Occasionally circumstances make it impossible to breastfeed your baby from birth. Don’t be discouraged. Establishing a breastmilk supply is easiest when your baby does the work, but it is possible even if baby is not yet ready to nurse. Follow these guidelines, then when circumstances permit you'll be ready to breastfeed your baby.

 

Buy or rent a breastpump and learn how to use it
Buy or rent an electric breastpump. A medical grade rental pump will be the most comfortable and do the best job establishing a full milk supply with exclusive pumping. It's best if it's a medical grade pump that allows you to pump both breasts simultaneously. Establish your schedule early and pump as often as a full-term baby would breastfeed in a 24-hour period. At the time of your baby’s birth, your body is asking "how many babies are there and how much milk is needed?", creating a huge window of opportunity to “train” your body’s milk supply.

Many new mothers are surprised to learn that during the first few weeks of baby's life they'll establish a milk supply sufficient for a 1-year old child. Early on babies waste what they don’t need, resulting in the many soiled diapers. As baby grows, the composition of the milk changes and less is wasted.

 

Establish a pattern early
You'll prepare your body early on to meet baby’s future long-term needs. Small or premature babies may not require large volumes of breastmilk, but before you know it they'll need on average 3-4 ounces every 3-4 hours. If you wait till then to establish your supply, your already hungry baby may make things difficult and stressful.

We suggest double pumping at least 8 times in 24 hours. For one baby, pump for 10-15 minutes every 3 hours (a minimum of 160 minutes per day). For twins, double pump for 20-30 minutes (a minimum of 320 minutes per day). Many new mothers are falsely led to believe they can pump less in the beginning and achieve a full milk supply. Click here to learn more about how babies breastfeed to establish a milk supply.

For one baby the milk production goal is 24 ounces every 24 hours; for twins at least 48 ounces in that same period. (Of course some babies need a little more, some a little less.) Think of your time investment this way: the Austin Milk Bank charges $2.50/ounce for donor breastmilk, so the time you spend building your milk supply equates to $30.00 per hour for pumping. Its true long-term value is many times that.

 

Organize your experience
Make things more convenient by getting extra sets of pumping pieces (like breastshields) so you don’t have to clean your breastpump parts as often.

Purchase a bustier, such as Easy Expressions, for hands free pumping. This amazing accessory allows you to hold or feed the baby, eat, talk on the phone or rest while you pump, and it's an absolute must if you are pumping full time or returning to work.

Store your extra breastmilk in special storage bags designed so you can pump directly into them and then store. Bags need no extra washing and take up less room in the freezer.

Make your experience more comfortable by putting drops of water in the pumping flange or rubbing a small amount of Lansinoh inside.

		• Have extra pumping pieces on hand so you can clean your breastpump less often. • Purchase a bustier, such as Easy Expressions, for convenient hands-free pumping. • Store extra breastmilk in convenient storage bags so you can pump directly into them. • Put a few drops of water or Lansinoh cream inside the pumping flange for extra comfort.

 

		How Breastmilk Protects Newborns by Jack Newman from Scientific American magazine Click here to read the article