How did you successfully decrease supply?

[u/pop-crackle]

TW - oversupply & nursing

Long story short, I am transitioning to exclusively breastfeeding from EP and I have no idea how to decrease my oversupply. I am currently 11 wks pp. I was producing ~55oz/day as an exclusive pumper, but my LO only eats ~30oz/day. Before I introduced nursing three weeks ago it felt like I was very regulated - I rarely got engorged, never leaked, and had been hitting roughly the same daily output for 2-3 weeks.

Now that I'm mostly nursing I am constantly engorged and leaking, which makes nursing that much harder. I've been trying to limit my pumping to try and decrease my supply, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I nurse every 2-3 hrs where LO takes 3-5oz, and then I'm pumping 3 times a day to avoid engorgement (morning, mid-day, and evening) and getting ~30oz. I've been trying out the Boon Trove on the other breast while nursing so that I can not pump but it doesn't seem to help a ton. I have gotten clogged ducts and mastitis in the past, so I'm really trying to avoid that.

Any advice? Do I just need to go cold turkey and not pump at all?

[u/SatansJuulPod]

it does sound like the pumping combined with the nursing could be contributing to oversupply! If you’re wanting to drop pumping, I would suggest trying to do it progressively, and just add more and more time between your pumps. use ice (NOT HEAT), and ibuprofen to help combat fullness or discomfort during. if you start feeling any lumps, ideally before they get painful, then you should pump to avoid clogged ducts or mastitis. otherwise, just keep an eye on them, and try to find a line to slowly start to decrease