Using A Breast Pump: Does the Time of Day Matter?

Using A Breast Pump: Does the Time of Day Matter?

Optimal nutrition, enhanced immunity, and protection against various illnesses are some of the advantages breastfed babies receive, and breast pumps help extend these benefits after birth. Using a breast pump significantly extends the duration of breastfeeding, with the Journal of Pediatrics citing an average increase of 21 weeks.

For many mothers, breast pumping helps ease the transition as they return to work, increases their milk supply, and allows others to feed their baby. Unfortunately for some, settling into a breast pumping routine can prove challenging, often due to concerns about milk timing.

Does the time of day influence the effectiveness or quality of pumped breast milk? This article answers that question by sharing insights and information on milk production and composition.

Breast Milk Production Patterns Throughout the Day

Breast milk production is unique to every mother, but follows general patterns of demand and supply. Once milk production is established, it adjusts according to your baby's needs and feeding behavior. Over time, it is primarily driven by how frequently and effectively your baby nurses.

This can make it difficult to ascertain the best time to pump. Ideally, pumping should be tailored to your schedule, but your body has the highest milk levels first thing in the morning. The hormone prolactin, which stimulates milk production, is released as your body rests, and this overnight boost results in an ample milk supply in the morning.

Emily Silver, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and co-founder of Newborn & Parenting Support, recommends breastfeeding your baby after waking up, then pumping "both breasts at the same time for about 10 to 15 minutes."

However, listen to your body; this natural occurrence may vary, resulting in some mothers producing more milk at night or other times.

How Breast Milk Composition Changes Over 24 Hours

Listening to your body is why you're active during the day and sleep at night. Your circadian rhythm- the body's way of regulating its sleep-wake cycle that repeats approximately every 24 hours- determines this.

Breast milk composition also exhibits a circadian rhythm, helping infants develop their own. Its components vary throughout the day and night in the following ways:

Morning milk: higher levels of the "alertness" hormone, cortisol, and minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium, and sodium

Daytime milk: higher concentration of proteins and immune components, with fluctuations in ghrelin levels throughout the day, possibly influencing appetite regulation

Evening and night milk: high levels of the "sleep" hormone, melatonin, Vitamin E, and nucleotides that also promote sleep

Breast milk provides information from the mother to the infant, helping babies:

• Distinguish between day and night
• Regulate sleep-wake cycles
• Establish healthy sleep patterns

Circadian disruption in mothers can affect breast milk composition and potentially impact the development of an infant's circadian rhythm. However, regardless of the time of day you pump, babies still benefit from breast milk, as it ensures they receive the nutrition they require to develop and meet milestones.

Implications of Time of Day on Pumping and Feeding

Ideally, you will want your baby to develop a healthy sleep-wake cycle, and the circadian-matched feeding concept can help achieve this. It involves providing milk based on the time of day it was pumped, reflecting the natural daily changes in composition.

However, this does not have to become a stressful endeavor. Labelling pumped milk helps record the date and time it was expressed. This allows you to use the milk in the order it was pumped, ensuring freshness, while feeding your baby milk based on its morning, daytime, or evening/night composition.

Using a Breast Pump for Optimal Milk Production

Pumping can present unique challenges for some mothers. It often requires making adjustments to find what works best for you. Using a breast pump can help to maximize your milk production.

Consistently pumping, even when you don't produce lots of milk, can signal the body to increase milk supply. Other key milk production tips include:

• Pumping both breasts simultaneously for greater breast pumping efficiency
• Ensuring the breast shield (flange) fits correctly for better comfort while pumping
• Pumping while watching your baby to help trigger the milk-ejection reflex
• Practicing power pumping to mimic cluster feeding by pumping one breast for 15-20 minutes, switching to the other, then repeating

Stay hydrated, maintain a well-balanced diet, and get adequate rest. Relaxing while pumping is also important, as stress can impact milk supply.

Using a medical-grade pump and a pumping bra can also help make the process easier. Track your pumping sessions to monitor progress and, most importantly, don't give up, even if you don't see results immediately.

Best Practices for Pumping Based on Time of Day

An optimal pumping schedule typically mimics your baby's feeding frequency, encouraging pumping 8-12 times daily. Doing this in the early weeks can help you establish and maintain a good milk supply. Other best practices for pumping based on time of day include:

• Ensuring at least one pumping session in the morning to maximize the higher milk volume
• Pumping after breastfeeding sessions to increase supply
• Avoiding pumping during the late afternoon or early evening when the milk supply tends to be lower

Most importantly, you should tailor your pumping schedule to suit your needs and routine. For stay-at-home moms, pumping during baby's nap times helps you stock up on extra milk.

Pumping every 3-4 hours during the workday is more feasible for working mothers. Consider using a hands-free pump to facilitate multitasking if you have a private office. If not, find a quiet space and utilize morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks.

Power pumping may be beneficial to mothers with low milk supply. However, if this does not work, consider consulting a lactation specialist.

Creating an Effective Breast Pumping Schedule

Using a breast pump allows breastfeeding mothers to settle into their daily work routine and get much-needed breaks while other family members feed the baby. An optimal pumping schedule helps mothers maintain their milk supply, allowing babies to stay healthy while regulating their sleep-wake cycles.

1 Natural Way can help you achieve this with a medical-grade pump designed for your lifestyle. We facilitate instant insurance approvals and guarantee maximum coverage, making your breast pump purchase easy and hassle-free. Find the best breast pump from our trusted brands and styles today!

About the Author

Cindy Puppos is 1 Natural Way's Customer Service Manager, so she has a good idea of all the different and wonderful questions that moms have for her team. Thankfully, as the mother of two boys (who are now grown!) and a veteran of the company and breastfeeding, Cindy is always knowledgeable about breastfeeding, pumping and all the latest and greatest pumps!