How long does it take to pump breast milk for twins? Pumping will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes per session, assuming you're using a hospital-grade double-electric breast pump. (To keep up your supply, try pumping another two to five minutes after you've collected the last drops of milk.)
How much milk should mom be pumping if baby is not nursing? Aim for pumping 750-800 mL (25-27 oz) per day by 7-10 days postpartum. If you have twins or higher order multiples, aim for pumping 800-950 mL (27-32 oz) by 14 days postpartum. It's useful to evaluate mom's 24 hour pumping output at 10 days.
I exclusively pumped for my twins for 10 months. It was extra demanding because I had a two-year-old to take care of as well. Exclusively pumping twins is one of the hardest things I've done, but I managed to find a few ways to make it a bit easier. If something is easier, you're guaranteed to be more successful at it!
A pumping session will take 15-20 minutes ideally pumping both breasts at the same time. Full milk production is about 25-35 oz. per 24 hours.
Building Milk Supply
It can take some time for your milk to come through, especially if your twins were born via C-section. Pumping will help trigger the milk reflexes and start you on your journey. When you first start feeding, your body does not know how much your twins will need to eat.
If you're a mom of twins, breastfeeding can be doubly challenging at first: After all, you've got two mouths to feed, two little bodies to balance and three people who need to figure out this whole breastfeeding thing. Of course, the many benefits of breastfeeding make it well worth the effort.
Milk supply works on the principle of supply and demand. Breastfeeding tells a mother's body to produce more milk in response to her baby's (or babies') needs. With two babies, more milk is removed from the breasts, so more milk is made.
Ideally, you would pump as often as your baby would nurse. This may not be possible with your work/ school schedule. Most mothers find that pumping every 2-3 hours maintains their milk supply and does not cause them to become uncomfortably full.
The 120 minute rule is that, generally speaking, when you are exclusively pumping, you want to spend at least 120 minutes (2 hours) per day pumping. How many sessions you would spread that 120 minutes across depends on how old your baby is. With a newborn baby, you might want to do eight 15 minute sessions.
For many moms, 10-15 minutes of pumping is long enough. Once a week, add up the milk you pump in a 24-hour period. Write it down and compare your totals each week. You'll know right away if your production drops.
At one week, you should be able to pump two to three ounces every two to three hours, or about 24 ounces in a 24 hour period. You would need to double this amount if you have twins, triple it for triplets, etc.
Pumping for working moms
At work, you should try pumping every three to four hours for around 15 minutes a session. This may sound like a lot, but it goes back to that concept of supply and demand. Your baby takes in milk every few hours. Pumping that often will ensure that you're able to keep up with their needs.
4. Drink lots of water – The second best way to improve your milk supply is to crank up your water intake. With two babies, you'll want to drink at least twelve eight-ounce glasses a day.
Generally, moms should be pumping every 3 hours. 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.
Many exclusively breastfeeding triplet families tandem feed two babies together and single feed the third, and rotate the pattern. Some prefer to tandem feed two babies and express milk feed the third, pumping after for the next feed and rotating the pattern. Or they can single feed one baby and express for two.
Most women do not need to pump during the period of time that their baby is sleeping at night. However, some women may find that long stretches without breastfeeding or pumping can result in a lower milk supply.
Why it happens: Low milk supply can be the result of not pumping enough, pumping too soon after a feeding or not nursing between sessions. You may also have a low supply if you're not pumping long enough, if you're using the wrong type of pump or you're not drinking enough liquids.
It's important to remember that your baby is much more effective at getting milk from your breasts than a pump will ever be. A healthy, thriving baby will get more milk than you a capable of pumping.
Understanding the Role of Prolactin
Interestingly, prolactin levels have a typical 24-hour cycle — just like the human body's circadian rhythm. Prolactin peaks in the early morning hours around 2-5 a.m., while the lowest prolactin levels happen in the late afternoon to early evening.
It's not uncommon for moms to be told that they shouldn't pump for 20 minutes. Why is this? The concern behind this advice is that pumping too much might cause oversupply in a nursing mother. For women who are nursing, having a large oversupply can cause problems with overactive letdown and foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.
If your baby wants to breastfeed right after breast pumping, let them! Some babies are patient and will just feed longer to get the milk they need.
Although the best time of day to pump is the time that works for you, first thing in the morning is when you'll express the most milk. “Overnight, we synthesize the hormone prolactin, which stimulates milk production, and our bodies rest and reset to make our milk for the day,” says Silver.
Yes! Successfully pumping for twins is possible, even exclusively. As you read on you will see it is a big commitment and a lot of work, but many twin moms have done it. Next, I am going to start with my personal story of pumping breast milk for my twins.
The number one reason for low milk supply when breastfeeding twins is poor latch and failure to sufficiently drain the breasts. It's the same as for singleton babies. So the first thing to do is make sure your babies are latching correctly.
A hospital grade pump is the best breast pump for twins because it can mimic, as closely as possible, the suckling patterns of a baby. It's much more difficult to build and maintain milk supply with a personal grade pump, especially if you plan on pumping long term or continuing to breastfeed after returning to work.