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Hints for increasing milk supply
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- If baby is not breastfeeding, use a hospital grade pump at home. A small manual or electric pump will not be sufficient to maintain or increase a milk supply if baby is not able to initiate breastfeeding soon after birth.
- Help to stimulate the milk to "let down" with breast massage before and during pumping sessions.
- Goal should be to mimic the baby’s feeding frequency:
- To maintain milk supply pump about 8 times every 24 hours.
- To increase milk supply mimic an artificial "growth spurt" by pumping every 2 hours around the clock for 24 hours. Expect to see an increase in milk supply 24 to 48 hours from the end of the artificial "growth spurt".
- Pumping more frequently is more helpful than pumping for longer periods of time. Pump until the milk no longer drips, and then 1 to 2 more minutes (this will sometimes stimulate another "let down")
- Every mother goes through times when her supply seems to be decreasing. Some of the triggers to decreased milk supply are:
- Stress due to the infant’s condition.
- Family problems and pressures.
- Fatigue, pain, anxiety, and fear of failure.
- Infrequent pumping or not pumping during the night.
- The earlier you notice the decrease and take steps to improve your supply the more successful you will be in increasing your milk.
Talk with your nurse or lactation consultant if your have further questions.