"NEW" method to up your milksupply

Short version:

Instead of 'nursing then pumping afterwards on "empty" breast to signal to the body to up supply' you pump first till the "last drop" then nurse till LO stops and then give the pumped milk. With this method you're basicly doing the same, the difference is that instead of the pump you're making use of the hungry latch of your LO which is so much more effective than a pump to really deplete your breast + send a strong signal to your body that baby needs more. Start pumping 20/30 min. before feeding time, so you won't have to deal with a fussy/hungry baby while pumping. :)

Long version:

I EBF. I was planning to do a lot of groceries, because I would be busy the next coming weeks. So the last thing that I would need was a fussy baby in the store. My DD is almost 4 months but has shown since the beginning that she has quite of a temper. Besides that, breastfeeding has not been easy for the both of us because of my fast let down. Lately she would be extra fussy, not wanting to nurse while I was sitting. The moment I sat, she would stop and cry. So I thought I'll just pump something so I can always give her the bottle (and see if she's really hungry) in the store instead of going to the car. So I pumped around 3 oz half hour after nursing her shortly (because she fell asleep during it). I "depleted" my breasts/pumped till the last drop. Short after pumping she wakes up and I nurse her again as always.. but with the intention to comfort her because I just "depleted" my breasts, right? Well I literally hear her gulping milk down her throat! With every suck she swallows. As if she's nursing while I am engorged. (I knew that the amount of pumped milk doesn't resemble your milksupply, but to hear gulping sounds amazed me) By the next feeding I was engorged for real!! And I hadnt been engorged for a long time as I was only breastfeeding (not pumped for a month) and my supply had regulated itself. Soo.. all of this made me think.

With this method you're basicly doing the same as 'nursing then pumping afterwards on "empty" breast to signal to the body to up supply". The difference is that instead of the pump you're making use of the hungry latch of your LO which is so much more effective than a pump to really deplete your breast + send a strong signal to your body that baby needs more.

I now also understand why (exclusively) pumping mothers may notice that their supply goes down with time. Because the breasts may not be depleted after pumping till "the last drop". Basicly miscommunication between demand and supply. What the pump doesn't get out/remains, will be seen as not needed and therefor supply will adjust to that.

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I hope this helps a mom out there. Let me know if you tried it and what your results were :)))

EDIT:

Ofcourse it is not something you can do with every feed, but once or twice a day around a predictable feeding time, will give a boost hopefully. And there has to be a good latch ofcourse, so if there are breastfeeding struggles related to the latch, then this method will not be of such a great help.