Some moms have written in asking how often should I pump breast milk? The answer depends on how often you are nursing your baby. If you are not nursing from the breast or are away from the baby for more than a few hours, you will need to pump regularly to stimulate your milk supply. So for example, if you are away for the day at work, I would try to pump every 2-3 hours for 15 minutes or so. If you are nursing, check with your doctor but in my view, you can pump when you miss a feed or you can pump for just a few minutes AFTER each feed, which will allow you to build up a nice supply of milk and provide a little extra stimulation for your breasts.
Breastfeeding Working Moms – Pumping Breast Milk Schedule
Pumping breastmilk at work in an office is really tough because unforeseen events can arise and they can make it hard to stick to a good routine. You’re all set up to pump and then your boss convenes a meeting in his office. Ugh! Get the picture! In this video, I share my own experiences and talk about how in some cases you can DELAY pumping a bit if you need to – i.e., you don’t need to pump exactly when the baby is nursing – as long as you leave enough time for your body to build up breast milk for the next feed. Relaxing the timing a bit really took pressure off me, and I hope it will help you too.
How did you handle creating a pumping schedule at work or when you were away from the baby and what worked for you? Please comment below and share your experiences.
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