How Long Should I Pump

I think a minimum 10 minutes per pumping session. 15 is probably better. I would pump minimum every 2-3 hours and once during the night. I never pumped at night, it takes me 45 minutes to fall asleep so im not waking up for anything once im sleeping!!! But your prolactin levels rise between i believe 1-5am is when they naturally rise, so that is when i would suggest pumping if you are going to do it during the night. Before we had our son at home, i worked from about 7am til 2pm. so i would pump when i woke up, then when i got home, and then every 2 hours after that till i went to sleep at 10pm. When my son came home, I fed on demand with the lact aid about every 3 hours, or a llittle less depending on when he was hungry. I would sometimes pump inbetween also if i had some time. The pumping seemed kinda tedious when i wasnt getting anything, but once i started to get a few drops i got more motivated to pump more often. The more you pump,(nurse) the more milk you SHOULD have. When my little guy was in the NICU, the NICU nurse told me they suggest to moms whom have babies in the NICU to pump 8-10X / day to keep their supply up til the baby gets home. Good Luck, Rach

Remind me again, are you currently matched and wait for the birth? Like rd200 said, I didn't pump any less then 10 mins (for each breast) usually pumping 15 mins or so and I pumped every 2-3 hour and once in the night. After my milk was established I pushed the time frame to every 4 hours and still once in the night. I took the bc pill and dom for 3 months before I started pumping and it took about 2 weeks for any real milk to come in with all that pumping. So don't get discouraged if you don't see results right away. With just fenugreek and pumping, you may not see much in the way of results, but it doesn't mean that baby wont bring more milk in. Pumping is never a good indication of how much you actually produce. I would also recommend stocking up on Lanolin. It can feel like a life saver at times ;)

I think it is best to start out slower, less suction and a shorter time, and increase as you can, without causing nipple pain. Some women have less trouble with it than others. I could never pump much without pain, even after I was all ready nursing a baby. Be sure and lubricate your skin before pumping. Once you can express drops of milk, a few drops spread around is the best thing to use. Until then, you can use lanolin or just water, or even some kind of unscented, hypoallergenic lotion. It not only helps prevent damage but also helps your breast slide in and out of the pump horn but even feels a little more like a baby nursing. I also agree that you may not see a lot from pumping, since you aren't taking domperidone. A pump doesn't do as well as a baby of increasing prolactin levels, so many moms don't see much from pumping, but start producing ounces once they replace the pump with a baby at the breast with a supplementer. So, if you don't see much milk from pumping, don't get discouraged!