One thing I wish I knew before my first pumping journey: your milk supply is built in the early postpartum weeks. I wish someone had told me how important it was to pump every 2–3 hours, even when it felt exhausting or like nothing was coming out. I didn’t know, and my supply ended up being much lower because of it.
During pregnancy, I watched so many pumping videos where moms filled bottles with milk, and I thought that’s what pumping would look like for me. When it didn’t, I felt like I was failing.
Now I know that’s not the reality for every mom. In the beginning, even a few drops or a small amount is completely normal. Every ounce tells your body to make more, and consistency matters so much more than the amount you pump.
This is now my second pumping journey, and because I learned from my first experience, I made pumping every 2–3 hours a priority in those early weeks. It made all the difference. I was able to establish a healthy supply that not only feeds my baby but has also allowed me to build a freezer stash in my deep freezer.
If you’re a new pumping mama, don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Social media often shows the overflowing bottles, but not the hard work it took to get there. Your journey is your own, and every pump session is an investment in your future supply. You’re doing better than you think.
This is such a beautiful reminder. Thank you for sharing your experience from your second journey, it’s so true that every single drop counts in the beginning and comparing ourselves to curated social media feeds only steals our joy. Comparison is the thief of joy indeed
It was so hard to get my supply up after it has regulated. Pumping 10-12x a day my first journey at 4months was so exhausting. I truly wish I knew sooner about the effectiveness of pumping consistently on a schedule the first few weeks.
Anytime I come across a new mom or mom to be that’s planning to exclusively pump I try my best to tell them to stay consistent so they don’t end up having to work harder in the middle of their journey
I feel this a lot! I EBF and pump on the side but in the beginning I had the hardest time staying on schedule but for some reason the Momcozy app community section helped me so much just so encouraging and I didn’t feel alone plus it has a wealth of knowledge
