Some mothers need to pump longer than others due to their number of let downs, which determine how often and how long milk flows. Once your supply is established (after about four to six weeks), you can start tailoring how many minutes you need to pump for, which can save you valuable time. 10 Being able to connect with your baby at the same time as pumping is another way to raise your oxytocin level and help get your milk flowing.ġ0: Tailor the length of your pumping sessions If your baby isn’t with you, try looking at a photo or video of her, or smelling an item of her clothing, while you express. 9 In fact, some mums find expressing works best if they feed their baby from the other breast while they pump because of the extra stimulation. 8 This is because the warmth and touch of your baby’s skin against yours releases oxytocin in your body. Scientists have discovered that having skin-to-skin contact with your baby before and during pumping can help you express more milk too. Massaging your breasts before and during pumping, 6 as well as warming your breasts 7 by applying a warm compress (such as a flannel) on them before expressing has been shown to help stimulate your milk flow and increase the amount you collect. Most Medela electric and battery-operated breast pumps have 2-Phase Expression technology, which mimics the way your baby feeds (with fast, light sucking followed by slower and stronger sucks), to help trigger your let down. Aim for eight to 10 pumping sessions every 24 hours at first, 3 and continue this frequency once your milk comes in. It’s important to remove milk from your breasts whenever your baby would normally drink – this means your breasts will still get the message to make milk. There will probably be a hospital-grade double breast pump at your hospital or birth facility, so ask staff to show you how to use it. Learn about expressing, source equipment you might need, and ask a healthcare professional, lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist for support. If you’re expecting your baby (or babies) to be born pre-term, in need of intensive care, or to have a condition that might make breastfeeding difficult, prepare yourself. Research shows that starting to express within the first few hours (when a healthy newborn would usually have her first breastfeed) helps mums produce a higher volume of milk in the early days and weeks, 1,2 giving their babies the best chance of being fed exclusively on mother’s milk. If your baby can’t feed directly from the breast, perhaps because she’s premature or has special needs, or you are separated for any reason, start double pumping breast milk as soon as you can after the birth. 2: …unless your baby is unable to breastfeed
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