Hands-on pumping helps mothers who may be struggling with volume produce more milk at each pumping session. If you have a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care, have had a premature baby, or need to pump, this technique of combining pumping hand expression and breast massage (“hands-on pumping”) has been shown to increase milk volume by 48%.
Using Hands-On Pumping
When using hands-on pumping to increase milk supply, you’ll massage both breasts before you pump and during your pumping sessions. Here’s a pumping routine that you can use: Breast massage and hand expression combined with pumping will not only help maximize the amount of milk you will pump with each session but will also increase your milk supply overall.
Maximizing Your Milk Production
Here are some other ways you can increase and maximize your milk production while your baby is in the NICU.
Continue to pump regularly. Eight times in 24 hours in ideal to maintain your milk supply. Remember it’s supply and demand. If you are pumping in place of a full feeding, pump for 15 minutes—even if the milk stops flowing. The pumping stimulates the breasts to maintain your milk supply. If you are separated from your baby, it’s important to begin expressing your milk within the first six hours after giving birth. Spend as much time as you can close to your baby. Holding your baby skin-to-skin will not only help you and your baby bond but will help your body to produce prolactin and oxytocin, which helps to increase your milk supply. Try listening to music. Music has been shown to increase the amount of milk expressed in the NICU.
