Does pumping effectively boost milk supply?

[Aiionwatha]

So I'm aware of all the other things that boost supply, like skin to skin and feeding as frequently as possible, but does pumping (either in place of a feed or after a feed to empty the breast) effectively boost your milk supply?

At the moment my supply is too low. Whenever DD wants to feed, she is never satisfied and I always need to give her a big bottle after. I have seen a lactation consultant to sort out latch, had her tongue tie snipped and she's seeing a cranial osteopath. But I think it now basically comes down to the fact that my supply is too low and there just isn't enough there to satisfy her. My breasts are only really full first thing in the morning, then all day I have to give her big top ups.

Will pumping after each feed boost my supply?

Oh I feel for you, I was endlessly concerned about my supply.
We were constantly told the best way to promote your supply is by feeding, feeding,feeding.
Sadly I can't be of more help as i just didn't have faith so I ended up solely pumping after a few months up until he was 1 year old.

So i am sorry I'm of no more help, but I do feel for you, it can be incredibly stressful

Was baby putting on weight ok before you started giving a bottle after a feed?
How did it come about you started giving a bottle as well, was baby crying for more milk?

Just some questions others may have to help give you advice

Thank you! If you were solely pumping, did you find that you regularly had enough milk to satisfy him?

In hospital she was not feeding at all - she was unable to latch (probs because of tongue tie). They wouldn't discharge me unless I gave her formula, so I started doing that, and had to continue until I started pumping. Now, her latch is fine but I don't have enough supply. I am breastfeeding her whenever I can, pumping what little is there when I do give her a bottle, and topping her up with formula.

Spend a couple of days in bed feeding her for as long as she wants as often as she wants. Drink lots, eat plenty and rest.

If you a giving a bottle, you will not increase your supply.

I'm just trying to find out whether pumping also effectively boosts supply.

Are you stuck in the 'top up trap'?
Have a Google about and see - sometimes good infographics regarding top up trap on Google images too.
I'd get yourself to some good face to face support ran by volunteers (not MW or HV) too to get their advice.

You could also power pump but this is along side feeding directly at the breast, cutting out the bottles.

Well done for giving Bfeeding a great go especially after TT!

Good luck xxx

How old is your baby? If very young, it's not uncommon to be feeding very (very!) regularly. As pp have said, feeding itself will boost your supply as your body responds to the needs of your baby by learning how much milk they want.

I didn't find pumping boosted my supply as such, but I did find that I could pump and use that for bottles (and kept a supply in the freezer).

The midwife who did my DC tongue tie recommended a couple of things that did help my supply. One was switch feeding, so feeding on one side for 7 minutes then swapping and continuing like this until DC was finished. Another was doing a "sandwich feed" of breast-bottle-breast so that DC would end the feed at their choice on the breast rather than because a bottle was empty.

I ultimately ended up exclusively bf for 6 months and mixed until 16 months but the early weeks were very tough. I basically accepted that feeding was my full time job. It's not like that for everyone but it was for me.

Try as much as possible to trust that your supply is okay and will improve the more you feed if that's what you want to do. Provided your baby has plenty of wet nappies and is gaining weight, your supply is enough.

Best of luck.

I did breast, bottle, pump every feed. It was exhausting, I saw so many lactation specialists and they all agreed I didn’t have enough supply. I never felt full, I spent my whole time either feeding or pumping when they were asleep, I barely got time to rest. I even got a drug prescribed to boost supply along with herbal remedies. I don’t think I had enough breast tissue, but I’ll never know why exactly. I kept this up for 5 months and if I have another child I won’t do that again. The guilt I felt about not being able to ebf was awful, coupled with all the feeding and pumping, I never really enjoyed my baby at that time. I went away, ditched the pump, breastfed where I could but stopped the guilt I felt about bottles. Yes, bf does have benefits, but not when they are detrimental to the mother’s health and bonding. After I stopped I felt a new connection to my baby and they are nearly 2 and thriving. Please just do whatever works for you and there is no shame in stopping, please look after yourself and more importantly enjoy your baby, if they are fed and happy, it doesn’t matter how you do it!! I wish you all the luck!

I had a tough birth first time and always had a low supply. Nothing came out when I pumped. I combi fed for 6 months.
With my second, I had no problems with supply. But still couldn't get anything when I pumped.

Thank you! If you were solely pumping, did you find that you regularly had enough milk to satisfy him?

