EXCLUSIVE PUMPING FAQ
What is exclusive pumping?
This is when you give only breastmilk to your baby but do it by pumping and using a bottle rather than nursing directly from the breast.
Will I make enough milk?
Although a statistic of 1%-5% is often cited for women who truly have supply issues as a rare few, the study it’s based on is a pitifully small group. Completed in 1990, it studied 319 women from similar backgrounds and lifestyles.
Actually, Exclusive Breastfeeding Is Impossible For Most Moms
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Luckily for me, I didn’t have this issue. However, unless you’re diagnosed with Insufficient Glandular Tissue (IGT), there are many ways to boost milk supply. This is crucial when pumping exclusively.
Another immense obstacle is that some women just don’t respond well to the breast pump. Unfortunately, there is no way to know until you try for yourself.
Remember that your milk doesn’t come in fully until 2-4 days after birth, so don’t worry overmuch if your pumped amount looks sadly small in the beginning.
How do I boost milk supply?
After the first exhilarating moment when your milk comes in and you start pumping a significant amount of breastmilk, you will soon worry if you can keep up with a growing baby’s insatiable and constantly growing appetite.
Because I didn’t have supply issues, I found my body responded well to most of the well-known methods.
Ensuring complete drainage of each breast by massaging during pumping and pumping until breast became soft.
More frequent pumping.
Power pumping: Adding a pumping session daily for 2-3 days that allows for an hour of constant pumping with little rest.
Drinking lots of water.
That did the trick for me, but there are other methods to try, including the usage of natural herbs like fenugreek (discuss with your doctor, obviously). Oatmeal cookies loaded with galactagogues like almonds and brewer’s yeast are also called lactation cookies and have the added benefit of being delicious.
But with any source of information, take it with a grain of salt.
Why You Won't Hear Me Suggest Galactogogues
What causes a drop in supply?
Growth Spurts: Temporary increases in a baby’s intake. During these phases, it may seem like you are producing less, but it may just be that the baby is drinking more than usual. Increasing the frequency in pumping, power pumping or saving extra milk in the freezer beforehand will help.
Menstruation: Hormonal changes affect your milk supply: Ovulation/period/birth control pills/pregnancy (!).
Pump Parts: Is your pump losing suction? Is it old? Do parts need replacing due to wear and tear? Are you using an appropriate-sized flange? Sizing is not only for your comfort level, it can affect your output.
Strict Diet: A drastic reduction in calories can reduce your supply.
Lack of Rest: Lack of sleep, stress and illness can affect you adversely- not only in life, but with milk supply as well.