How to make pumping work for you.
Some people say that breast pumping is like a witchcraft!
I once did an educational book group facilitated by Barbara Robertson IBCLC and I remember her saying she advises families to “Make friends with your pump”. It really is worth putting in the time to get to know your pump including reading the instructions and getting familiar with the different settings as this can drastically change the yield.
Maintain your machine:
Many pumps have small parts which need regular replacement, flanges come in various sizes to suit, if you have borrowed a pump or obtained one second hand you may not realise this.
A few tips to get the most out of a pumping session:
Pumping is a mind-game, the more you can relax and feel warm & safe and visualise the milk flowing for your baby, the more likely you are to be successful. There are even “mindfulness for breast pumping” tracks and affirmations on YouTube!
Some mothers when separated from their babies (using childcare for instance) find they have to watch a video of their child on their phone or smell some clothing their baby wore the day before in order to have a successful pumping session.
Heat before pumping:
A Turkish study asked mothers to wear a warm compress against her breast for 20 minutes before pumping three times a day with the result that they were able to yield on average about 40% more milk.*
Using hands:
I love this quote from Lourdes Santaballa, an IBCLC and leader with LaLeche league Puerto Rico:
“Hand expression, we thought of this for a while (as pumps were becoming more and more popular) as being kind of an antiquated way of removing milk and we didn’t have to do it any more, but time is proving that technology is not wiser than science. It’s more effective, it’s less expensive and it’s always ready”
And this opinion is backed up by research:
This film from Stanford shows how early hand expression increases later milk production. Mixing massage with pumping achieves more milk quicker. And fattier milk too!
A film about flange fitting & different types off flanges & flange liners:
Power pumping and Boot Camp:
When pumping to boost milk production many mothers find intensive pumping strategies more effective and time-efficient than a regime of pumping “after every feed” or every 3-4hrs throughout the day, and some super-women to both for a short time just to give boosting production “a red-hot go”.
There are no hard-and-fast rules re how to do this, AND no research to prove it works, but it’s basically meant to mimic babies cluster feeding.
Suggestions include:
Spend an hour watching your favourite TV show with a snack and pump 10mins on 10mins off throughout.
Gently relax and massage your breasts for 5mins then double electric pump for 20mins, massage and hand express for 10 mins, double pump again.
Pump every hour one day for just 5-10mins a time.
If you have any questions regarding anything mentioned in this post, please feel free to get in touch.
You might be interested in my “Returning to work while breastfeeding” workshop. Details here.
Or maybe you are pumping to boost supply and would like bespoke plan? Details here.