Pumping Tips To Increase Milk Supply – Breast pumps are tools we use to support breast milk production when direct breastfeeding is not an option for any reason. Sometimes, we go so far as to use this tool to mimic some of the behaviors we see babies using the breast to increase milk production! Two of my favorite strategies for increasing milk supply with a pump include power pumping and cluster pumping. I will break down these two pumping methods so you can better understand what each is trying to achieve and choose the most appropriate option to achieve your goals.
Power pumping is the practice of timed pumping where the time is (usually) about an hour, where you alternate between pumping for a certain amount of time, then rest, and start pumping again.
Pumping Tips To Increase Milk Supply
When your breasts are stimulated with a breast pump, prolactin levels rise during the first few minutes of stimulation and then begin to fall again. Prolactin is the main hormone responsible for stimulating milk production and raising the level of prolactin will lead to increased production over time. You won’t see immediate results with energy infusions, but within a few days, most parents experience an increase in overall production.
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Pumping is often defined as feeding in one go using a pump, but the way pumping is used is often not consistent with batch feeding, which babies often do over hours versus a single event such as pumping. . Power pumping is actually a way to use our understanding of prolactin cycles by stimulating the nipple to increase production and support pumping goals.
Power pumping is often used instead of regular pump operation. Let’s assume the parent pumps 6 times a day at 01:00, 6:00, 11:00, 15:00, 18:00, and 22:00. If a parent wants to use a power pump, they can select a specific session to replace with a power pump session – for example, pump at 6 p.m. They will typically pump from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM, but if they want to pump energy, they will alternate between pumping and scheduled rest periods from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. This can be a very effective solution to increase supply at a certain time of the day, as the body will learn over time that pumping at 6:00 PM requires maximum milk production.
Collection Suction takes the common concept of suction power and raises it to a higher level. When babies are group fed, they tend to feed at intervals and usually for several hours, usually in the evening. Parents who have experienced push feeding can tell you that sessions are usually shorter than breastfeeding therapy, and there is no feeding pattern other than eating a lot over the course of a few hours. This helps raise prolactin levels, but also increases the time during which the breast is removed regularly and milk is not allowed to accumulate.
Batch pumping mimics this behavior by using short, regular pumping sessions that aren’t really designed to keep prolactin high and the breasts emptying. The same parent above with the same pumping schedule will use cluster pumping between two pumping sessions without skipping those sessions and adding short regular pumps in between.
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Let’s say you want to pump between 18:00 and 22:00. You pump at 18:00 for 20 minutes, 6:35 for 6 minutes, 7:15 for 9 minutes, 7:42 for 7 minutes, 8:20 for 10 minutes, 8:55 for 10 minutes 6, 9:22 for 5 minutes, 9:47 for 5 minutes, and 10:00 PM for 20 minutes.
The number of pumping sessions becomes 8 when the breasts are removed and prolactin is raised. But mass pumping is powerful, so it’s easy to see why powerful pumping may be a reality for many parents!
Batch pumping will be more efficient, but the power pump may be more than enough to achieve the desired output and is less stressful.
Pumping can be limited to a specific time, so the most common way to do this is to have another caregiver look after the babies. Power can be pumped using a hands-free bra and milk can be pumped from bottles at intervals to maintain control. Alternatively, hands-free collection cups can be used to help pump energy while giving you more freedom to go about your business during the session – especially when paired with a portable pump. In fact, pumping will likely occur while the baby is sleeping and other babies are busy. Evening pump when the kids are asleep is a good time for this!
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Batch pumping is more complex to manage, requiring access to the pump several times within a few hours. I advise you to treat the start and end times like your normal pumping sessions and make sure you keep them at your normal times. Next, keep your pump ready and accessible and hold it down for a few minutes to get it pumping as quickly as possible! When I used this technique, I left the pump ready on the counter, inserted the Freeme cups, tucked them into my bra for a few minutes, then stopped, removed them, and left. Some days, the pumping sets were more effective than others, but even on a tough day where you could only increase the speed by 2-3 times, the results were excellent. An empty breast signals the body to produce more milk, and cluster pumping keeps the breast empty longer than power pumping.
You can try power pumping or cluster pumping when you feel like increasing your milk supply. Power pumping and batch pumping are techniques that can help solve the supply problem quickly, and as long as you are using the right sized flanges and pumping does not cause pain or damage, there is little risk.
If you’re having difficulty with your milk supply and would like help determining how best to improve your condition, schedule a consultation today! In today’s world of working mothers and short maternity leave, pumping has become a huge part of the breastfeeding journey. And let’s be honest for a moment: pumping can be really hard! Sometimes pumping enough milk seems like an impossible task. If you’re having trouble pumping enough milk, I have good news for you: This post is full of tips and tricks to help you pump more milk.
I wrote about this in another blog when we talked about obesity in breastfed children: We need to know what the real problem is. If you can’t pump enough milk, you probably have one of two problems: either your milk supply is low, or you’re not pumping well. In this post, I will focus on effective pumping techniques, saving delivery issues for another post. Suffice it to say for now: If your baby has gained weight by now, your supply probably won’t be an issue. But remember, because of the way milk production is regulated, using a more efficient pumping method – and thus getting more milk out of the breast – will also improve your supply. Double win!
Tips For Pumping On The Go
When it comes to pumping, there is one very important thing to understand and master: the let down reflex (also known as the let down reflex). Simply put, it is what allows the milk to flow. What happens in the body is the following: When the breast is stimulated (for example by a baby, or by a pump) the brain secretes a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin causes all the small muscles surrounding the milk ducts and milk glands to contract, “pushing” the milk out of the breast. Sometimes you may feel a reflex like a load or pressure in one breast falling, or you may notice that the other breast is starting to leak. Some women never feel it, or you may feel it with some foods but not others. But if you see milk flowing while you’re pumping, you can be sure you’ve had a miscarriage.
Fun fact: Oxytocin also causes labor contractions and orgasms! It also causes menstrual pain like the cramps you feel after giving birth when your uterus contracts – which is why your uterus shrinks back to its normal size once you breastfeed. As if that wasn’t enough, it is also the bonding hormone with the mother, so it gives you a warm feeling for your baby. Oxytocin is amazing!
But back to the reflexive disappointment. The milk reflex plays an important role in pumping: most of the milk that comes out comes out during descent. Before the emptying reflex, there is about 10ml of milk in the breast – so if that’s the kind of volume you’re getting, you may not be disappointed.
Since the contractions are driven by oxytocin, this helps
How Pumping Can Increase Your Milk Production
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