How Pumping Can Increase Milk Production
Editor’s note: This post is sponsored by 1 Natural Way, providing insurance-covered pumping supplies and breastfeeding support.
Although breastfeeding often brings many questions, one of the biggest concerns for most new mothers is whether their supply is sufficient to nourish their baby. As always, if you have any concerns about your supply, consult your doctor. There’s no website, book, or piece of friendly advice that can replace the knowledge of a medical expert.
However, if you know you’re having a supply issue—either because the amount of ounces you’re pumping has decreased or because your baby is not gaining weight (consult your doctor to know for sure)—pumping can help increase your supply.
Having a new baby can be exhausting. The last thing you probably want to think about is carving out time you don’t have to attach yourself to a breast pump. However, your breast milk production works as a supply-and-demand system. The more you pump, the more you’ll make. In fact, barring any underlying medical conditions, pumping more will almost always boost your supply.
Your Supply and Demand System
Your body doesn’t know the difference between a baby suckling to remove milk and the mechanical action of a pump to remove milk. Therefore, using a pump to fully drain your breasts will, in turn, signal your body to produce more milk. The suction of the pump combined with the stimulation of your nipples tells your body to make more milk.
Having a need to boost your supply doesn’t necessarily mean your baby isn’t doing an effective job of nursing. Often, even when babies are gaining weight, they don’t completely drain your breasts during a feeding session. In this case, pumping after a nursing session simply removes more milk and triggers your body to make more.
Pumping after nursing can also be helpful if your baby is sick and not eating as much as usual or if she goes on a “nursing strike.” If your baby nurses relatively effectively, but you want to ensure your production is at its peak, simply pump for up to 15 minutes after nursing to drain your breasts and stimulate extra milk production.
If you have a genuine supply problem or are an exclusive pumper, pumping will be essential to maintain your supply. Be sure to use a double breast pump to save time, and pump for a minimum of 15 minutes per pumping session, at least 8-10 times a day. Once you’ve expressed the last drop of milk, continue to pump for another 2-5 minutes simply to stimulate your breasts and release the milk-producing hormone oxytocin.
If your baby does a fair amount of comfort nursing, you’ll want to limit nursing sessions to only active suckling. Comfort nursing is important for your baby’s comfort and bonding; however, it doesn’t provide your baby with food, and it also doesn’t stimulate your breasts to produce more milk.
Early Morning/Nighttime Pumping vs. Day Pumping
Many women find nighttime and early morning pumping sessions produce more milk than daytime pumping. This is because of the increased amount of prolactin in your body during these hours. If you can fit a middle of the night pumping session in for a few weeks to boost supply, we highly recommend it. However, listen to your body. Getting adequate sleep is important and being overtired can also stunt your production, so be sure to balance out any night pumping with an adequate amount of sleep.
Still Experiencing Low Supply?
If you still find yourself with a low supply there are a few more things you can do:
- Get as much skin-to-skin contact with your baby as possible. This is a highly effective way of bonding and increasing your supply.
- Remember to relax. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and even if you aren’t near your baby, try to imagine him or her. Stress and tension are never good for your milk supply.
- Finally, you can always ask your doctor to prescribe medication to boost your supply or ask them for recommendations on any over-the-counter medications or herbs that can safely stimulate your milk production.
Haven’t secured your insurance covered breast pump yet? 1 Natural Way is here to help. Simply click this link to get started.
1 Natural Way offers an array of products and services to make moms more comfortable and confident throughout their pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. They provide mothers with name-brand breast pumps, monthly breastfeeding supplies, maternity compression stockings, and postpartum recovery garments, as well as expert and compassionate advice and top-notch customer service. Click here to start the qualification process and find out if you qualify for a breast pump at no cost to you.
