One of the first things I asked the lactation consultant at the hospital was "when should I begin pumping?" Unfortunately, the consultant on staff was terrible and really couldn't give me an answer.
So I figured it out on my own.
Let me share my experience with you for some guidance ...
When we went home (after two days in the hospital), I tried pumping colostrum. It just didn't work out. I sat for 20 minutes pumping at the highest level, not really knowing what I was doing, and got a little dribble. I bawled my eyes out ... how was I ever going to feed my baby?? I digress.
So it wasn't until my milk came in (late in the evening of day three) that I tried again. I pumped for 20 minutes on both sides and got about an ounce per breast. It was very yellow-y. None of it was like I expected.
I continued to pump every two hours, for 20 minutes at a time. My supply grew, and soon I was getting two ounces per breast. That's when I decided to cut back on the length of time I pumped, thinking if I got two ounces after 15 minutes, why should I bother with the extra five?
I waffled with how long I pumped - sometimes it was only seven minutes, sometimes 10. I assumed my supply wasn't going to grow any more than it had, so I stopped pumping whenever I got two ounces.
Then logic kicked in ... if I pumped longer, over time my supply would react and I would get more milk. Sure enough, I extended my sessions back to 15 minutes and before long I was getting three ounces per breast, every three hours.
For me, this was the perfect ratio of duration, frequency and output. I pump four to five times a day (six if I’m super disciplined) and am able to keep a very stable and constant supply. There is the one exception of my morning session, which is longer and more productive … but more on that later.
To find your right balance, consider how much milk you produce, how big your breasts are (not discriminating! but bigger breasts hold more milk longer), and how frequently you can commit to pumping.
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