Pumping your breasts for milk is not as easy as it sounds. Here are a few steps to help make pumping a little easier.
- Relax. Just like breastfeeding your baby, you need to be relaxed to allow your milk to be released.
- When pumping, milk ends up all over the breasts. Pull out your breast from the cup and allow the milk to drop into the bottle.
- While the suction is going, massage your breast all over. Feel for swollen glands and give them a gently squeeze. Take a little breather from the machine and pull your breast out. Massage the areola with your middle finger and thumb while squeezing towards your nipple. Aim for the bottle– every drop counts!
- While your nipple is inside the suction tube, observe it’s exact placement. Is it in the center? Is it rubbing the top of the the tube? Every couple of minutes take your breast out of the suction tube and give your nipple a quick squeeze. Place your nipple back inside but a little more to the right or left. Try letting your nipple rub the top or point down in the suction tube . By doing this, it allows other mammary glands to be pulled on which means more milk at the bottom of the bottle.
- Using Lansinoh (nipple cream) when you are done is very helpful. It helps relieve some of the soreness.