Breastfeeding Tips & Breast Pump Guide | Lactation Connection

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...

How to increase milk supply is something most moms want to know at one time or another during their breastfeeding journey and with good cause.  Whether a growth spurt or just life circumstances in general have you feeling like you are behind in production, it can happen.  Today, I want to outline not only how to increase breast milk supply, but also how to protect your milk supply so you don't have to play catch up. Feed on demand and don't delay feedings. Breast milk is produced by supply and demand or should I say, demand and then supply.  Feeding frequently and in full (fully emptying breasts) protects your milk supply from sudden dips. Growth spurts are waves that should be ridden.  In other words an infant who is 10 days to 3 weeks of age will begin his first growth spurt and instead of nursing 8 time per day will nurse 11-12 times per day.  If you are exclusively pumping, you should increase your pumping sessions to match this for 5 days in a row every tim...