Expressing milk often feels like mining for gold – hit and miss. Sometimes it’s a goldmine, other times it’s all we can do to pump a few drops. Well lucky for us, we stumbled across a little tip that might just help ease the stress of pumping and get that all-important flow going again.
Lactation consultant Johanna Sargeant shared a clever pumping tip on her Facebook page Milk and Motherhood. And all it takes is a teeny baby sock.
How to get more milk when pumping
Johanna explains that most mums get stressed about how much milk they’re pumping (or not pumping). So the trick is to take the stress out of the equation, “Are you someone who sits and watches the trickle of milk, if any, that comes when pumping? Do you get stressed or sad about your output?
“When I was told to pump after feeding to boost supply, I’d sit there and watch. I’d double pump for twenty minutes after every feed, and become more and more demoralised at the lack of milk in that bottle. I realised that, for my own mental health, I needed to stop watching! Easier said than done. Enter the baby sock.
“Now I advise mamas to put a sock over their pumping bottle, and it has been getting incredible results. Some women are reporting often 2-3 times more milk when they remove themselves mentally from the result of their pumping session! We know that oxytocin release is inhibited by stress, and oxytocin release is required for letdowns, so if you find you are getting stressed while watching, try it!”
Another great tip to try and get the milk pumping, especially if you’re not near your baby, is to look at photos of bub while pumping or play a recording of your little cherub crying. It usually helps with letdown.
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