June 27, 2019
Breast milk production is hard work, whether you’re nursing or exclusively pumping (like me). Keeping up with your baby can be stressful! I want to share how I have kept my breast milk production up to feed Caroline and build a freezer stash.
Goodness did we try, but nursing just did not work well enough for us. We just could not get her to latch deep enough and draw enough milk out during a feeding (I have an entire post about it here). I got familiar with my breast pump very early, and realized that exclusively pumping was going to work best for us.
Let me tell you something about exclusively pumping. IT IS HARD FREAKING WORK, but it is sooo worth it. There is nothing more rewarding than watching my baby grow and develop solely on my breast milk. It makes me feel so powerful and proud. Pumping takes a lot of time. At first, I was spending a minimum of three hours a day pumping: six sessions a day, 30 minutes each. In order to have enough for each day I was waking up at 3:00 or 4:00 am to get an extra session in. A lot of women find the early morning to the best time to pump for max production. Four months in, I feel like I have gotten into my pumping groove. I pump at the same time each day (within a 30 min window), and I can predict how much I pump at each session depending on the time.
I owe HUGE props to my best friend Jessica. She’s a mother of three and has literally been the biggest help with my pumping and production. A lot of these tips and tricks are from her.
Lactation Cookies
If it has to do with cookies, I am in. Jessica sent me this recipe for lactation cookies after I had Caroline. I instantly went to the store and bought all of the ingredients, except for the brewers yeast because it rolled under Caro’s car seat in the shopping cart and I unintentionally shoplifted it. Please don’t tell the authorities, lol. On a normal day, I eat about five of these (a lot, I know). Two in the morning, and a few more through out the day. When they’re fresh, it is hard not to eat four right as they come out of the oven.
Find the recipe for Housepoet’s Famous Lactation Cookies here. The recipe I found online is pretty detailed. In the recipe Jessica sent me it just says to throw everything together and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Supplements
Jessica sent me her leftover Milk Thistle and Fenugreek supplements. I found them to increase my production enough to keep up with Caroline early on. I try to take them as directed (two to three times a day), but I often forget to take them in the afternoon. I always take them at least once a day though.
I’ve heard awesome things about Legendairy Milk‘s supplements, but I find them to be a little expensive. However, I highly suggest following them on Instagram because they share awesome tips and have created a great community of nursing and pumping mommas.
Hydrate
For a while I had a very hard time staying hydrated while pumping. My lips were constantly chapped! Jessica bought me this water bottle to keep with me. It is stainless steel and keeps water super cold. I’ve also been using Propel packets to make my water a little more tasty. My favorite flavors are berry and strawberry lemonade.
Relax
Oxytocin is responsible for the let down reflex, which can be inhibited by stress and anxiety. Less stress to better express! LOL, that’s kind of clever. I know it can seem next to impossible to relax while pumping. A lot my pumps happen as soon as I put Caroline down for a nap while I sit there crossing my fingers that she won’t wake up.
My best pump is my first one of the day at 6:00 am. Caroline is still asleep during this pump session (most of the time), which makes this time ideal. Let’s be honest, I am pretty much still asleep during this pump as well. I make a point to take deep breaths. I have also started covering my pump bottles with socks (thank you, Jessica) so I don’t sit and watch my production. A watched pot never boils.
Any other mom’s out there breastfeeding? I’d love to hear what works best for you!
