A surefire way to increase your milk supply is through achieving amazing power pumping results.
MANY moms struggle with their milk supply. Of course there are many different opinions out there on how to increase your production, but I’m a firm believer in power pumping.
So let’s talk everything you need to know about this simple pumping hack.
And of course, how to achieve the absolute best power pumping results.
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In This Guide:
What is Power Pumping?
So let’s start with the basics in case you are completely new to the idea of power pumping. What is power pumping in the first place?
Power pumping is where you pump multiple times with very short durations in between. It mimics a baby’s cluster feeding which completely drains your breasts and stimulates your body to produce more breast milk.
For those who also breastfeed, they’re all too familiar with the concept of cluster feeding. Often occurring at night before bed, cluster feeding is when baby wants to suckle seemingly for hours on end with maybe 10-20 minutes breaks (if you’re lucky).
Whattoexpect describes cluster feeding as “treating your breasts like an all-you-can eat buffet” – which I think is a very accurate portrayal.
Babies tend to cluster feed when they are growing. It keeps their bellies as full as possible and tells mom to produce more milk for this growth spurt.
So to achieve the maximum power pumping results, we want to mimic this concept of cluster feeding as closely as possible.
How Many Times a Day Should I Power Pump?
ONCE. Just once.
Power pumping can really take it out of you and be both physically and mentally draining. (Helloooo sore nipples!) You definitely don’t want to do it more than once per day.
Additionally, power pumping multiple times per day increases your chances of an oversupply. Which, believe us, is a very bad thing no matter how good it sounds.
What Time of Day Is Best to Power Pump?
It depends – there’s some debate about this one.
First and foremost, the best time to power pump is when you have an hour of uninterrupted time. (Seems laughable for new parents, amiright?)
If you’ve somehow got this parenting thing figured out and you can carve out 60 minutes whenever, I personally believe evening is the time to achieve optimal power pumping results.
Remember we’re trying to mimic cluster feeding, which infants are most likely to do at night before bed. Pumping during the evening, when your supply is naturally lower, means there will be a lot of milk “demand” without the supply – a natural set up for increasing the milk production signals.
That being said, others have suggested morning to be the most productive time to power pump as milk production is highest in the morning.
How Many Days in a Row Should I Power Pump?
You should plan to power pump for 4-7 days in a row.
This is roughly the length of time a baby would cluster feed at the beginning of a growth spurt. It’s also the amount of time most body’s need to see an increased milk supply.
Yes, that’s a lot of pumping. Believe me, your nipples will feel it. Just remember that it’s worth it at the end.
Be sure you have plenty of lanolin on hand to spread inside the flanges to make pumping itself more comfortable. Applying cool soothies gel pads and a good quality nipple cream can also help reduce pain and inflammation.
How Long Does It Take for Power Pumping to Work?
Most people experience a notable increase in their milk supply within a week.
Unfortunately for some, it may take longer.
If you’ve attempted this technique for seven consecutive days but still aren’t seeing power pumping results, wait a few days and try another cycle of seven days.
Try to see power pumping as a relaxing time rather than a stressful one. Maybe watch a few of our favorite TV shows about parenting during your sessions.
When measuring your power pumping results, be sure to look at how much milk you are producing throughout the entire day. NOT just during your power pumping sessions.
Schedule for Max Power Pumping Results
The ideal power pumping schedule is quite easy:
Pump for 20 minutes
–rest for 10 minutes–
Pump for 10 minutes
–rest for 10 minutes–
Pump for 10 minutes
Keep in mind that you don’t need to unhook the flanges during the resting periods.
Sometimes if you’re using a handy-dandy hands-free pumping bra it’s just easier to leave them in place for the entire hour. Simply switch your pump on and off as directed above.
Good luck! Let me know about your amazing power pumping results!
