Studies show that practicing breast massage while breastfeeding and pumping helps increase milk output by up to 48%!
Massage Breasts to Increase Milk Supply
Try massaging the breasts after applying moist heat for the best results. There are two steps to stimulate your breasts for lactation: Using your fingertips, very lightly massage from the top of your breast down and over the nipple.
A recent study suggested that lactation massage can reduce oversupply, relieving pain caused by breast engorgement, milk ducts and mastitis.
Don't skip this step! Massaging and compressing areas of the breast that feel firm can improve milk expression. In other words, mothers tend to express more milk when they massage the breast in conjunction with breast pumping.
So even if you kept pumping or nursing around the clock, milk would still flow out as it's produced. This means that you do not need to wait a certain amount of time after nursing or pumping for your breast milk to replenish. When you're a lactating mother, it's always replenishing.
However, if you are following the schedule and no milk is coming, keep going. This is an essential step in signaling to your body to create more milk. While some breastfeeding parents see a difference in just a day or two, you may find it takes several days or a week to see a significant increase in breast milk supply.
Try not to go longer than about six hours without pumping if baby is eating during that time. That means, don't skip more than one breastfeeding without pumping. Note: If baby is sleeping longer stretches at night, you should be sleeping those stretches, too.
Some mamas struggle with letdown due to stress, sleeplessness, anxiety or pain. The truth is, on some days, letdown is just hard. Without letdown, you won't be able to pump very much milk at all, even though your breasts feel full.
The most basic pumping position involves sitting down with your shoulders set and your back straight. Ideally, you'll want to do this in a comfortable, padded chair with armrests to help support you while holding your breast shields in place.
The Benefits of Hand Expression
Early stimulation of the breast is essential to building a strong milk supply. Studies have found that hand expression can be more effective at removing colostrum, boosting production, and increasing the duration of breastfeeding than pumping alone.
Breast compressions may be performed during a breastfeed to increase the pressure in the breast and increase milk transfer to your baby. Relax, make yourself comfortable and gently massage the breast tissue. When you feel ready, assist your baby to the breast and start breastfeeding.
As your milk supply increases, your breasts should feel heavier and full. This normal fullness should not prevent your baby from being able to latch on easily. Your breasts should also be pain-free. Engorged breasts are very hard, and the nipples can flatten due to swelling inside the breasts.
If you're dehydrated, you may be unable to produce enough breast milk. Breast milk is made of around 80% water. If you don't drink enough fluids or lose them too quickly, dehydration can set in. That means your body may not have enough water to create breast milk for your baby.
Oxytocin hormone is released through the stimulation of the nipple. The stimulation occurs due to the baby's mouth sucking through the massage on the mother's breast area and massage on the back. The mother will feel relax and calm so that the oxytocin can be released and the breast milk released fast.
Many moms get the most milk first thing in the morning. Pump between breastfeeding, either 30-60 minutes after nursing or at least one hour before breastfeeding. This should leave plenty of milk for your baby at your next feeding. If your baby wants to breastfeed right after breast pumping, let them!
Once the milk flow slows to drops, stop the pump and further massage your breasts, then finish the session by using your hands to express milk into the container or using the electric pump with massage to fully empty the breasts.
Pumping more often can help stimulate breasts to produce more milk. Moms can try pumping both breasts for 15 minutes every two hours for 48-72 hours. Then moms can return to their normal pumping routine. Pumping for longer than 30 minutes may not be beneficial.
Your breasts may leak when they become so full of milk that they overflow. (Leaking is common in women who have an overabundant milk supply). Or you might leak when your letdown reflex – which releases the milk – kicks in.
This question comes up often as more breastfeeding moms are pumping and often times, exclusively pumping to produce breast milk. Another common related question that moms ask is does pumping burn as many calories as nursing? The answer to this helps answer the first question, which is a resounding Yes!
Letting your baby sleep through the night (usually at around 3 months of age) isn't going to hurt your breastfeeding efforts. Your body readjusts your milk supply based on when you nurse and how much your baby needs.
Will my milk supply decrease if I choose to night wean? The short answer is, yes it probably will. However, for most breastfeeding mothers, the dip in supply will not be drastic enough to cause any adverse effects on the breastfeeding relationship.
It can take some babies anywhere from a few hours up to 48 hours to start breastfeeding. What's really important to remember is that the first hour is often known as the “Golden hour!” This is because the first hour after birth has been shown to be important in initiating your milk supply for now and the future.