It is grueling for new mothers to realize if they are supplying their babies enough milk or not, and some, if not most, wind up worrying about it irrelevantly. There are many reasons you are producing less milk if the production is actually low, and it is especially difficult to tell or know if you are supplying enough during the process of breastfeeding as you don’t know the exact amount of milk going into your baby.
However, if your baby’s development is on target, that is a sign that you are producing sufficient milk. In addition, if your infant regularly soils his diapers, you are definitely supplying him with more than enough breast milk. The milk you produce is directly connected to the amount of milk your body system assumes is adequate for your baby, and your body acquires this information or reports from the quantity of time you use up breastfeeding your infant.
It is absolutely normal for your milk supply to dwindle, especially if you don’t nurse or breastfeed very frequently or on a steady schedule, as the more you breastfeed your baby, the more the supply of milk. However, if you breastfeed on a regular basis and see a reduction in milk supply, then a number of days of power pumping might help rejuvenate your supply of milk.
What is Power Pumping?
As its name implies, power pumping is the use of a breast pump by a breastfeeding woman to take out a lot of breast milk and as much as she can in quick flows and intervals with the aim of invigorating and energizing her supply of milk.
It is a process that entails imitating the recurring feeding of a baby undergoing a development spurt. During these periods, a baby’s more robust, more persistent, and prolonged breastfeeding sets off an increased supply of lactogenic hormones from the master gland.
How does Power Pumping Work?
The hypothesis behind power pumping is that it hyper-invigorates the lactogenic hormone that arouses milk production by spewing out the milk contents in the breasts.
It is an alternative used to increase the supply of milk from the breast by pumping at brief intervals for the fixed and intense time span. It provides a system where the more the milk is completely emptied from the breast, the more milk the breast will produce. The longer the milk stays in the breast unemptied, the more the breast assumes that less milk is needed and the less milk the breast produces or supplies.
More milk is produced if milk is emptied frequently from the breast, and this is what power pumping helps to achieve. It helps institute and keep up a sufficient supply of breast milk and at the same time prevent overproduction of milk.
How Long Does a Power Pumping Session Take?
A typical power pumping session should take between fifteen to twenty minutes to spew out a good milk supply from the breast. However, some women might need about thirty minutes to get out a considerable amount of milk, and busy moms might need to do a one-time pump per day for over thirty minutes.
Pump out until the outflow of milk starts slowing, and your breast feels well-emptied. Stop pumping when you start to feel slight pain or discomfort in your breast. However, it is important to take regular breaks during power pumping periods to prevent breast or nipple stings. Don’t pump for an hour straight as it could have negative effects on the breast.
How Long Does Power Pumping Take To Get The Desired Result?
You can expect to start seeing results or noticing changes anywhere from three days to three weeks. Initially, you will spew out only a few drops while power pumping, and that doesn’t necessarily mean the process isn’t working.
Power pumping takes patience on the part of a breastfeeding mother, and it might take a while for some to increase their production of milk doing it truly. Once the desired result has been achieved, power pumping can be stopped and replaced by your baby’s regular feeding and emptying.
Procedures for Power Pumping
Power pumping is not a substitution for usual breast pumping to grow the provision of milk. Instead, power pumping is calculated to augment your progress by replacing your regular draining session with another deliberately designed substitute. It works by repeatedly and frequently draining the breast, motioning and arousing the body to produce more milk, more swiftly.
To Power Pump, follow the pattern below.
- Sit in a cozy position.
- Pump and drain for 20 minutes and rest for 10 minutes after pumping.
- Pump for an additional 10 minutes; take a 10-minutes break after pumping.
- Pump for 10 minutes; stop pumping.
The above pattern can be repeated two times a day for maximum power pump effect or until the milk production is sufficient for the baby’s feeding requests. It gives and allows forty minutes of pumping and draining in a period of sixty minutes. Taking breaks between intervals of pumping is greatly advised.
When is The Time to Power Pump?
Power pumping can be done anywhere and anytime as long as it is convenient for a breastfeeding mother. However, it is scientifically believed that milk mass is naturally higher in the morning and tends to decrease throughout the day. Therefore, morning pumping periods may work faster and promote speedy outcomes.
Is Power Pumping Safe?
It can be done easily by breastfeeding mothers without risk and at their best convenience. It does not entail taking any particular anesthetics. However, power pumping isn’t suggested for nursing mothers who aren’t facing the issue of low milk production and supply as it can lead to overproduction problems.
What to Do During Power Pumping To Make It Easier?
Power pumping is definitely not the most thrilling thing to do, so getting productive during pumping is quite helpful. Low drain during power pumping can be a little stressful, and you might want to engage in some things that could make pumping more effective and make it go by quickly in a breeze. Here are the things you can do while power pumping.
- Try watching one of your best TV shows or programs while away time.
- Watch a movie and try pumping during the set of the movie and taking your break during the next set.
- Listen to music and try alternating between pumping while listening to some and resting during the others.
- Read a book and place a tab on the pages to cover during pumping – pump until you reach the settings page and then move it onwards and rest until you reach it again.
Who Is Power Pumping Precisely For?
Breastfeeding With Low Milk Production
Breastfeeding mothers looking to increase their production and supply of breast milk can power pumps as it stimulates the lactogenic hormone that aids milk secretion. It is often suggested to women trying to increase their supply of milk, and it doesn’t need any medication to do it, and absolutely anyone can.
Though it makes some time to see changes, it will give a regular boost if done properly.
Breastfeeding Women Who Want More Milk
Power pumping is a good idea for breastfeeding mothers who want more milk for their baby’s consumption. Babies between 1-2 months old get hungry easily and demand for food almost all the time. So, power pumping is suggested if you want to bring up your milk production and supply.
Power Pumping Tips for Benefits
Here are some suggestions for an effective power pumping period.
- Take breaks at intervals to prevent you from getting too exhausted and being uncomfortable.
- Take plenty of water during and after power pumping to garner strength and energy.
- Eat well and sufficiently to aid and fuel your additional milk supply.
- Rest as much as possible to aid the regular flow of breast milk and prevent low production as stress or exhaustion diminishes milk.
Why Should Breastfeeding Women Power Pump?
The normal and regular way to boost breast milk production is naturally through a baby’s feeding. A lactating mother may not always be readily available for constant feeding of her baby due to work demands or personal health-related reasons. A baby might not be interested in feeding for long moments due to latching or fastening issues. These factors reduce the demand for milk supply and thereby reduce the swift production of milk.
Also, a baby may need more milk than usual during some developmental stages, and in such situations, power pumping is a needed alternative. It targets heightening the supply of milk by continuously pumping the breast. The continual draining of the breasts gestures the body to produce more milk.
Power pumping works for most but not all women, and it is a good option to stimulate increased production of milk. It doesn’t require medical attention except in special and complicated cases. However, it is important to note that it is not for every breastfeeding mother, and it can’t completely replace usual breast pumping or a baby’s suckling to invigorate an increase in breast milk production.