Hi all, It is great to join this community! I would love to hear your thoughts on this and how I should manage it. 1) I have quite a few mummy friends who direct latch their baby and do not pump at all unless they are about to go back to work. However, my massage lady told me that even though I direct latch, I should still pump at least 3 times a day to clear the excess milk to prevent block ducts. I do have quite a lot of milk but by pumping, won't that just increase the supply as well? But if I don't pump, I do get lumps and block ducts. 2) And my baby tends to drink only 1 side in the middle of the night and I will feel engorge on the other side. Should I pump? Thank you in advance for your kind sharing! *my baby boy is 7 weeks young

Hi beauty Wendy here - founder of award winning lactation and breastfeeding products www.mammasmilkbar.com Balancing breast milk supply can be a bit of a challenge, and different women may have different experiences. While direct latching is a great way to establish and maintain a milk supply, your massage lady's advice about pumping to prevent block ducts has a basis in addressing the potential issue of milk stasis. Pumping can indeed stimulate more milk production, but if you are experiencing lumps and block ducts, expressing milk a few times a day can help alleviate these issues. You might consider pumping just enough to relieve the discomfort without fully emptying the breast, which could signal your body to produce less milk. This way, you're managing your milk supply without significantly increasing it. It's essential to find a balance that works for you. If you're concerned about oversupply, you can also try techniques like block feeding (feeding on one side for a set period before switching to the other breast) to help regulate your supply. If your baby is consistently only feeding on one side during the middle of the night, you may find that your breasts feel engorged on the other side. Engorgement can lead to discomfort and potential issues like blocked ducts. In this case, you might consider expressing milk from the unused breast to relieve the pressure. Again, the key is not to fully empty the breast but to alleviate the discomfort. You can use a hand pump or manual expression for a short period. This can help prevent engorgement and potential issues while maintaining a balance in milk supply. Always consult with a lactation consultant or healthcare professional for personalized advice based on your specific situation. They can provide guidance tailored to your needs and help you navigate the challenges of breastfeeding. Kindest Wendy Mammas Milk Bar

Pumping on top of latching on demand will cause oversupply as you are stimulating for more milk production. If you are prone to blocked ducts, I'd suggest you take lecithin to help de-clump the fats in the milk to minimise the risk of it blocking the ducts. Some mummies have thinner ducts, and would be more prone to have it too. Other than lecithin consumption, you can also use a wide toothed comb during a hot shower and run it against your breasts in general. This is to stimulate blood and milk flow. You can pump in the middle of the night if you would like to build a stash. And you need not require a huge stash (it will lead to another headache on how to use them before they expires or storage issues). A stash that can last for a week is good enough.

Hi welcome to the club Hope I can help you as I have slimiar case as you . 1)I am also 1 of the mummy who direct latch but I will make sure I must pump 1time in the night before sleep make sure is clear . My massage lady told me the same things too to pump every 2 to 3 hours to prevent block duct and increase milk supply . I have quite a lot of milk too but all kept in deep freezer it can be kept up to 6months ,it will sure of cause increase you supply but no harm you can use it for baby bath it's good for their skin 2)Yes, you should pump out as the milk will actually reproduce every few hours if you never pump out it won't have space for the reproduce milk and soon you will have milk ducts and it will slow down your milk too .

My supply is slightly higher than what my baby needs. What i do is that i let my baby decide how much to drink, and leave it as it is. I take lecithin everyday, as i know i am prone to engorgement thus possible blocked ducts. Only pump when i feel uncomfortable. So far has yet to experience blocked ducts (touch wood). As for night feeding, i too, seldom pump. But realized that baby might stretch the feeding time gap (from 2h to 4h) so i do the same -- pump when uncomfortable. Note that my baby always dl only 1 side per feeding, so i think my body has already accustomed to it.

Hi mummy, I have direct latched all the way, the only time I pumped was when my supply was Low hence pump to increase supply in the beginning. Therefore to answer your question 1) there is no need to pump. Pumping will increase your supply, hence just feeding on demand would be good enough. In time to come you will find that your supply will regulate to suit baby's needs. Take lecithin to help with the issue of blocked ducts. 2) you can pump if you need to build a stash. Otherwise there is no need to pump if you don't need to

Hi mummy, Direct latch is the way to go. Normally pumping is only require if baby is not with you and the need to empty your breast. Another situation could be after baby finish latching, and you still feel your breast not empty yet, you will need to pump out to empty it. There will be times when baby fall asleep and do not want to suck the breast. Meanwhile, night pumping for the other breast is needed, else you will have the problem of engorgement and potential of block ducts.

Hey I don't pump out the excess. The breasts will just adjust the supply so demand and supply will balance. If you always pump out, you will always have excess. I also only feed my baby one side at night. Initially the other breast felt full. But after a few days, it adjusted on its own. Now I have just nice supply sufficient for the next day's feeds. No extra pumping. Very easy for me to manage

I pump at night when he only drinks from 1 side. In the day I don't, if baby is hungry he will increase frequency of feeding on his own. So suggest u can pump 1 or twice to clear if it is uncomfortable. If not, over pumping may cause baby to only get the fore milk which happened to me. Baby got green poop for a few days.

Through my experience, I didn't pump. I kept latching baby only. Cause by pumping you are signalling your.body to produce more milk. so you want to ensure that you have a good supply to match baby needs and not an oversupply. That's just my thought

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