Optimize Your
Pumping
Experience

Flange Fit

Click here for a detailed guide and free printable nipple ruler.

When to Use

Pumping is a valuable tool to support breastfeeding, protect your milk supply, and build a freezer stash. For exclusively breastfeeding parents, it's recommended to start pumping around 3 weeks postpartum, ideally once daily in the early morning after the baby has latched. This timing takes advantage of the natural rise in prolactin levels, which helps boost milk production, allowing you to build a stash without disrupting direct feeding.

For exclusive pumpers or NICU parents, begin pumping immediately after settling into your postpartum room and aim to pump every 8 times daily in the early weeks to establish and protect your supply. Consistency is critical during this time.

If you're separated from your baby and miss a feed, pump during that missed time to maintain your supply. This is important when you're away from baby for work, travel, or if they’re sleeping through a feed.

Pumping may also be recommended for medical reasons, such as if your baby is experiencing weight loss, low diaper output, or has an ineffective latch. Babies with prematurity, cleft lip/palate, or other conditions like low blood sugar or jaundice may require supplementation, and pumping ensures adequate milk supply.

How to Use Your Pump

Pumps are typically divided into two categories: traditional pumps and wearable pumps. While each brand is assembled similarly, there may be slight differences in design and functionality. For the most accurate and detailed instructions, it’s best to visit the manufacturer’s website, where you can find official how-to videos and product guides.

Social media can also be a helpful resource for tips and insights, but remember to use it as an additional source—always prioritize the manufacturer's instructions for safe and effective use.

If you’d like hands-on guidance to ensure you're using your pump correctly, book a prenatal appointment for a personalized pump demonstration and get expert advice tailored to your needs.

Pumping Tips 

A few intentional adjustments can make a meaningful difference in your pumping output to increase your milk supply:

• Ensure the Perfect Fit: A properly fitting flange is essential for comfort and effectiveness.

• Hand Expression: Gently express milk by hand before and after each session to stimulate flow.

• Double Pumping: Use a double electric breast pump to maximize efficiency and output.

• Apply Gentle Heat: Warm your flanges or apply a warm compress prior to pumping to encourage letdown.

• Use a Pumping Bra: Hands-free support allows you to stay relaxed and focus on your comfort.

• Breast Massage: Lightly massage both breasts while pumping to help stimulate milk flow.

• Replace pump parts every 90 days, or as recommended by the manufacturer. Some wearable pump brands suggest changing parts as often as every 30 days. Frequent washing and sanitizing can wear down valves, membranes, and flanges over time—leading to reduced suction and a drop in milk supply if not replaced regularly.

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Pumping Exercises

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Triple Feeding

Triple feeding is a short-term strategy. It is typically used during the first week and sometimes up to four weeks. This method is used when a mother is asked to supplement with formula or colostrum for medical reasons, such as prematurity, low blood sugar, jaundice, or early weight loss. Each feeding includes three steps: breastfeed the baby, offer a supplement (formula, colostrum, or both), and then pump to stimulate milk production and collect any available milk. In the first 48 hours, it’s completely normal for most mothers to produce only drops to small amounts of colostrum because every drop matters and helps build supply. Triple feeding is exhausting and not meant to be done alone. Support is essential. The support person should be the one to give the supplement using paced bottle feeding, a technique that helps baby transition smoothly between breast and bottle. This means gently rubbing the bottle nipple on the baby’s lips to encourage a wide latch, holding the bottle mostly horizontal, and pausing every 7–10 sucks to slow the flow and prevent overfeeding. Support people will also take responsibility for washing and preparing pump parts between sessions, so the mother has time to rest and recover. Without active help, triple feeding can quickly become overwhelming—support makes it sustainable.

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Exclusive Pumpers & NICU Moms

Begin pumping as soon as possible, within 6 hours of birth. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water to maintain cleanliness and protect your baby. Start by hand expressing for about 3 minutes to help stimulate your letdown and begin milk flow. Then, use a double electric breast pump for about 15 minutes, incorporating hands-on breast massage and gentle compressions throughout to encourage better milk drainage and increase output. After pumping, hand express for another 3 minutes to collect any remaining milk and further signal your body to keep producing.

During the first week postpartum, it’s important to pump every 3 hours around the clock, including overnight, to mimic a newborn’s natural feeding pattern. Aim for at least 8 sessions in 24 hours. Once your milk transitions from colostrum to milk and your supply is well established, you can allow for one longer stretch of sleep at night, up to 5 hours. However, it's still essential to wake for at least one pumping session between midnight and 7 am, when prolactin levels are highest, to help maintain your supply over time.

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Frequent Pumping
Try pumping every two hours during the day for three consecutive days. This mimics a newborn’s feeding pattern and signals your body to increase production.

Power Pumping
Designed to mimic cluster feeding, power pumping can help reset your milk supply:

• Pump for 15–20 minutes

• Rest for 10 minutes

• Pump for 10 minutes

• Rest for 10 minutes

• Pump for 10 minutes

Repeat this routine twice a day for 3 to 7 days for best results.

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Freezer Stash

If you're exclusively breastfeeding and want to build a freezer stash for returning to work or allowing others to help with feeding, it’s best to wait until about 3 weeks postpartum before introducing the pump and bottle, once breastfeeding is well established. Start by pumping once a day, ideally in the morning after your baby’s first latch, when prolactin levels are highest and milk output tends to be more abundant. Do this once daily for about two weeks, and you'll gradually build a stash that can be used when you're ready to return to work. Once you're offering stored milk and someone else is feeding your baby, it's important to still pump during that missed feeding to avoid engorgement and maintain your supply. Skipping pumping sessions can lead to a drop in milk production within a few days.

If you’re planning to freeze milk, be sure to read about Managing High Lipase below, especially if you notice your stored milk smells or tastes different after thawing.

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Milk Storage Guidelines

To ensure the safety and quality of your expressed breast milk, adhere to the following CDC Storage Guidelines:​

• Room Temperature: Up to 4 hours

• Refrigerator: Up to 4 days

• Freezer: Up to 6 months is in kitchen freezer; up to 12 months in deep freezer

• Thawed Milk: Use within 1–2 hours at room temperature; up to 24 hours in the refrigerator ​

• Hand wash your pump pieces after each use and sanitize daily

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Managing High Lipase​

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Some mothers may notice a soapy or metallic smell in their expressed milk due to elevated lipase activity. While this does not affect the milk's safety, it may cause bottle rejection. To identify this, perform a sniff test on a sample of your pumped milk over four consecutive days. If you detect an off-putting odor, consider the following strategies:​

• Scald method: Click here for detailed steps

• Freezing Immediately: Freeze milk immediately after expressing to minimize lipase activity.

• Mixing with Fresh Milk: Combine older milk with freshly expressed milk to dilute the taste.

• Flavor Masking: Add a few drops of vanilla extract to the milk before feeding (ensure your baby does not have sensitivities).