Exclusive Pumping
Exclusive pumping means a mother is pumping her milk to provide nutrition for her baby without the baby ever latching to the breast. This decision is normally taken when for some reason the baby is unable to latch or sustain a latch and the mother prefers to give breastmilk than resort to breast milk substitutes.
When a mother decides to exclusively pump she needs: A good double hospital grade pump, a pumping schedule, a pumping bra to go hands free and a support system!
Most worries stem from “do I have enough milk for my baby” which is also typical for any new mama. However, because a lot of people including health professionals tend to tell us that if you exclusively pump than you will not have enough milk, that remains a main priority with all mothers.
To make sure you have enough milk first you need to pump 10 times in 24 hrs – approximately every 2 hrs – for the first 3 months. This mimics a nursing baby who is nursing frequently to get the needed supply and have it established. A nursing schedule, will help to know if our pumping output has remained constant or not! A hospital grade pump makes sure we pump as much milk as possible, as it is more effective than traditional pumps.
If your baby is happy after feeds, is having enough wet and dirty nappies and growing than your baby is definitely taking enough milk. If you feel that something is not right or your pumping output has changed check the following:
- Hydration: Are you taking enough water? too little or too much water can effect supply. check that your pee is pale or clear.
- Nutrition: Are you eating enough and healthily? We need energy to pump and care for babies. so a good nutrition is very important. Carbs help us to keep our energy levels stable! If we are tired due to hunger our pumping output will be lower. If this persists our supply can suffer.
- Rest: Are you resting enough? Yes I know you have a new baby and you need to pump every 2 hours give or take, however again tiredness will effect our pumping output and chronic fatigue will effect our supply. This is where your support system comes in to help out with everything else about the house and give you time to simply pump, care for baby and rest!
- Relaxation: How relaxed are you? I hear you mama, you are worrying on various things and right now your supply is a big concern, however, anxiety, worry and any other negative feelings like tiredness, effect our pumping output and in the long run the supply. Do your best to do things that help you relax and the pumping bra is a great aid in that so you are not constantly looking at the milk coming out but working on something else.
If none of the above apply, check how your baby is taking their milk. Are you doing paced bottle feeding? That is important to make sure they do not overfeed and you feeling like you can’t keep up with the supply. If that is also ticked than yes your supply might be going down. What to do?
Power Pumping for a couple of days would REALLY help. This means you pump for 10 mins and rest for 10 mins. Try do this round the clock for 48 hours. If you had dropped a pumping session add it up again. There are other ways to try increase supply which you can read about here. Some medications also help. However these should all be left as a last resort.
If in doubt and need further help feel free to contact me for a consultation!
Resources: Video on exclusive pumping, Podcast on exclusive pumping, downloadable material.