If you aren’t having to return to work or you have been blessed with an abundance of milk, you probably have no idea why someone would google how to increase their milk supply when pumping.
Some people might exasperatedly say that you don’t need to pump to increase your milk supply, just feed your baby longer or more often or all day every day. Just eat a healthier diet or drink more water and it will magically increase. (While great advice…sometimes you need a little bit more people!)
But then there are some people, who are just worried about making enough milk for their babies when they return to work for a legitimate reason. They’ve never been able to pump quite enough or their baby always seems fussy after feedings.
Or there are women who feed their babies constantly, but the can never seem to pump enough milk to build up their stash while on maternity leave.
Or there might be moms and babies who never quite got the hang of latching without a nipple shield, and it’s just easier to pump instead of dealing with that.
Or there are moms who are just plain exhausted from feeding every 2 hours during cluster feeding and the overwhelm of being attached to a baby day in and day out for months on it just seems like too much. They are considering pumping exclusively but still want to maintain their milk supply!
These people will get why someone would ask this question (By the way, I was totally asking all these questions when I had to return back to work for both my first two babies!!!)
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How to increase milk supply when pumping
You might have a secret fear like I did that I was just lucky and that things just “worked out” when it came to breastfeeding and that at any day your breastfeeding journey is going to end because you’re not doing something right. (I guess I did a few things right since I breastfed my first 2 for one year each and my third baby is 8 months old and we’re still breastfeeding strong!)
I didn’t have the time to take a labor and delivery or breastfeeding class at the hospital because my schedule was so busy. I had to coordinate with a friend of mine who was a birth doula to come to our house and squeeze in time that both my husband and I were available. Since then online classes have become huge, and I kinda wish I had known about this course back in 2012.
Because of my lack of class taking, I always felt a little bit anxious about my breastfeeding goal to feed my first baby until he was 1 year old. I wasn’t really equipped to know that I was doing it right or most efficiently.
I didn’t feel confident.
Related article: Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms
I wasn’t really sure if I was keeping my milk frozen the correct way or if my breast pump shields were pumping correctly.
Hint: not everyone fits the 24 mm shields that come automatically with the breast pump. (For example, Medela makes 5 different shield sizes from 21 mm to 36 mm). I just kind of went along and got lucky.
If this is even sort of like you – you are not the only one anxious about returning back to work and breastfeeding and ensuring you’ve got enough milk!
If you’re a busy professional, I’m also going to assume something else about you.
You just don’t have time to sift through 1 million different Pinterest posts about increasing milk supply while pumping or making sure you find all the details for saving and storing enough milk (like this awesome milk saver that catches milk that leaks while you’re nursing).
If this is you, then I want to share a couple of ways for you to get unstuck from your fear and anxiousness quickly without having to scour the internet for more deets.
It’s okay to ask for help (like ask a certified lactation educator for tips)
First, as always, you can call or reach out to a lactation consultant or your doctor if you have one readily available and that fits into your schedule to answer all your breastfeeding questions. They, of course, will be able to answer any questions that you have (and in the end, you should always ask them for advice!)
But if you don’t have the time to do that and/or you want all the information at your fingertips for FOREVER you might consider taking an online course that you can take from home so that a certified lactation educator can TEACH you all the ins and outs of pumping and breastfeeding and overall being successful at meeting your lactation goals!
If you’re worried about navigating day-to-day pumping or anxious about your milk supply going down when you transition back to work, check out The Ultimate Back to Work Pumping Class from Stacey at Milkology®. She’s literally taught thousands of other women just like you.
This is the perfect course for breastfeeding moms returning to work if you’re looking for:
- A powerful strategy to maximize milk expression
- Ways to build-up your freezer stash of milk while on maternity leave
- Tips to get your baby on a bottle stress-free
- A guide to working with your employer to have what you need to pump at work
- Practical tips to transition back to work
- And exact tips of what to do if you’re not pumping enough milk
If you need someone to TEACH and EMPOWER you to pump and prepare for breastfeeding at work with confidence, Stacey is your lady, and you can sign up for the course right here.
(She also has a free course on breastfeeding that might be good for first time moms if you’re not ready for all this back to work stuff).
But even if you decide you don’t want help from a lactation consultant right now, and you just want to make do with what you find for free online, here are a few tips to increase your milk supply while pumping.
- Pump for a minimum of 15 minutes on each side.
- Make sure you have the right breast pump for you. (I used this one for 2 full years working full time and loved it).
- Pump for an additional 2-5 minutes after the last drops of milk come out to truly empty the breast.
- Pump 20-30 minutes after you feed your baby to tell your body to increase demand.
- Hand express in the shower.
- Pump using a hands-free pumping bra so that you can massage as you pump.
- Make sure you’re hydrated and eating healthy (yes, it still matters!)
- Make sure your breast pump shields fit correctly (Stacey goes over this in her course!)
- Pump every time your baby eats a bottle if you’re away from your baby.
- Don’t supplement with formula.
- Watch a video of your baby crying when hungry to stimulate milk supply.
If you’ve tried all of the above things, then you can also try to increase your milk naturally with the below tips.
Related Post: 10 Tips for Breastfeeding in Public and my favorite nursing cover
How can I increase my milk supply naturally?
- Stay hydrated
- Lots of skin-to-skin with your baby
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Don’t work out too soon
- Take your prenatal vitamins
- Nurse as often as possible
- Don’t supplement with formula, or slowly decrease your supplement amount
- Make energy/lactation balls with oatmeal – these are my favorite
And if THOSE don’t help, here are some other commonly asked questions related to increasing milk supply.
Related Post: Postpartum Series: Tips for Physical Recovery
How many times a day should I pump to increase milk supply?
You should pump every 2-3 hours or around 8 times per day.
What are signs of low milk supply?
Milk supply is relative and it is super hard to tell the specific amount you are making. The best way to tell is by looking at your baby for cues!
- A simple test is to ask if your baby is content and happy after a feeding session. If so, then you should be making enough milk!
- Do they have 6-8 wet diapers a day? Yes? Great, they are processing their food.
- Can you see or hear them swallowing while they are eating? Another check mark!
- Your breasts soften after each feeding. This is great because I hate dealing with engorgement and the potential for mastitis.
If you’re not sure you’re baby is eating enough, then definitely ask your baby’s pediatrician for their perspective and advice.
What can cause low milk supply?
- Not a good enough latch.
- Using the wrong positioning during feeding.
- Supplementing with formula.
- Using pacifiers or nipple shields.
- Working out too much and not staying hydrated.
- Drinking alcohol or caffeine.
- Smoking.
- Not feeding for long enough each session.
Whether you are a first time mom or a mom of young ones, having confidence in your breastfeeding journey can give you a lot of peace day to day. Again, Stacey covers a lot of this in her courses.
What are your favorite tips for increasing your milk supply while pumping? Share below!
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