I exclusively bottle fed my first son pumped milk for 8 months so you CAN have an abundant supply from pumping alone.
pregnancy books I learned that since a pump does nothing but empty them, that it will decrease milk supply. which is true, and why is my supply going down?
Your pump is not just emptying your breasts, it is sending a signal to your brain that your baby just ate 4oz and that you now need to replace those ounces and make that amount again for the next feed. Your body is a wondrous thing...it does the thinking for you.
Most moms at 3 and 6 weeks feel like their supply goes down when suddenly baby is always hungry and mom can't keep up. That is a growth spurt and you need to feed and feed and feed cause your baby is getting your body to increase the supply to meet his growing demands. that is NOT the time to intriduce supplements and is a grave mistake. I digress...
Your breast engorgement will eventually cease as your body starts to regulate how much to make. When you are first starting, your body is making 3-4 times MORE than you actually need for that one baby and it takes a few weeks to settle. That is why you are not seeing the amount you used to. But even though you were pumping 5-6 ozs before, your baby wasn't taking all of that - it is hard cause you can't measure, but at that young age, they are only taking a few ounces at a time.
Your body is just regulating. try not to stress...drink lots of water and know that your body has you and baby covered
