When is it Too Early to Pump Breast Milk: Guide for New Moms
There is something unique about a mother’s journey from pregnancy to breastfeeding, pumping, and then some! After six children and many ups and downs, I can say that motherhood has been a gratifying experience.
It also feels great when mothers come up to tell me they’ve been breastfeeding their babies for longer by reading my blog and picking up pumping techniques. I cannot tell you how happy my heart feels hearing all that! Gosh, even writing this makes me a little emotional!
So, this brings me to a common pumping question that mums in the community ask: When should I begin pumping, and when is it too early to start pumping breast milk?
I mentioned in my previous article that I was heading back to work when I had Aiden (my second child). And I had to keep some expressed milk ready. While I was eager to start pumping, my lactation consultant and my mother advised me to wait a few weeks before starting.
Let’s jump into why.
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When Should You Begin Pumping?
You may have noticed during your pregnancy that your breasts start getting fuller. And after childbirth, you are ready to give your child the first feed. But it still takes time for you and the baby to work out a breastfeeding system.
- I had trouble feeding Avery (my first daughter) for the first few weeks. That’s because I was dealing with postpartum and stressed about it! Then, my pediatrician suggested I use a pump to get my milk supply flowing. And it helped as well.
- With all my other children, I only had to settle into the breastfeeding routine. But that on its own took me about four to five weeks. So, this is why pediatricians and lactation consultants recommend you wait at least six weeks before starting the first pump, especially if your milk supply is healthy.
When is it Too Early to Pump Breast Milk?
Kelleigh’s Quick Tip: You can start pumping whenever you feel ready, but I would recommend waiting for atleast 4-6 weeks after giving birth. Because if you start pumping too soon, you can develop an oversupply of the breast milk (along with issues like clogged ducts and mastitis in some mothers). Around 6 weeks postpartum, your body typically starts to regulate the milk supply, and that’s why it’s recommended to wait until then. Also, hey, who wants to start pumping too early anyways when you’re already exhausted?
You should consider pumping earlier than that only for the following reasons:
- You are returning to work and need to build a breast milk stash for other caregivers,
- You have breastfeeding difficulties,
- You remain separated from your baby (this happens if there are medical complications or infections),
- Your baby has difficulty latching, or
- You are traveling
Just don’t pump during pregnancy, unless your doctors say otherwise! Pumping during early pregnancy can cause miscarriages, and it can also induce pre-term labor if done during later pregnancy. We don’t want that to happen.
- So, mums! If you have a healthy milk supply, pumping before settling into a breastfeeding routine can be too early. Please avoid that.
- For other cases, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to when to begin pumping because the circumstances are different for every mother. However, use my recommendation above as a general guideline.
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Techniques and Tools to Help You Pump
I, personally, like to use manual breast pumps to pump out breast milk. You can also try pumping bras or electric or battery-powered pumps to go hands-free when you pump milk.
But before that, you have to figure out your flange size. Here’s a tip to choose the correct flange size:
Your nipple should sit comfortably in the tunnel of the flange, and the areola (the pigmented skin around your nipple ) should be outside the tunnel. This way, you don’t feel pain while pumping, and your breasts get drained better.
- No matter what pump you use, please wash your hands before you start. If you’ve read my article on how to clean, sanitize, and sterilize pumps, you’ll know to start pumping only with a clean and sterile pump.
- I always start by massaging the breast before pumping. I even think about my baby and their warmth to help with the letdown reflex that signals milk to flow. Only then do I place the pump onto the breast to begin pumping.
- My pediatrician also recommended an early morning pump to help promote milk supply since the hormone prolactin is more active at night and early morning. My children remained asleep in the early mornings, so, that worked out too.
FAQs about Early Pumping
There is a lot of conflicting information out there about early pumping. I’ll try to answer some of your questions based on my personal experience.
Does Milk Supply Reduce If You Start Pumping Early?
Not at all!
- A Research that I came across shows that the more you nurse and pump your breast in full, the further your hormones signal to produce more milk. All you need to do is completely drain your breast milk during one nurse or pump session.
- You can even pump after a breastfeeding session to empty the breast milk. This way, you can stimulate more milk production.
For this reason, it’s advisable not to start pumping too early, but rather wait until our body naturally regulates milk supply, which typically occurs around 6 weeks postpartum. If you start too early, you’ll be left with a glorious freezer stash of breast milk.
Does Pumping Early Cause Nipple Confusion in Babies?
Not if you already have an established breastfeeding routine with your baby.
- For mums who don’t know, nipple confusion, simply put, is when your baby gets so used to the bottle that they no longer take to breastfeeding. Their sucking patterns change because of this confusion, and they may even cry when you try to breastfeed them.
- That’s why it helps to wait a few weeks before pumping or introducing your baby to the bottle. You and your baby need that much-needed skin-to-skin contact and time to settle into the breastfeeding rhythm.
Even afterward, when you introduce bottles, choose a type that mimics the natural flow of breast milk and pace out those bottle feeds to prevent your baby from getting over-accustomed to them.
How Does Early Pumping Help Mothers?
The earlier you establish a solid breastfeeding routine for you and your baby, the earlier you can start pumping.
- And listen, we mums already have stuff to worry about, don’t we? So, first, focus on developing a strong bond with your baby. Hold them in your arms, let them feel the scent of your skin, and nurture them with your breast before thinking about anything else. The feeling is magical, and you should savor that!
Once you sort that, early pumping will benefit you throughout your motherhood journey.
- It helps you maintain your milk supply, ensuring consistent breast milk flow for your baby’s growth and development.
- Early pumping can also relieve you from breast engorgement. By pumping early, you can remove the pressure at the breast and prevent blocked ducts and mastitis.
- Pumping early also helps you build a stash of milk for when you may be away from your baby, allowing other members of the family to bond and share responsibility in caring for your little one.
- It helps your baby learn to accept the bottle now and again, making feeds easier in the long run.
We aim to find the right balance between not starting too early and avoiding unnecessary delay in beginning pumping. It’s about timing it just right for our body’s natural rhythm.
Final Thoughts on Early Pumping
Pumping earlier takes effort, but it’s worth it. Think of it like laying the foundation for a strong bond and a healthy start in life. Early pumping ensures a steady supply and gives caregivers the freedom to feed babies even when we mums are not around.
So, I hope my guide helped you with any questions you had regarding when to start pumping. However, if you are still not sure, please talk to your pediatrician or lactation consultant about when you can start pumping!
Additional Resources
Are you new to pumping? Do you have your pump but still find it uncomfortable? If so, some of these accessories can help you.
- Pumping Bra: It lets you pump hands-free.
- Nipple Cream: I used to have sore nipples because of frequent pumps. This cream helped soothe that.
- Nursing Pads: You can place these in your bra to absorb leaks and avoid potential wardrobe malfunctions! Life-savers if you work at the office, mums.