Power Pumping

Looking for ways to boost milk supply after you return to work? Quite a number of mummies find themselves struggling to meet their babies’ demand for milk during this period, especially for Exclusive Pumping mom. This normally happens when mummies start to return to work. Somehow, the breast pumps are not able to increase the volume of milk or even to keep up to the babies’ demand.

What is Power Pumping?

• Power Pumping is an alternative way to increase pumping mother’s milk supply. It was a tried and tested method, developed by Catherine Watson Genna.
• This process will repeatedly emptying the breast, which send signals to our brain and body to produce more milk, at shorter time.
• It is advised to power pump once a day, e.g. 6 am daily and use the following pumping pattern:
  • Pump for 20 minutes
  • Rest for 10 minutes
  • Pump for another 10 minutes
  • Rest for 10 minutes
  • Pump for the last 10 minutes
• Power pump will normally show result on average after 48 hours.

What other things do I need to do on top of power pumping?

• Consume nutritious food with balance diet and drink more water.

This is because doing power pumping will exhaust mummies’ energy. We shall continue to replenish them by eating nutritious diet which contain protein, fat and water.

• Keep pumping even though you feel that your breast is empty

This method is also known as dry pumping. This action will send a signal to our brain and body that our baby is still hungry, hence breastmilk will be produced to fulfil babies’ needs. In fact, letting our breast full for longer period will end up slowing down breastmilk production.

• If you are direct latching when you are at home, keep nursing even though breast is not full yet

Direct latching will stimulate let down reflex. Even though breast is not full, skin-to-skin interaction will still give “demand” signal to our brain. As a result, baby will also consume more hind milk.

Read more on 11 Ways to Boost Milk Supply.

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Disclaimer: This article is meant for mothers who choose to breastfeed the baby. For those mothers who choose to feed their baby with formula milk, it is perfectly fine.