Power Pumping vs Cluster Pumping - Which is Better for Increasing Milk Supply?

As a retired IBCLC with 30+ years experience in breastfeeding support, I am not sure that power pumping is the best method for increasing milk supply for every mom.  The method has limited scientific research and can cause moms quite a bit of frustration with such ridged and lengthy pumping sessions. Not to mention friction when dry pumping. While nipple stimulation does sustain hormone signals, research supports that regular extraction is the source of increasing milk supply.  Apart from moms who are relactating or inducing lactation, cluster pumping is a better method than power pumping because there is more milk to extract every 2 hours than there is when pumping again in 10 minutes. For clarity, I have outlined the power pumping method and cluster pumping methods below for moms with babies under six months below. While we are listing these times as pumping, nursing sessions can and should be used in place of these when possible.

Power Pumping 

60 minutes session once per day as below; pump an additional 7 x daily for 20 min. 

• Pump 20 minutes

• Rest 10 minutes

• Pump 10 minutes

• Rest 10 minutes

• Pump 10 minutes

Cluster Pumping 

Pump every 2 hours with one 4 hour stretch. The schedule below includes cluster pumping during the midnight to 5am window that prolactin milk producing hormone is the highest.

• Pump @ 12am

• Pump @ 2am

• Pump @ 4am

• Pump @ 8am

• Pump @10am

• Pump @ 12pm

• Pump @ 2pm

• Pump @ 4pm

• Pump @ 6pm

• Pump @ 8pm

• Pump @10pm

Power pumping is normally used for one week daily and a second week every other day.  Cluster pumping is meant to closely imitate an infant's growth spurt and results should be evident after 7 days of the outlined schedule.

No matter how many years go by, research has never found the principle of supply and demand to be refuted.  Better extraction through waiting long enough for milk to build and simulating a natural way baby's cluster nurse is my recommendation.  And remember, better extraction with a breast pump means a double electric breast pump with properly sized flanges and optimally not a wearable breast pump. If you own a wearable, it is for convenience.  Your electric breast pump should always be your main breast pump. But having said that, the best breast pump is the one you will actually use.

Here's to demand for supply!

Tanya