When to draw milk and for how long?

When to draw milk and for how long?

I recommend breastfeeding as often as possible since it is the best way to feed your baby. However, it is normal that all mothers can not breastfeed permanently and be with their baby 24 hours a day. If you want to continue giving your baby breast milk, a breast pump is a very effective way to maintain good milk production. There are several reasons why it is helpful to use a breast pump:

You will probably need to store milk to meet the needs of the baby when you are away. It happens when you return to work or leave the baby to your family, friends or nanny.
Your baby can not suck or eat directly from your breast.
You want to give breast milk to your child, but you do not want to breastfeed.
You want to increase your milk production or, on the contrary, relieve you of a waterlogging
Things to know before you draw your milk
Once you are ready to draw your milk, there are some things you need to know.

If you have a healthy, full-term baby who is breastfeeding properly, you can wait a few weeks before you draw your milk and start to store it. If, on the contrary, your baby is sick or premature or can not suck properly, start drawing milk as soon as possible after birth, preferably between 1 to 6 hours after the baby is born.





If you are breastfeeding mainly:

Shoot your milk in the morning. This is the time of day when you have the most milk.
Pull your milk between each breastfeed, 30 to 60 minutes later or at least one hour before. This will leave enough milk for the baby to feed.
Always give priority to the baby. He must have the milk he needs, and not the bottle.

If you pull your milk only:

Try to draw your milk 8 to 10 times every 24 hours. Normal production of breast milk is 750mL to 1L in 24 hours.
Once you have reached maximum milk production, try to maintain a pace that allows you to reach that 750mL-1L every day.
Every mom and every baby are different. So you have to find the best pace for both of you.
In all cases, a quality breast pump is mandatory for quality pumping.

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Learn how to draw your milk

Learning to draw milk is not always easy. These tips will help you make this vital gesture for your baby.

Do your homework. Read your breast pump manual and read all the articles on this blog.
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit.



Bring a drink and a snack

Make sure you have a battery in your breast pump (if it is electric)
Wash your hands with soap and water

Assemble the pump

Center the cushion on your breast and center the nipple in the opening of the cushion. This is an ultra-important phase for the success of the operation
To simulate breastfeeding, start with high speed and low suction until the milk begins to flow, then adjust the speed to medium and increase the suction to a comfortable level.
Continue! You will be able to draw your milk faster and faster and get better with the workout!

How much milk should you draw?

The amount of milk to be drawn varies depending on several factors such as the baby's age, time since last breastfeeding, time of day, type of breast pump, your ability to draw milk and your state of relaxation. of stress.

If you are breastfeeding, expect to:

Produce more milk in the morning

The volume gradually declines as the evening gets closer
The volume of milk production depends on many factors and you will surely not have the same volume as your girlfriend for example.
If, on the other hand, you are only drawing milk, you should try to produce between 750 mL and 1 liter every day. You will not be able to do it the first days,

but you will quickly take the shot!

Babies can consume more bottle-fed milk than they would breast-feed. The faster, continuous feeding of baby bottles causes some babies to take more than they need. In this case, try to switch to a bottle with a reduced flow to avoid over-nutrition.

How to achieve and maintain optimal milk production?

If you are drawing milk because your baby is premature or too sick to suckle, or simply because you have decided to milk only, follow these tips to achieve and maintain optimal milk production. To draw milk frequently sends a strong signal to the body so that it produces more milk ... The more often you empty your breasts, the more milk they will produce.



From birth to the fourth day

If you can, pull milk within 6 hours of delivery
Use a hospital breast pump at the beginning to produce a lot of milk
Expect to produce a little colostrum at the beginning
As soon as possible, pull 8 to 10 times every 24 hours. This is the number of times your baby would be breastfeeding each day. In any case, the more you shoot each day, the more milk you will produce. The opposite is also true, the less you shoot and the less milk you produce.
If you can, use a double pump. It will save you time and boost production faster.
Pull your milk for at least 10 to 20 minutes then finish by massaging your breasts by hand. Use the cushion to harvest the milk that will come out thanks to the manual massage.
To increase milk production, try to draw your milk at least twice between 1am and 6am. In the early hours of the morning, the level of hormones that produce milk increases!
From day 4 to maximum production

At the end of the 4th day, you should almost reach an optimal level by making the following changes:

Shoot longer, 2 minutes after the last drop of milk or until your breasts feel completely empty.
Focus on the total number of pumping each day (8 to 10 times every 24 hours) rather than the time between each draw (every 2 to 3 hours).
You should not let more than 5 hours go by without drawing your milk for the first two weeks of your baby's life.
Most moms find it easier to focus on the number of times they shoot each day than on a fixed time. In addition, this daily total is more important for milk production.

Maintain an optimal level

When you reach the 750 mL to 1L level every 24 hours, you've reached your goal! Most moms can now draw less milk while maintaining this volume of production. At this level:

Keep a rhythm that gives 750 mL to 1L of milk every 24 hours
To maintain your maximum production level, you must try to sleep more. The majority of mothers draw milk before bedtime and in the morning when they wake up ... Try to do the same and analyze if it does not cause waterlogging or if it does not decrease your milk production
Shoot your milk for a shorter time. Generally, 10 to 15 minutes are enough.
Once a week, total the milk you have shot in the last 24 hours. Write it down and compare each week to see if your level is holding up or not.

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Increase milk production

If you need to increase milk production, the faster you work, the faster you'll get results. Here are some things to try:

Pull your milk more often, 8 to 12 times every 24 hours
Pull your milk longer, wait a few minutes after the last drop of milk has flowed
Make sure the cushion for your nipple still fits, the size may change over time
Massage your breasts before and during pumping
Finish drawing your milk by hand
Stop taking milk

When you have decided to stop drawing your milk, it is important to remember to go step by step. Follow these tips for a safe stop:

Skip a milk session and then let 2 to 3 days to your body to adapt then skip an extra session. In the end, you only have to keep the first and last pumping of the day before stopping completely.
Keep the same number of prints, but shoot less. For example, if each draw gave you 120 mL of milk, stop now at 90 mL. Leave two or three days for your body to adjust and then lower again. After a while, you will not feel the need to draw your milk.
Remember that in the "weaning" phase, if your breasts are too full, just pull what you need to make you feel good again. Leaving your breasts too full can expose you to pain and infection.

PS: These few tips do not replace those of your doctor or specialist. If you encounter a problem that you can not solve, ask for help immediately. Finally, remember that every baby is different!