3 Tips For Using A Breast Pump To Increase Your Milk Supply
If you are a new mother with milk supply issues or if you have a newborn with latch or suckling issues, then you may need to use a breast pump to help increase your milk supply. A breast pump, accompanied by changes in diet and routine, can help increase your milk supply so your baby can get the majority of their calories from your natural milk. However, there are a few tips that you should follow when using a breast pump to increase your milk supply.
Consider a Pump With Various Suction Speeds
There are a variety of pumps available on the market, ranging from simple mechanical pumps to high-tech electric pumps. While you may not need the most advanced pump, if you have a supply issue, then you will want a pump that can closely simulate natural suckling. For this reason, consider an electric pump with varying speeds. This will allow you to try several settings to find the speed and force that works for your particular needs, as women can be stimulated by differing speeds or strengths.
Make Sure You Pump Regularly
The key to increasing your milk supply is regular stimulation. Whether the stimulation is from your baby or a pump, you need to make sure you create a stimulation schedule and stick to it. For new mothers, this means waking up regularly at night to either feed or pump.
Since a pump can be less effective at stimulating your let-down reflex, you may have to pump longer and more often than you would have to feed a baby at the breast to encourage the same amount of supply. If possible, you may want to breast feed your baby at the breast when you can and only stimulate with a pump when you are away from your baby.
Look at a Picture of Your Baby While Pumping
Milk production and let-down can be increased by the hormones that are released when you smell or look at your child. If you are not near your child while you are pumping, keep a blanket that smells like them and a picture of them nearby to help with the pumping process. If you are at home with your child, consider snuggling your child or sitting close to your child while pumping for the best results.
Many new mothers worry about their milk production. However, continued stimulation along with diet and routine changes can help you produce the right amount of milk for your baby.
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