You may have brief pain (10-15 seconds) at the beginning of each pumping while the collagen fibers in your nipples stretch. You may have slight tenderness of the nipple. Some women may have an uncomfortable sensation when their milk releases or "letting down" which may feel like tingling or "pins and needles."
During the first 10-15 seconds, you may feel a bit uncomfortable as your nipples start to stretch. Then as your milk starts to flow, you may feel a tingling “pins and needles” sensation. But pumping shouldn't hurt. If it does and you're using an electric pump, lower the suction level.
The main causes of pain associated with pumping are poor flange fit, suction that is set too high, or using a poor quality pump. There can sometimes also be an underlying cause, such as a bleb (milk blister), Raynaud's vasospasm, or skin infection that makes pumping painful.
All breast pumps can have unpleasant side effects: Some women, for example, find that their nipples become sore and irritated. Here it is helpful to try out several types of pump with different attachments. Some women find expressing milk stressful and awkward, or they may have problems operating the pump.
But some produce almost more milk than their breasts can hold, which makes them feel rock hard and uncomfortably full – a condition called engorgement. While this is usually only temporary, the 24 to 48 hours it typically lasts for can be painful.
Sore nipples and other ailments
Many women experience sore, cracked, or even infected nipples while breastfeeding. While this can also happen with pumping, a poor latch of the baby and the intense suction of breastfeeding is more likely to cause nipple pain than pumping.
Some women say that breastfeeding feels like a tingling, warm feeling in the breast, especially at the moment of the milk let-down reflex that begins the flow. The sucking feels like a gentle tugging sensation.
Breastfeeding or offering formula in a bottle are not the only ways to feed your baby. Moms can decide to exclusively pump and give their baby all the benefits of breastmilk without having to nurse.
As soon as possible, pump 8-10 times every 24 hours. This is how many times each day your baby would typically feed from the breast. In most cases, the more times each day you pump, the more milk you make.
Healthy infants who breastfeed effectively are often thought to be more efficient than the expression of milk either by hand or with an electric breast pump. Breastfed infants have been shown to remove 50% of the total volume of milk removed at a breastfeed in the first 2 min and 80% in 4 min [31].
Pumping pain can happen for a host of reasons: dry skin, the collagen fibers in the nipples needing to stretch, flanges that are too big or too small, the suction on the pump. If you're continuously in pain when you pump, something's not right.
How Long Should I Pump? In the beginning, when you are producing small amounts at each pump session, the session lasts for 10-15 minutes. Later, after your milk has “come in” abundantly, you should continue pumping past when the milk stops to flow for one to two minutes.
Pumping before a feeding will enable you to get more volume, but this volume may consist of more watery foremilk, which has less fat. If the baby is ready to eat, however, you may need to wait until after the feeding to pump. Pumping after a feeding will give you milk with a higher fat content (hindmilk).
Pumping Positions
You don't want poor posture during breast pumping because it may lead to irritation. Instead, sit or stand upright with your shoulders open, back straight, feet flat on the floor and arms supported. Try a pillow or armrest to help hold your bottles or milk catcher steady while pumping.
Ultimately, if your baby has reached its birth weight and you're pumping enough milk during the day, it's okay to sleep eight hours without pumping at night. Keep in mind there is an adjustment period for your body as it begins to acclimate to the decrease in overnight milk removal.
Pumping milk burns the same amount of calories that nursing burns. Pumping milk burns anywhere from 200 to 600 calories per day. This will also vary from mother to mother, pumping session to pumping session, and the number of pumping sessions per day.
Increasing your milk supply will take time, so don't give up. Even dry pumps (when you pump but nothing comes out) sends a signal to your body that more milk is needed on tap, so it's getting the work done even if there's no output to show for it right away. Stick with it and you'll see the results after a few days.
Health experts agree that breastfeeding is the healthiest option for both mom and baby. They recommend that babies feed only on breast milk for the first 6 months, and then continue to have breast milk as a main part of their diet until they are at least 1to 2 years old.
In most cases, exclusive pumping is done when the baby is not getting enough milk as they would when they are being breastfed (nursed) normally. This may happen if you are not producing enough milk or if your baby is not breastfeeding the right way.
Pumping every two hours throughout the day should also help to increase your milk supply. It is recommended to pump at least every three hours during the day. What is this? If you are exclusively pumping, you should pump as frequently as your newborn feeds throughout the day in order to establish a full milk supply.
How do I know whether my breasts are empty? There's no test or way to know for sure. In general, though, if you gently shake your breasts and they feel mostly soft and you don't feel the heaviness of milk sitting in them, you're probably fine.
After breastfeeding, both the fatty tissue and connective tissue in your breasts may shift. Your breasts may or may not return to their pre-breastfeeding size or shape. Some women's breasts stay large, and others shrink.
How do I know when a milk duct is unclogged? Not feeling a lump is the best way to tell if the clog is gone. If you are pumping or hand-expressing milk, you may see an extra thick or fatty glob of milk come out.