I did (I found fudge cake helped, genuinely, I'm not sure of it was the fat or something)
But I did find it stressful pumping, I do wish I had persevered and trusted my body a bit more, or at least give it a 2 week try and solely direct feeding. The thing was nothing could put me at ease our DS was giving me loads of healthy nappies, was growing in a "perfect healthy curve" but I just worried constantly and didn't want to be on edge all the time.

So I solely pumped, sitting watching the TV with DH attached to the pump, not the most romantic but I did it until he was 1 so about 9 months of it.

My advice would (hypercritically) be trust your body, just for a week (if you can) and see how your supply goes.

If not and you can't and it's damaging your MH with your baby, yes it was enough to pump and keep him fed, he continued to grow on a "perfect curve" and I was a lot happier I could see what was actually going in him,. He was tiny born (5lb 13) so I just had to see I was feeding him up.

Sorry that a bit "waffly" but just remember it's important you are happy as well,so do what's best for you

So I solely pumped, sitting watching the TV with DH attached to the pump, not the most romantic but I did it until he was 1 so about 9 months of it.

Punctuation may help, DH wasn't attached to the bloomin pump 😂😂 I was watching TV ,with DH, attached to the pump.

Thanks all. Very helpful. I'm still not clear on whether pumping does anything to help supply though.

I am no lactation consultant but it definitely does in my experience - I was admitted with a burst appendix when DS1 was 4 weeks old and unable to feed him because of the drugs I was on. They brought in a hospital grade pump and I pumped and dumped for the week I was admitted plus for a while after I went home, and there was no question that my supply increased significantly as a result (I was pumping far more in hospital than my tiny newborn had been feeding and my supply just went up up and up).

That being said, the hand pump I had at home never got a thing out of me. So I think the effectiveness of the pump has a lot to do with it.

Depends on the pump really. Different kinds will be more efficient and which kind varies from woman to woman, so it's a matter of trying out different kinds.

The best way to boost is to constantly feed. My boy was glued to me for 3 months. I never felt full either, even when fully established, but he must have been getting enough because he was gaining weight. Cluster sessions are what boosts supply (though they can be maddening)

Sorry, I was told no. Pumping does not increase supply, baby feeding does.

But some women exclusively feed their babies through pumping - so they must be maintaining supply somehow, without the baby feeding at all?

So my DS had tongue tie and we had issues with feeding and weight loss etc. I was told by a breastfeeding specialist that if he wasn't effectively removing milk my supply would drop. They recommended power pumping as a way to boost supply (if I remember correctly it was something like 20 minutes on one side, break 10 mins, 20 mins other side, but I'd Google it to be sure as this was a year ago now so my memory could be wrong haha!).

So I'd say it certainly can boost supply. I was also warned when I had Mastitis not to pump more than just a comfortable level otherwise I'd signal to my breasts that I needed more milk.

So everything I've been told indicates that pumping definitely can increase supply.

Do you have a LLL group near you? Their info can be fab! Check their website and also kellymom (I think that's right) as they also have some great info.

Good luck OP!

If you have Instagram, take a look at an account called 'Pumpwithpurpose'. It has so much useful information on pumping and will hopefully answer all of your questions x

Yes, pumping is likely to help increase your supply, any removal of milk from the breast stimulates supply,
even if you do not obtain milk via the pump the stimulation of the breast may still help to increase your supply.
Hope that helps xx

Thanks all.

Would pumping after each feed in order to fully empty my breasts increase supply?

But some women exclusively feed their babies through pumping - so they must be maintaining supply somehow, without the baby feeding at all?

Yes I did, you asked again specifically about increasing your supply? Not having enough to feed ?
I was told no, if you are feeding and looking to increase your supply, pumping won't do that.

But best look at the other links to answer all your questions

How old is your baby? Are you eating and drinking we'll. porridge oats, fennel tea help with mil production and lots and lots of water. You need to stay hydrated and eat a lot. You can feed baby and then try to pump. I found the medela swing breast pump very good. Warm shower before pumping, nice warm cup of tea and a pic of baby might help. Peppermint tea tends to reduce milk production so don't drink that. Best of luck.

Pumping might but the best way to boost supply is to feed baby at breast and make sure you're well fed and hydrated.
Exclusive pumping is not easy. What breast pump are you using?

You can't "empty" your breasts as such, they are constantly making milk. Some women never get that full feeling.

Pumping is generally not as effective as a baby feeding so maybe you need to increase her time at the breast.

What are her nappies like? Is she gaining weight? As long as she is gaining weight and produces plenty of wet (dirty not so important especially if mostly BF) then you should be giving her enough. What do you mean she's not satisfied?