Should I Be Pumping As A Breastfeeding Mother?

As a breastfeeding expert, I have seen many women wonder if they should be pumping as a breastfeeding mother. In my opinion, this question stems from the social pressures that surround breastfeeding these days. When new moms scroll through social media, they are bombarded by breastfeeding advice. While there are many credible sources on social media, there are many others who base all of their advice on their own experience alone.

Finding the truth can be difficult.

Breast pumping and freezers full of neatly cataloged bags of breast milk seem to be some of the top posted content in this space. As a former breastfeeding mom and now a board certified breastfeeding medicine doctor, I can tell you that it is not always necessary to pump as a breastfeeding mothers.

My hope is that this article will help guide you through times that it may be necessary to pump vs times when it is not.

Reasons To Use A Breast Pump Early

There are many reasons why you want to pump breast milk early on in your breastfeeding journey. We will look at four reasons why you may need to pump.

Baby is in the NICU

First, if you would like to provide breast milk for your new baby and the two of you are separated, you need to use a breast pump. Prematurity is one reason why a newborn might go to the neonatal intensive care unit. This is especially true if the baby is born extremely premature. Pumping with a high quality breast pump with adequate suction should begin as soon possible, but no later than 6 hours postpartum. After that, you will need to pump every 3 hours around the clock in order to establish your breast milk supply as well as meet your baby’s needs.

As long as you and your baby are apart, pumping is the best way to provide breast milk for them. Once you are able to put baby to breast for feedings, pumping will help your breasts to keep up with milk production until your baby is strong enough to extract milk efficiently.

Baby is not latching well

A second reason to pump early is if the baby is not feeding well at the breast. In the early days of your baby’s life if he is not latching well or not transferring milk from your breast, you will need some help in establishing and maintaining a milk supply. The goal in the early days of breastfeeding is to protect your milk supply while at the same time, ensuring that your baby is receiving adequate calories to grow. Often, pumping is a temporary solution while your baby is figuring things out.

Additionally, lactation professionals will recommend triple feeds if your baby is not gaining weight adequately. Triple feeding means basically, feeding your baby while protecting and establishing your milk supply. This includes feeding your baby at the breast, pumping your breasts afterwards and feeding the pumped breast milk to your baby.

This is a process that can get you over a small hump. If you feel like you need to do this for more than a few days, then you need some extra help. I do not recommend triple feeding for more than a couple of days. This process can be very taxing, especially on a new mother. It leaves you with little time to rest and enjoy your baby.

Returning to Work

Another time that you will need to consider pumping is if you need to return to work. Of course, taking as much time off as possible is always recommended. This is not always possible for all women, so learning how to maximize your breast pump is essential. A few weeks in advance of your return to work, you should pump once for 15-20 minutes after your first morning feeding. You can begin storing this milk in 1-2 ounce amounts in the freezer. You should work to store enough milk to cover your baby for a few days worth of feedings. Ideally, you would be pumping at work while your baby is eating, but life happens and sometimes that is not possible.

I do not recommend creating a large freezer stash of breast milk. It is unnecessary and causes undo stress on mothers.

When pumping at work, it is important to find a private area where you feel comfortable and can safely pump milk. Moms who return to work full time will need to pump 2-3 times during their workday to maintain a full milk supply. The goal is to return home with about 1 to 1.5 ounces of pumped breast milk per hour that you were away.

Exclusive pumping

A final reason to pump early on in your breastfeeding experience is if you choose to exclusively pump. Deciding to exclusively pump to provide breast milk for your baby is a very personal decision. Similar guidelines apply whether you are direct feeding or exclusively pumping. You need to empty your breasts early and often.

Reasons To Not Pump Early

Even though you may feel pressure to pump, there are many reasons why you don’t necessarily need to pump.

Breastfeeding Is Going Well

If breastfeeding is going well and your baby is gaining weight, you should avoid pumping in the first few weeks of your baby’s life. The reason for this is simple. If your baby is feeding well and you are pumping, your body thinks that there are two babies to provide milk for. While this might sound good, it is not. Creating an oversupply of breast milk causes just as many problems as an under supply.

You Don’t Work Outside of Your Home

A second reason to not pump early is if you stay home or spend most of your days with your baby. Don’t get me wrong. I still want you to leave the house without your baby. You just don’t need to be focused on pumping and storing lots of breast milk. Simply pumping a time or two ahead of when you plan to leave the baby will suffice for short outings. Pumping on an ongoing basis is unnecessary.

Choosing the right pump

There are so many options for breast pumps nowadays. Often, your health insurance will reimburse you for or help you to purchase a breast pump. Most of the time, they have a set of standard options that you can get through your plan.

A basic electric pump that is portable is a great option for most women. Many different brands, sizes and shapes exist on the market. It is best to research what is best for you.

Wearable breast pumps are also a great option, especially for women who are returning to highly demanding jobs. These pumps are convenient, but don’t work well for every single person. Some of the brands can lack the suction power of a plug-in type pump. Additionally, these pumps can be difficult to use for women who have large breasts.

Another option for a breast pump is a manual hand pump. These pumps are easy to learn, but sometimes hard to use. The drawback with hand pumps is that you can only pump one breast at a time. This may not be a good option if you are returning to work and only have a finite amount of time to pump. Hand pumps can be an excellent and cost effective option if you mostly stay home with your baby, but need to pump to provide milk for your baby while you are away for short periods of time.

How Can 127 Pediatrics Make Your Breastfeeding Journey Better?

At 127 Pediatrics, we believe that all women deserve evidence based breastfeeding information. Not only is Dr. Wadley board certified in pediatrics, but she is also board certified in breastfeeding medicine. We offer in person and virtual breastfeeding consults in and outside of our local community. In addition, we offer online breastfeeding education for all points of your breastfeeding journey.

You can start your journey with 127 Pediatrics by signing up to receive our weekly breastfeeding newsletter. Click on the link below and we’ll get you added to the list.

© 127 Pediatrics; September 2022; Updated May 2024