How does milk supply work as baby grows?

[Caz1412]

My little one is 16 weeks, he’s always been solely breastfed, until the last few weeks when I express I always got four ounces. The last few weeks I have only been getting two ounces a time.
He still seems a well fed baby and he’s growing well, he now weighs a stone 🙈
So my question is, how does it work? Does the milk supply not grow with baby and just include more of the nutrients he needs? Or should I be expecting to have more milk as he grows?
I really hope the milk supply is not drying up 😩

The volume will increase on demand (as in you can’t just run out, once supply is established, milk is largely produced as baby feeds). Unless you are dehydrated or not eating, your body should just keep making as much as you need though the speed it comes out will slow after a time. The actual content does change as well to, in terms of nutrients.

I wouldn’t judge your supply though on how much you get out when pumping as a pump doesn’t do the job as well as a baby does. If you are exclusively pumping though, you may need to alter your pumping schedule to increase supply, drink more fluids, etc. If he’s happy and gaining weight though, then all sounds just fine.

Are you exclusively pumping? If so you may need to do an extra pump in between what you’re doing now to increase the supply. Keep pumping well after the let down etc. The massive oversupply you had at first will calm down as your breasts will adjust better to producing/holding milk but if you’re exclusively pumping you have to work harder than with normal breastfeeding (where you just feed on demand with no problems to keep the supply generally).

You don’t pump as much as baby can take, but I also found that whilst pumping is easy to begin with - as time goes on, even though I make more milk, my boobs don’t give out for a pump much anymore. I had to try pump because of sepsis and then just of to keep some stored as an emergency, but my boobs simply don’t want to anymore

I exclusively pumped for twins for 15 months. It’s harder work than normal breastfeeding (breastfed my son for over 2 years) but it is doable.

I don’t exclusively pump, I just like to keep a little emergency supply and it’s nice for dad to feed him every now and then. Just surprised me how pumping was taking so much longer than usual with less milk produced.