Pumping breast milk can help you keep your milk supply going if you go back to work, need a day away or if your baby spends time in the neonatal intensive care unit after birth. But it's not always easy to pump. Many women who produce adequate amounts of breast milk while breastfeeding find they get less milk when pumping. Many factors contribute to low supply when you pump.
Letdown Problems
Milk normally just doesn't flow out of your breasts without stimulation, at least not after the first few weeks of breastfeeding. The sight, smell and sounds of your baby trigger the letdown reflex, which triggers release of the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin release, in turn, stimulates milk flow. A breast pump just doesn't evoke the same type of reaction as a real live baby, so your milk may not "let down," which greatly reduces the amount of milk you can pump out. Recording your infant's voice to listen to when you start pumping, doing gentle breast massage right before pumping or practicing visualization techniques may make for a more efficient letdown process and better milk collection using the pump.
Pump Use Problems
If your pump doesn't fit your breasts correctly, you might not get the proper squeeze on the milk ducts to empty them. Breast pumps must fit properly over the nipple and areola, the brown area surrounding the nipple. You must have the right suction pressure and the correct cycling speed specifically for you, or you may not get much milk. You may get better results with a larger pump flange over the nipple.
Pumping Techniques
For many women, pumping does not garner the same results as breastfeeding. Most full-time nursing moms can pump just 1/2 to 2 oz. of breast milk per session, lactation consultant Kelly Bonyata reports. You may need to pump several times to get enough milk for one feeding. If you're pumping for all your feedings because your baby can't nurse, keeping up your milk supply presents real challenges. If you pump the majority of feedings in a day, you may find your supply dropping. On the other hand, since breast milk production works on the principle of supply and demand, pumping too little -- if pumping is your only source of breast stimulation -- can also decrease milk supply.
Changing Pump Types
Electric pumps work more efficiently than manual pumps, but they're more expensive to buy or rent. If you've recently switched from an electric pump to a manual pump, you may notice a decrease in production at each feeding. Pumps that allow you to pump both breasts at the same time allow you to produce more milk per use in a shorter time than a pump you can use on just one breast at a time. Pumping both breasts at the same time also increases prolactin production, a hormone necessary for milk production. Pumps may also wear out and work less effectively after a year or so, BabyCenter.com reports.
References
- KellyMom: I'm Not Pumping Enough Milk. What Can I Do? Kelly Bonyata, B.S.; May 2003
- BabyCenter: Pumping Your Breast Milk, an Overview; July 2010
- Le Leche League International; I'm Pumping My Milk to Feed My Baby, but My Supply is Going Down. What Can I Do?; February 2007
- Colorado State Univeristy; Oxytocin; R. Bowen; July 2010
