When I used to exclusively pump, there were some days I felt as if I wasn’t producing enough milk. Levels of production of milk can depend on your diet, as well as, your hormones. I was always worrying that I wasn’t making enough for my baby and was afraid of “running out” milk. Especially, when I was at work. So occasionally on the weekends when I know I will be home all day, I would “Power Pump”.
“Power pumping” is a technique that can be helpful to increase milk supply. It mimics “cluster feeding”, which is when a baby is constantly on and off the breast, trying to get more milk. It’s not proven to work for all, but through my experience it did. Just like breastfeeding, the more frequent you nurse, your body will tell you to make more milk, therefore, the more frequent you pump it will also tell your body to produce more milk. Basically, just like a “supply and demand” principle. However, the frequency of pumping depends on a mom’s schedule. Some moms pump part-time or full-time, but in order to increase supply it will take dedication and will require moms to work extra hard. According to KellyMom, “No pump can remove milk from the breast as well as an effectively nursing baby, so pumping does not maintain milk supply as well as a nursing baby. Because of this, the greater the percentage of baby’s nourishment provided by pumping (rather than direct breastfeeding), the greater the possibility that mom may have to work harder to maintain supply.”
How to “Power Pump”:
– Setup and hook-up your pump as you would do for a normal pumping session.
-Pump for 10-20 minutes.
-Rest for 10 minutes.
-Pump again for another 10 minutes.
-Rest again for 10 minutes.
-Pump 10 minutes.
-Rest 10 minutes.
-Do this for an hour once per day.
Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t see results right away. The amount of milk can still be low, but the purpose of power pumping is to stimulate your breasts and encourage your body to produce more milk. It can take up to a week to really see results. I had to do this when I was taking antibiotics for when I had mastitis 😦 The antibiotics really lowered my supply, so after work,and when my son was asleep, I would take the hour out of my day to “power pump”. You can also do this on your lunch break too!
This is also a great technique to do if you’re planning to return to work and start a supply of milk in the freezer. Along with power pumping, I was taking fenugreek and drinking plenty of water. To make power pumping less tedious, bring along a magazine or a book to read, or put on a movie to watch. This is a great way to keep you occupied while you’re power pumping! However, I would highly recommend to use this hour of time to meditate and relax. Listen to soothing music, and just focus on your body creating more milk.
Please check out my post on Nursing & Pumping Essentials.
I did not get the opportunity to rent a hospital grade pump, but I did use the Medela Pump In Style Advanced, and it’s a really great pump. I definitely recommend this pump.
For more information about power pumping please talk to your lactation consultant or physician. Have any of you mamas tried power pumping before? If so, what are some tips you can share to other moms?
Resources:
Pumping at KellyMom
Low Milk Supply at MOBI
*This post may contain affiliate links. Should you make a purchase after clicking on the link, The Memoirs of a Mommy will earn a very small commission. This does not affect any product pricing for you. Read more about it on my disclosure page.
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When I used to exclusively pump, there were some days I felt as if I wasn’t producing enough milk. Levels of production of milk can depend on your diet, as well as, your hormones. I was always worrying that I wasn’t making enough for my baby and was afraid of “running out” milk. Especially, when I was at work. So occasionally on the weekends when I know I will be home all day, I would “Power Pump”. 
The Memoirs of a mommy 
Very informative post. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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I had supply issues with my son, hoping to change that with the next one! Thanks for the post!
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You always such informative information, love your posts Danica!
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This is really good to know! I never knew about this method. I always hating pumping. I better pin this though since we have another one coming on the way!
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This is a great post for new Mommies and Mom's new to pumping . I had a hard time pumping. I wish I would have at good information , and people to talk about different pumps to use. Thank you for sharing! Pinning!
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Ugh, I always hated pumping and my girls never liked taking bottles. But I sure wish I could've had milk on hand so I could leave them with a sitter for longer periods of time. I'll keep this in mind next time around!
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KellyMom is by far the best online resource for breastfeeding mamas, I am so glad you shared it!
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Interesting I never thought to try that. Love your tips.
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I've never heard of power pumping but what a great idea! With my second it seemed like he was eating every 45 minutes for the first few minutes, which was exhausting. I love all the pumping tips you are sharing Danica!!
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I never power pumped but I found pumping in general really helped my milk supply. I pump 2x a day still and breastfeed 4x a day. Wouldn't have it any other way!
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Great info for nursing moms!
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I hated pumping! I had to do it for my sons and my breasts were always a version of sore. I managed to just breastfeed my two girls. These are great tips and would have been helpful to make the pumping period shorter in the long run.
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Great information! I had never heard of power pumping before, but now I wish I would have when I was still nursing and having supply issues! Definitely something I will keep in mind next time around!
Thank you for sharing with us at #MommyMeetupMondays!
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What a helpful post! I already realize this was a huge problem during my first pregnancy (post). I didn't pump nearly as often as I should have (during the middle of the night) and my milk supply started to lessen. I was CONSTANTLY worrying about not producing enough milk and that my son wasn't getting enough. This stress alone created more problems. I will definitely need to try this from the get go. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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I agree with you. I think stressing myself out about milk supply is what caused my decrease. Thank you for taking the time to read this post!
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Thank you!
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Pumping can become real hard work sometimes! I sometimes can't believe I did for a long time, but it felt very rewarding. However, the next time around I will try HARDER to put baby on breast instead. That's wonderful you breastfed your girls!
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Thanks!
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That's great! Good for you and keep it up!
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Thank you Sydney!
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Thank you Sarah! If you try it, let me know how it goes!
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Yes it's awesome!
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Thank you Kim! It's amazing how many types of pumping products and support there are nowadays!
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Congrats on your new baby on the way! Please let me know how it goes if ever you do try this method!
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Thank you so much Heather!
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