Power pumping! Have you heard of it before? Power pumping is a short-term strategy used to help moms increase their milk supply. The idea around it is that the frequent and short pumping sessions mimic a cluster-feeding baby, which thereby tells your body to produce more milk. In this article, we will go through the easiest power pumping schedule to increase your milk supply, as well as some quick tips & tricks to make your life easier!

How to implement a power pumping schedule to increase your milk supply

Here’s a quick guide on how to do it:

Basically, you will want to spend an hour of your time pumping on and off. Start by fully emptying your breasts with a longer 20-minute pumping session. Then, alternate 10 minute breaks with 10 minutes of pumping until you reach the hour mark.

Here are some additional quick tips, tricks & reminders when introducing power pumping into your routine:

Power pumping isn’t better than feeding your baby at the breast

Power pumping is something for you to try if your baby isn’t latching well or if you are exclusively pumping and your milk supply has decreased. It isn’t necessary if breastfeeding is generally going well and your baby is transferring milk effectively during feedings. If your baby feeds at the breast, you can offer feedings more frequently instead of power pumping to boost your milk supply. After about day 10 postpartum, your milk supply becomes regulated through autocrine control (local), where supply is maintained by demand. So – the more milk removed, the more milk you will produce!

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Pumping both breasts at once will make your life easier

Stimulating both breasts at the same time is generally considered more effective & less time-consuming than pumping one breast at a time. To accomplish this, you could either use a double electric pump or a single pump with a HaaKaa (or similar device- no brand preference here!).

For some moms who only will be pumping for a short period of time but want to return to feeding at the breast, renting a double electric breast pump may be a good option. If you’re not sure what to do, find a LLL group near you or contact a trusted IBCLC.

If you can swing it, go hands-free while power pumping

use a pumping bra (or – my favourite option – configure your regular nursing bra to hold your pump in place) so you have more freedom to move around. There are also newer versions of pumps out there that fit nicely into your bra, though there are pros and cons to these versions. A big benefit of going hands-free is that you can use your hands to compress your breasts to increase milk removal. Or, you know, continue your busy life with kids.

A note on milk storage…

Because this power pumping session happens over a period of an hour, you don’t need to worry about milk storage during the rest periods. Ideally, you will want to keep the pump somewhere away from little hands that could knock it over, but still easily accessible. Once you’re done, refrigerate your milk all together & clean your pump as usual.

Let’s keep this power pumping schedule chill

If this power-pumping routine doesn’t work for you, you can break it down into shorter but more frequent sessions. There’s no hard-and-fast rule here – the name of the game is frequent, effective milk removal. Remember – stress can negatively impact your milk production. We want this to be a relatively enjoyable experience with very little interruption to your daily routine as a mom.

This isn’t meant to be something you do every day. To start, you can try to include this into your regular pumping routine 1-2 times a day for just a few days. Then, check-in with yourself – have you noticed a positive change in your supply? Have there been any other changes?

Pay attention to your body & mental health. If it’s too much, stop and reach out for support!

Have you tried power pumping before? Make sure to comment below to share your story.

Want some one-on-one support? Book a FREE 15-minute online session to see if I can help!

Check out my new course, Pumping with Confidence!

I created a course all about pumping to help you maximize the amount of milk you can pump while also finding a balance between pumping and caring for your baby. I want you to be able to enjoy your postpartum period while pumping!