How often should you pump milk? Why massage before pumping?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Cao Thi Thanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
In the process of raising children, especially for mothers who have given birth to their first child, they have no experience, so there are many questions and concerns raised by mothers such as: How often should breast milk be pumped, the time to pump milk is separated? How long is reasonable?. To answer these questions, please refer to the information from the article below.

1. How often to pump milk?

Breast milk is the most abundant and best source of nutrition for the growth and development of infants and young children. Right from birth, babies can suckle directly. The first drops of breast milk called colostrum are rich in antibodies, minerals and vitamins.
Normally, the 2nd to 5th day after birth, milk will come. At this time, the mother's breasts will show signs of discomfort. Expressing or pumping is necessary to help maintain an abundant milk supply. In addition, sucking and expressing milk also helps babies who do not have the right latch on the first day after birth, can still receive enough nutrients from breast milk. So "how often to pump 1 time"?
The minimum number of breast pumps per day should be 8 times. Pump every 2 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night to maintain breast milk supply. Specifically as follows:
First week postpartum: During this time, not all mothers have an abundant milk supply, even many mothers experience milk loss in the first 1 to 2 days. To stimulate milk after the week of giving birth, a mother needs to pump 50ml - 80ml of breast milk in each feeding and pump once every 2-3 hours. After giving birth from the 5th week onwards, the mother needs to be able to pump 80-110ml in each pumping session or in 3-4 hours; equivalent to 700ml - 900ml of milk pumped out per day. From the 6th month postpartum, many mothers have returned to work and do not have as much time to express or pump milk as at home. However, to maintain milk supply for both mother and baby, a mother needs to pump about 1000ml - 1400ml per day. Equivalent to 1 need to smoke 170ml - 220ml after 4-6 hours of smoking 1-2 times. Each pumping session should take only 15-20 minutes at most. This is just enough time to pump all the milk, and at the same time it will help. If pumping for too long, it will not only drain the milk supply, but also make the mother tired, damage the breast tissue, cause the breasts to swell and hurt, leading to the loss of milk.
This is a reasonable way to maintain breast milk supply. However, if the mother is exclusively breastfeeding, she should express milk according to the instructions only when the milk is full.

2. How to maintain milk supply

In addition to maintaining milking and pumping at an appropriate time, to ensure an abundant milk supply every day, mothers should:
Have an appropriate postpartum nutrition regimen Limit stress Mothers should massage before pumping Before pumping milk 15 to 20 minutes, mothers should drink 1 glass of water/warm milk to help milk come down. After pumping, the mother should rehydrate by drinking milk or drinking soup.

3. Why should massage before pumping?

In the process of raising children, mothers will face many difficulties, of which the most concern is the condition of blocked milk glands, especially for mothers who have given birth to their first child, who have not had much experience.
Milk gland blockage is a condition that often occurs during lactation because the milk ducts are not open, making the milk flow unable to flow out, causing the mother's breasts to be tight, swollen, painful, if the condition Prolonged blocked milk ducts will cause high fever leading to dangerous complications, which may require antibiotics or procedures to treat. Massaging the breasts before pumping milk not only helps to relax the mother's spirit, it also helps stimulate blood flow, increase the secretion of oxytocin hormone, and clear the flow of milk to help milk flow more easily. Massaging the breasts before pumping also prevents the accumulation of curds in the breasts causing pain or inflammation.

4. Instructions on how to massage before pumping?

Before breastfeeding or pumping, apply a warm compress to your breasts. This increases the circulation of the mammary glands, making it easier for the milk to flow down. Use your fingertips to gently massage from the top of the breast down and through the nipple. Then press on your breasts and massage in a circular motion to encourage milk to flow towards your nipples You can massage by gently massaging your breasts with your palms (about 30 seconds) Make a circle, then use 5 fingers to pinch the areola. In short, pumping milk combined with massage before pumping is necessary, helping to circulate milk. In the process of breastfeeding, mothers also need to pay attention; After expressing and pumping breast milk, if the child does not use it all, mothers can store breast milk in the refrigerator or freezer. When the milk duct is blocked, the mother needs to feed the baby more, actively sucking milk to let the milk out. If the condition does not improve, then you should seek the help of professional milk duct unblocking units or go to the hospital for advice from a doctor.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital applies spinal manipulation to treat blocked milk ducts after giving birth without using drugs. With the spinal manipulation method, the treatment technician mainly uses the fingertip software to act on the patient's back spine to adjust and open the milk glands, help clear rays, and soften the breast.
In addition, the Pediatrics Department at Vinmec is fully equipped with the leading modern medical equipment in the country, along with a team of qualified and experienced doctors and nurses to help detect and accurately diagnose abnormal problems. children, nutritional counseling and support for children, etc. to make the parenting process easier and more scientific.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.