5 Pumping Mistakes That Could Be Affecting Your Milk Supply
byOlivia Youngs
Much like breastfeeding, the concept of pumping sounds simple enough. In real life, however, it is often much more difficult than the idealized versions of pumping you may imagine. It's not always as easy as hooking up the pump and sitting until you're machine does it's job of emptying your breasts of their liquid gold. There are several pumping mistakes that could be affecting your milk supply that are far too easy to make. Luckily, they're just as easy to solve, once you're aware of what is causing your supply to dwindle.
No matter how long you've been pumping, its possible for things to get off track if you're not intentional and careful about how and when you pump. For moms who exclusively pump it's even more important for them to stay on top of these supply "downers," since they're not nursing as well, which can help to keep your supply up even if you miss a pumping session.
Barring any medical reasons why you'd have a low supply — which is actually very rare, affecting only four percent of lactating women, according to Fit Pregnancy — it's really not as hard as it seems to keep up your milk supply with your handy breast pump in tow. They may be a bit awkward to get used to, but with the proper schedule and usage, you'll be pumping like a pro in no time.