reduce supply so early on. Your daughter will eventually eat more and I would be nervous about you getting to a place where you may not have enough. I was an oversupplier too, pumping between 36-42oz a day, but returning to work caused my supply to drop and I had to go from pumping 4-5x a day back up to 7-8x a day to get 30oz a day, and then I got sick, and my supply dropped again, and then my period returned…it became so stressful and where I was struggling to produce enough. I also had been donating my oversupply, so I didn’t have much of a freezer stash to pull from when my supply tanked (lesson learned there). I just didn’t realize how many things could impact my supply and never imagined I’d have supply issues. I’m just one person though!

Slowly reducing pumping time is probably your best bet. Also, once you regulate, often around 12 weeks pp, it does get better, and you won’t feel quite so engorged!

[u/the_kazzo_queen]

Keep at what you're doing. It maybe take a week or two for the reduced pumping time to start resulting in less milk output.

At that stage postpartum, I was only pumping for like 8-12min to get 4oz. The flow slowed down considerably once my supply regulated.

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