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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Increasing Supply - Exclusive Pumping

7 replies

Romily · 08/01/2014 21:34

Hello

My son who was born premature is currently in intensive care and I am exclusively expressing as he is too ill to be breastfed directly. I am fortunate in that I have a hospital grade pump to use and I have been trying to express for 15 mins every 2 hours however my supply is not increasing as much as I would like.

So what can I do to help increase my supply? Pump more often? Pump for longer?

OP posts:
Mogz · 09/01/2014 01:38

Before you pump, massage your breasts, appky a hot flannel a d try to express a few drops by hand to get your let down reflex going. And then make sure you do pump from both sides twice. Night expressing is very important as your hormones are at their highest between 1-5am.
I have a hand pump and usually take 30 mins every 2 or 3 hours in the day and at least twiceatnight.
Keep well hydrated and eat well, oats are meant to help but I'm not sure of the evidence for that.
Best wishes to you a d your little one.

li41lh · 09/01/2014 02:08

I was pumping too when DD in hospital. I started taking fenugreek, brewers yeast and raspberry leaf tablets from Holland and barrett. Went from pumping a couple of ml to 150ml each time.

The nurses also said to double pump, so both at same time, drink as much water as possible, and use the pump on the max setting.

I did all this, and got there after a few days. Good luck!

Hopelass · 09/01/2014 19:37

Hi Op

I've been exclusively expressing for my DS for 3 months and have found eating porridge good for milk supply! There is little to no scientific evidence about this but I read it online and it does work for me, no idea why! I can really tell if I don't have it.

Other things that are recommended on other websites include making sure you pump between 1am and 5am when prolactin levels are highest; pumping for around 20 mins at a time (for both breasts, not 20 mins each); making sure in the early days that you get in 8-12 pumps per 24 hours as if you were breastfeeding until your supply is established.

If I think of anymore I'll be back, in the meantime the website kellymom has some good tips, I can't link as not on my laptop.

Good luck, it's hard work but worth it if its the only way of getting breast milk into your little one!

Lozzapops · 10/01/2014 18:04

Like the previous poster, I've been exclusively pumping for (almost) 3 months. All of the things mentioned above are great. Also, massage your breasts whilst pumping. I really notice the difference between just letting the pump get on with it, and if I give them a really good knead!

Drink a ton of water, and a big yes to fenugreek. Take 3 tablets 3 times a day. I bought mine on amazon, much cheaper than holland and barrett, unless they have a penny sale on. I also eat granola for breakfast to get some oats in. After the last drops of milk have come out, pump for another 5 minutes to make your body think it is still required for feeding.

You could also try a "power pump" every evening for a few days. Over the space of an hour, pump for 10 mins, rest for 10 mins, pump for 10 mins, rest for 10 mins, and so on. So if you're double pumping, that would be three 10 min pumps and three 10 min rests. If you're single pumping, just alternate breasts every 10 mins for an hour.

Good luck!

perfectstorm · 12/01/2014 05:01

Experiment. I found night pumping dropped my supply, whatever books/experts said, because expressing is not like feeding and you need rest to get a lot of milk. I "power pumped" at an every 2 hour level for 2 days, followed by 3 hours the next day, and after that slept the night through - was amazed to see how much milk you can pump at the end of that. All the advice was not to sleep through the night, but you know what? I was the only person I knew who managed to keep an ample supply up for as long as my baby needed it, and I slept alternate nights through and always, always had a ton of milk the next morning after good sleep, so maybe try that and see how you get along. If it isn't working then you can stop, but the sleep has value in itself anyway.

When pumping, watch a DVD or telly programme that you really enjoy, and don't think too much about pumping. Relaxing helps and that works in doing so. Also I found breast compressions (kneading/massaging) really helpful in getting more milk out, and supply/demand meant more would then be produced. I also pumped until a few minutes after the milk ended, because that warned my boobs to make more. And work with what feels comfy; the settings don't need to be on the strongest if that isn't feeling good. Different women respond differently to pumps, as with anything else. Pumping straight after a nice hot bath when in a snuggly dressing gown was also helpful.

I exclusively expressed for my ds for 7 months (he had oral issues that meant he refused all solids till then) so he was on litres of milk a day, all extracted by me with an ameda lactaline. He was on the 98th centile, too.

I gave up following rules and just followed my body. It worked for me.

lotsofcheese · 12/01/2014 20:13

Hi Romily, I hope your DS is getting stronger in NICU. & you are coping with the experience ok.

When my DS was in NICU, many of the mothers used Domperidone to boost supply, it's available on prescription via your GP.

Expressing is hard work & can be soul-destroying, so please be kind to yourself x

Midori1999 · 12/01/2014 20:34

Congratulations on the birth of your son. I'm sorry he is in NICU.

Are you also pumping at night? This is quite important for supply. Double pumping (pumping both breasts at the same time) is also good for supply, if you're not already doing that. You could also check the flange of the breast pump is the correct size for your breasts/is comfortable.

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