3 Pumping Mistakes that are Secretly Lowering Your Milk Supply

Let’s talk about something I see all the time—three sneaky pumping mistakes that are quietly lowering your milk supply. If you’re feeling frustrated with your output, constantly second-guessing yourself, or trying every trick you’ve seen on Pinterest or Instagram… this one’s for you.

But first, let’s clear something up:

There’s nothing wrong with you.

Seriously. When supply starts to drop, most moms immediately blame their bodies. And that usually leads to trying supplements, drinking gallons of water, tweaking their pumping schedule—you name it—all in an effort to “fix” something that isn’t broken.

The truth? For many pumping moms, the issue isn’t you—it’s how you’re using the breast pump.

(This post was originally a video. Check it out, here!)

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A breast pump is just a tool. A robot, really. And like any tool, it needs to be used correctly—for your specific body. What works for one mom doesn’t always work for another, which is why downloading a schedule from Pinterest isn’t the magic answer (although wouldn’t that be nice?).

Take Megan, for example. She was exclusively pumping for twins, chasing that elusive 50-ounce goal. She had tried everything—Pinterest schedules, supplements, all the advice. Nothing worked. She was about to give up when she joined our coaching program.

Six weeks later? She hit her 50-ounce goal and was giving her boys only breast milk.

If you want to know what changed for Megan (and what might change for you), let’s dive into the three big mistakes she—and so many other moms—were making.

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Mistake #1: Relying on Generic Advice

This one’s huge.

Every body is different. Every milk supply is different. Every pump session is different. That’s why the settings or schedule that worked wonders for your friend or a social media influencer may not work for you.

I had a client, Amanda, who followed a very rigid pumping plan she found online—same timing, same suction, same everything another mom had used. But she wasn’t getting results. Once we started working together, we adjusted her pump model and customized her cycle speeds to match her letdown pattern.

Almost immediately, her output improved.

So yes—generic advice can be a helpful starting point. But when it becomes the plan instead of your plan, it can do more harm than good. This is especially tricky with influencers. They’re sharing what worked for them—which is great—but that doesn’t make it universal truth.

Bottom line? The secret isn’t finding the perfect advice. It’s learning how to make your breast pump work for you.

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Mistake #2: Not Pumping Correctly (for You)

Now when I say “correctly,” I don’t mean following a rulebook. I mean learning how to pump in a way that works with your body, your routine, and your baby’s needs.

Let’s talk flange sizing.

I wish there were a simple formula for it—like measure and add a few millimeters—but there’s not. I’ve worked with thousands of moms and seen more nipple variations than I ever imagined possible (seriously). Flange fit is personal. And getting it right makes a massive difference.

Another example? Monica, a busy nurse, came to me because her sessions were dragging on forever and her output was low. We found her flange size was off and her suction settings were too low for her body. After a few adjustments—faster cycle speeds, better fit—her output went up, and her pumping time went down.

That’s the dream: fast, comfortable, and effective.

For some moms, it’s the pump settings. For others, it’s letdown technique, mental load, or the schedule itself. There are a lot of pieces, and the right combination will be different for everyone.

The key is to experiment with purpose—not at random. Know what you’re adjusting and why.

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Mistake #3: Always Chasing “More”

This is the most common mistake I see—always trying to increase supply. Always searching for a little more. And it makes sense, right? You want to feed your baby well. You’re trying to stay ahead. But this “never enough” mindset can be exhausting—and expensive.

It reminds me of Jenna, one of my long-term clients. She was pumping at odd hours, trying extra sessions, supplements, all of it. She was completely burned out. And her supply? It was all over the place.

After we reviewed her routine, I reassured her that her supply was actually fine. We made a few simple changes—cut back to a sustainable schedule, reduced the extra stress—and not only did her milk supply stabilize, but her mental health improved too.

Sometimes less is more.

Pumping doesn’t need to be a full-time job. In fact, constantly tweaking your plan, testing hacks, and juggling supplements can lead to worse results. And the worst part? If something does work, you don’t know what it was because you changed five things at once. Now you feel stuck doing all of them.

Random strategies lead to random results. We don’t want that.

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What to Do Instead

IIf any of this sounds familiar, you would’ve loved the Milk Supply Workshop I recently hosted. In that free training, I walked through the exact three-part framework we use inside our coaching program to help moms build, protect, and control their milk supply—without stress, supplements, or wasted time.

We went deep into:

• How to find the right pump settings and schedule for your body
• How to pump more efficiently in less time
• And how to stop obsessing over every single ounce

If you missed it, don’t worry—the workshop will be back!
You can join the waitlist to be the first to know when the next one opens.

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You don’t need to try everything. You just need a plan that actually works for you.

Let’s find it together.