Pumping then no milk in breast for baby

[NewMummyJelly]

Hi I’m in a bit of a cycle that I need advice on please…

baby feeds fine at night, in the morning and early afternoon, but by 4/5pm I feel engorged as I dont think she drains the breast. So I pump. Come 6/ 7pm she’s looking for boob and I feel empty.

I’m pumping enough to give her a bottle in the evening but I’m worried that if I don’t pump my supply will drop. Or shall I just wait for the baby to want to feed and forget pumping all together?

thanks for your advice

Personally I'd suggest you hand express just enough to relieve the engorgement, rather than pump, then feed on demand.

It takes around six weeks for supply to be established, longer if pumping and bottle feeding is in the mix and many people accidentally end their bf journey early by the cycle you describe as they start to pump more and more and feed less and less.

How old is your baby?

I'd personally drop the pumping and do as the poster above says, just hand relief and let your baby take as much as they need.

The pumping could also be making you engorged as you're potentially making more than she is draining. So I'd try and break the cycle.

@Flittingaboutagain and @Abridget7 thank you for getting back to me.

baby is 3 weeks.

I’ll not pump for a few days and see how we get on.

may I ask… I feel like the breasts are full before the feeds and they look full and leak… I like this because it tells me I’m making enough milk for the baby but in a few weeks, months time will I still have this? Or will I see the breasts look less full as things regulate? Thank you

Congratulations on your baby and well done for getting through 3 weeks of breastfeeding - sounds like you're doing so well and off to a great start.

Around 8 weeks-ish your supply will settle down and your breasts might not have that full leaky feeling but don't worry, all the work you've put it over the first few months will mean you have an established supply and meeting all her needs.

Just to add... if your breasts feel soft that doesn't mean they're empty. You'll have supply.

Yep hand express for relief and then feed. Pumping at that stage gave me oversupply some I wish I’d held off.

This website was my lifesaver when I was breastfeeding

kellymom.com/category/bf/

Once supply is established then soft breasts are happy breasts as PP says. Mine started being less engorged by about 12 weeks because it took a while to go from cup feeding to the breast only, but still leaked at times until about a year! I'm still feeding now at 18m. Many people find they soften from about 8 weeks.

You're doing great! I also second kellymom

Thank you all so much, the encouragement and support gives me lots of confidence to carry on and keep going

I had a similar issue when my lo was tiny although I didn’t feel engorged. I was trying to feed at the breast and pump so my husband could give baby a bottle later on but i ended up taking the milk that baby needed right there and then if that makes sense. I found it very stressful and in hindsight I wouldn’t have stressed myself out with pumping. I do know it works for alot of mothers though and the pumping session acts like an extra feed. Altho pumping might cause your breasts to become more engorged. As another user suggested you could perhaps hand express just enough to relieve the engorgement?
hope you find a solution that works for you x

You are adding to the engorgement. It's supply and demand. If you keep pumping you are telling your breasts to make more milk. They won't settle until you stop. Only pump feeds you plan to give the baby. Hakka's are great for lighter hand expressing.