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?

Thing is, if you pump, depending on when baby next feeds you might not have as much left for baby - so you top up with more formula and your body never gets the message from baby feeding feeding feeding that more is needed.

Baby feeding feeding feeding - possibly some days not getting enough but keeping feeding feeding feeding to get more - is what then tells your breast to make a shed load more milk tomorrow.

Every time you top up, you break that cycle.

So no I don't think pumping will help but feeding more and using less formula will. You may need accept there may be a time between feeds when baby is unsettled as there wasn't enough milk - that time - but the order is now in for tomorrow.

One of the bach's flower remedies called 'vervain' increased mine. I didn't get on with pumping, but u need to let them feed as often as they want. I never supplemented but they would often feed again after only a half hour nap. I usually had two huge mugs of tea next to me for each feed (plus chocolate digestives🤷) . They always acted as if they were starving but put weight on at a regular amount like an ounce a day so I just fed on demand....... Its a full time job 😳

I didnt manage to breastfeed but i did pump to provide breastmilk for two months. I drank fennel tea, pumped almost constantly and had milk thistle supplements.

It nearly broke me though and contributed to PND. I was constantly pumping, bottle feeding and then sterilising with little time to rest. In my case it was possible but not sensible.

Pumping DOES increase supply.

How old is your baby? Your supply hasn't had time to establish as you were forced to give formula (which was bad advice by the hospital)

My advice would be feed your baby and then after feeding do a pumping session. Continue to do this in order to build up more supply.

Also look into a "Hakka" pump which is like a suction milk catcher that you can put on one breast whilst you feed with the other which will catch milk and then you can top baby up with this milk.

Also look into speaking with the breastfeeding network phone line and arranging to see lactation consultant again for more advice.

Good luck x

Hi OP, tomorrow morning it would be worth ringing the national breastfeeding helpline to talk everything over. To answer your question, removing milk is the only proven way to increase supply and from a biological point of view it makes no difference if the milk goes into a baby or a bottle (it’s all to do with the FIL hormone, when there is milk “sitting” in your breast it tells your body that you don’t need to produce more, when you get it out regularly the other hormones tell your body to keep producing).

The thoroughly trained breastfeeding counsellors on the helpline will be
able to talk through how to tell of your baby is getting enough, why they might drink a bottle even if they just fed, what an appropriate volume for a top up and how to taper top ups etc. there’s a fair amount of misinformation on this thread, the experts are there and you can talk to them for free.

www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk

My DS had health issues shortly after birth that led to a low supply. I had an amazing lactation consultant who gave me a few infant feeding tubes. The idea was introduce extra milk (formula or pumped) Via the straw/tube inserted into his mouth next to the nipple while he was feeding from me and encourage my supply. I'd usually try to pump just after and then use whatever was there for the next supplement feed. It might not work for everyone but definitely did for me and he eventually self weaned at 2 although abandoned the supplements after a month if I remember correctly, it's all a bit of a blur. Pumping and feeding is pretty exhausting. I'd definitely try and talk to an expert about your options.
www.laleche.org.uk/nursing-supplementers/

I agree with others that it's best to try to get some expert help at this point. I didn't manage to increase my supply much by either pumping or more direct feeding, and just doing more breastfeeding rather than giving top ups led to my baby getting hysterical, presumably with hunger, so you have to approach reducing top ups carefully.

I would say that pumping and worrying about amounts that the baby is receiving through direct feeding can get very stressful, so ultimately it will be best to find the feeding method that works for you and your baby. Continuing with combination feeding is a perfectly valid option if you find that you can't increase your supply enough to reach exclusive breastfeeding. Olivia Hinge is a lactation consultant with a really useful Instagram account about all things breastfeeding and pumping so I also recommend following her.

This was me too. The guilt was overwhelming. Please try not to let this takeover your time and energy.

I have been recommended to pump after every feed to increase supply by several breastfeeding councillors. It’s too exhausting for me though and leaves less time to enjoy your baby - mine has been contact napping after feeds which is a nice way to bond so I don’t want to be putting her down to pump all the time.

How old is baby OP?

Really the best thing for your supply would be to let baby breastfeed completely on demand, as often as she wants. For a few days this might be almost all day! But it will likely be more effective than pumping.

Pumping can increase supply but I think it can cause more anxiety if you’re worrying about the volume of milk that you’ve pumped and whether it’s enough.

Also some breastfed babies especially when really little do need to feed very often, it’s completely normal.

In theory pumping should help with your supply. Bare with me while I try to remember some biology. There is something called feedback inhibitor of lactation in your milk which means when your breasts become full it sends a signal to your pituitary gland to inhibit prolactin which makes the milk. So the more frequently your breasts are being emptied the more they should refill (I think). This is how some women produce enough for multiple babies, because they are feeding more often they produce more. Supply and demand.
The reason why people are talking about feeding directly is because of oxytocin which helps with the let down of milk, some women will not produce anything or as much when pumping because they don't'let down' because they are attach to a pump rather than their baby.
So, yes, pumping should help in theory, but doesn't work for everyone

Something I always found helpful when pumping was to put a muslin over myself, if I looked at the bottle I'd often feel discouraged by the amount of milk I'd pumped and this must have been real oxytocin killer because the flow would slow down massively

Sorry not had time to read all posts but we had the same issues. I put it down to the tongue tie which was snipped on day 3.
I was gutted but ended up combi feeding in the end and am still just about doing so almost a year later.
I pumped for the first month or so and took fenugreek capsules, although I don't think I ever gained a full supply but it did seem to fluctuate,

Yes pumping CAN help boost your milk supply. The science is the quicker the milk leaves the body the sooner it will be replaced and by more. A combination of feeding your baby on demand and pumping in between should boost your milk supply.

Can you plug the pump in next to where you feed and contact nap? I could usually manage to get one side on with baby in the middle and just let it do its thing while I watched TV.

one thing to think about if you’re pumping is that you may only need to wash and sterilise the machine every 24 hours if you keep parts in the fridge or every 6 hours at room temperature. Have a look here for more information

abm.me.uk/breastfeeding-information/expressing-breast-milk/