Pumping Between Feedings

Updated on May 29, 2014
K.H. asks from Humble, TX
6 answers

My LO eats every 4 hours. I'm trying to get some extra milk saved for him because I have to leave him for a couple of days. I was wondering if pumping two hours after I fed him (two hours before his next feeding) would decrease the amount of milk available for his next meal. Will there be enough there to keep him satisfied or should I just try to pump immediately after the feeding and take what I can get for later?

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M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

It might decrease your supply for a little while, but your body would quickly pick up to meet the demand. (Holding baby while pumping will help stimulate production.)

The only problem with pumping after feedings (for storage... It's great for building supply!) is that all milk is not the same... The milk at the beginning if the feeding (fore milk) is thinner, meant to sate the immediate hunger. The milk at the end (hind milk) is thicker, and gives the baby more staying power and delivers more calories. So pumping at the end will give you bottles of hind milk, and if your body is over-supplying for those sessions then baby gets full on fore milk before even getting to the hind milk. Adding a session in the middle would work better for storage purposes as you will be getting both hind and fore milk together. :) pumping after nursing also tends to increase your supply in a weird way... Instead of slowly building up, it would be like BAM! Boobs are full! And they would be FULL. To the point that I had a forceful letdown, and my daughter would choke trying to nurse if I didn't wait for the milk to quit shooting out (much to the entertainment of my husband, and anger of my child...) before letting her latch on. :/

So I would really recommend the middle-ground pumping, based on my own experience and the composition of the milk... BUT, pumping after nursing is an option that works fairly well for many people, (maybe I just have funky boobs? ;) lol.) and is definitely better than nothing if pumping in between doesn't work for you.

2 moms found this helpful
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Z.B.

answers from Toledo on

I'm pretty sure either way is fine. I usually pumped right away after a feeding. I figured that would trick my body into thinking my child was eating longer. He he! I absolutely pumped in the morning, because that was when I was able to pump the most amount of milk.

Honestly, though, if you are consistent your body should adjust to that schedule and expect you to need milk every couple of hours.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

For me, the best time to pump to get extra was first thing in the morning. My supply was always best as soon as I woke up, and I could pump a lot of milk if I did it as soon as I woke, and still replenish quickly enough to nurse the baby an hour later when the baby woke up.

I also think that you will be able to feed the baby just fine if you pump 2 hours after your last feeding.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.P.

answers from Albuquerque on

With dd, I would pump mostly from 1 breast and nurse from the other (uneven production). After dd fed from her breast, I'd pump for a few minutes to build up stockpile and production. It worked well for us. How old is baby? If he's a bit older and sleeping longer through the night, set an alarm and pump during that time (say he sleeps for 6 hours, you can pump 3 or 4 hours after his last feeding).
Good luck mama!

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

A friend of mine pumped in the middle of the night to prepare for a weekend trip. She guestimated how much she'd need and how much she could get and gave herself an extra night in case she needed more milk. I used to pump during DD's nap times. She never went hungry, because a pump is less efficient than a baby and supply comes from demand. You might also want to pump in the morning if that's when your supply is higher. You can always pump one side and nurse from the other, and if you do it at the same time, baby will help with your let down.

Remember, too, to prep for the trip by bringing your pump and bottles or storage bags or you will be very uncomfortable~!

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

Your body works on supply and demand. the more demand, the bigger the supply.

My son was great at nursing, but my daugther no so much. I pumped a lot, and had a lot to show for it.

So, I would feed like normal. and pump after for 5-10 mins ( might be some time that nothing is coming out, but that will stimulate your body to making more). It takes 2-3 days for your body to catch up with production to the new demand.

Good luck.

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