Whether you decide to exclusively nurse, exclusively pump,
uniquely combine the two efforts, or introduce formula, the Breast Milk 101
series is an effort to give you basic information about breast milk without
opinion or judgment, to help you form your decision.
How Do I Produce More Milk?
The simplest answer is, empty your breasts of breast milk and you will produce more milk.
The actual process of
milk production is a complex, involving hormonal interactions, physiological
triggers, and environmental controls. But in the spirit of this “101” series,
we’re sticking to the basics.
The central tenant of
milk production is that milk production slows as the breast fills. In other
words, milk production has everything to do with the frequency and efficiency
with which your breasts are emptied, and less to do with a set period of time.
Newborns naturally
feed very frequently for short periods. Remember when you’re tired and sore,
there is a good biological reason for this tendency. A frequent stimulation increases
the amount of hormonal receptors in the breast (which stimulate more hormones
and thus more milk supply). The number of receptors you develop in the
beginning will help ensure a continuous supply.
If you are
exclusively pumping, it’s important to understand this biology and try to
imitate the pattern of short, frequent sessions in the beginning. Once the
transitional milk comes in, pump for 30 minutes per session or for 2-5 minutes
after the last drops of milk.
If you’re pumping as
a supplement and/or to increase milk supply, double pump for 10-15 minutes
after nursing, continuing for 2-5 minutes after the last drops of milk to
ensure efficient emptying.
Important Step
Don’t skip those last
2-5 minutes. You might be anxious to be done – just as you are antsy to skip
out of exercise class before you’ve stretched or jump out of the movie theatre
while the credits roll – but these concluding moments are important to
completely and efficiently emptying your breasts and thus, stimulating more
milk production.
Sources:
Mohrbacher N. Cutting Edge Breastfeeding Trends, Orlando, FL, June 9,
2004.
Wight NE. La Leche League International Conference Session–The Premature
Infant and Breastfeeding: Myth, Reality and Evidence-Based Practices, San
Francisco, CA, July 5, 2003.
Hill PD, Aldag JC, Chatterton RT. Initiation and frequency of pumping and milkproduction in mothers of non-nursing preterm infants. J Hum Lact. 2001
Feb;17(1):9-13.
da Silva OP, Knoppert DC, Angelini MM, Forret PA.
Hill PD, Aldag JC, Chatterton RT. Effects of pumping style on milk production inmothers of non-nursing preterm infants. J Hum Lact. 1999 Sep;15(3):209-16.
Our resident “Moms Who Know” informed this post and our writers composed it. No one contributing to this post is a trained medical professional. For further reading and information on familiarizing yourself with your breast pump, please visit the websites for any of the five brands Byram Healthcare proudly distributes:
No comments:
Post a Comment