It’s best to wait until baby is 4 weeks old before introducing the pump.
Many breastfeeding mothers are eager to start pumping to get an “emergency stash”, prepare for the return to work, or to simply get a break from breastfeeding every 2-3 hours. I get it!! BUT it’s best to wait until your baby is at least 4 weeks old before introducing the pump and the bottle as we don’t want to interfere with your body’s regulation of milk supply (introducing the pump too soon runs the risk of issues like oversupply, engorgement, and/or plugged ducts).
Once your baby is 4 weeks old, you can begin to pump once a day, regularly introduce your baby to the bottle, and then maintain a 1:1 ratio of pumping: bottle-feeding.
Topics Covered in this article:
- Pumping expectations & realistic output
- How & when to pump for maximum output
- How to develop a stash & safe storage guidelines
- Optimal pumping schedule while away from baby
- How to replace a middle of the night feeding
PUMPING EXPECTATIONS:
Many women expect to be able to pump a lot of milk and are disappointed or worried about their overall supply when they first start pumping. This is normal and in time, your output will increase. The average pumped amount is only 1.5oz both breasts!)- it’s also normal to get less than an ounce of expressed milk when you first start pumping. This is a GREAT ARTICLE on pumping expectations. Remember, lactation is a system of supply and demand (your body will learn and adjust in time).
HOW & WHEN TO PUMP FOR MAXIMUM OUTPUT:
A woman’s milk volume is naturally highest in the morning, so it’s best to pump right after the first morning feeding. Most likely, it will take a few days before you start getting much milk after feeding baby, but stay with it, your body will adjust.
Use “hands on pumping” (1-2 minutes of breast massage / 7 min pumping / 1-2 min breast massage / 7 min pumping) to express as much milk as possible. Studies show that using hands-on pumping increases output by 40%. THIS VIDEO provides a great explanation and demo of hands-on-pumping.
Many women find that visualizing their baby at the breast, imagining breastfeeding, helps to encourage a faster let down and increase output.
DEVELOPING A STASH:
Pump every day at the same time, if you can. It may take several pumping sessions to get enough milk to replace a feeding (about 3-4 ounces). Be sure to store your milk in sterile freezer bags, write the date and time on the bag, and store in small amounts as once you thaw the milk, you cannot reuse it. Always use the oldest milk first. I find it’s best to store in 3 ounce-bags or less, as once you thaw the milk, you cannot reuse it. The typical bottle volume for a breastfed baby is 3-4 ounces. See my article on BOTTLE FEEDING for recommendations on how to get that off to a good start or for how to troubleshoot bottle refusal.
Be sure to follow the SAFE STORAGE GUIDELINES for breastmilk.
PUMPING SCHEDULE WHILE AWAY FROM BABY:
A basic rule of thumb is to pump whenever baby would nurse, maintaining a ratio of 1-1 (pumping session: bottles).
The standard schedule for pumping while away from your baby is 15 min pumping sessions, every 3 hours. If baby is a bit older, you will be able to pump every 4 hours or so. This is all about keeping up your supply. Remember, breast milk production is a system of supply and demand. If you neglect to pump frequently enough while away from your baby, you will see an overall decline in your milk supply. Fortunately, your body will adjust to the pump quite quickly and you should quickly be able to pump a complete session within 10-15 minutes.
HOW TO REPLACE A MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FEEDING:
Many mothers ask when they can skip a nighttime nursing session and have their partner give a bottle instead. In order to avoid a dip in your milk supply (or other issues, like engorgement or plugged ducts), you will need to maintain a 1:1 pumping session to bottle-feeding ratio- this means you’ll need to pump to replace or “make up for” those missed nursing sessions where baby’s getting a bottle instead of the breast. Simply skipping the feed could put you at risk for plugged ducts and/or a drop in supply.
You don’t have to pump at the exact same time baby drinks the bottle in order to “make up” the nursing session but it should be within a few hours (see sample schedule below). In the first ~6 weeks, most parents can go one 4-5 hour stretch between feeds each day without impact to milk supply. As baby gets older, you can go a little longer—it just depends on your body.
SAMPLE SCHEDULE: For example, if the baby were eating every 3 hours: You could nurse at 7pm, pump at 8pm and go to sleep right after, your partner gives a bottle at 10pm (you already “made up” for this feeding at 8), then you nurse at 1am. This would allow you a longer stretch of sleep while minimizing impact to milk production.
For tips on how to introduce the bottle to baby and encourage a baby to take a bottle, check out Bottle Feeding Tips.
