so trus pagi nie aku cari info pasal pumping frequency & its effect to milk supply.

Introduction

Milk supply normally varies somewhat throughout the day and over weeks and months. As long as baby is allowed to nurse on cue, your milk supply will accommodate baby's needs. However, when mom is pumping part-time or full-time, pumping output can become an issue due to a few factors:

• The ability to measure how much milk you are pumping makes any decrease in pumping output more obvious and more worrying, even if it's a normal variation.
• Pumping moms generally need to pump x amount of milk for baby for a particular day, and it can be quite stressful when mom does not pump this amount.
• No pump can remove milk from the breast as well as an effectively nursing baby, so pumping does not maintain milk supply as well as a nursing baby. Because of this, the greater the percentage of baby's nourishment provided by pumping (rather than direct breastfeeding), the greater the possibility that mom may have to work harder to maintain supply.

What is normal when it comes to pumping output and changes in pumping output?

Most moms who are nursing full-time are able to pump around 1/2 to 2 ounces total (for both breasts) per pumping session. Moms who pump more milk per session may have an oversupply of milk, or may respond better than average to the pump, or may have been able to increase pump output with practice. Many moms think that they should be able to pump 4-8 ounces per pumping session, but even 4 ounces is an unusually large pumping output.

It is quite normal to need to pump 2-3 times to get enough milk for one feeding for baby (remember that the pump cannot get as much milk as a baby who nurses effectively).

Many moms are able to pump more milk per session when they are separated from baby. Milk pumped when you are nursing full-time is "extra" milk -- over and beyond what baby needs. (hehehe terubat skit rase bersalah sbb x pump wiken lps) Don't get discouraged if you are trying to build up a freezer stash when nursing full time and don't get much milk per pumping session -- this is perfectly normal and expected.

It is very common to have more milk than baby needs in the early weeks, which regulates down to baby's needs over the first few weeks or months. When your milk supply regulates (this change may occur either gradually or rather suddenly), it is normal for pumping output to decrease. For moms who have oversupply, this change often occurs later (6-9+ months postpartum rather than 6-12 weeks).

It is normal for pumping output to vary from session to session and day to day. Having an occasional low volume day is not unusual.

During a growth spurt, don't be surprised if baby drinks more expressed milk than usual, making it harder for mom to provide enough expressed milk. Growth spurts are temporary - try increasing nursing and adding a pumping session or two at home until the growth spurt is over.

Menstruation or ovulation can result in a temporary drop in milk supply. You might also notice cyclical dips in milk supply before your period returns, as your body begins the return to fertility. Hormonal changes also cause milk supply to decrease during pregnancy.

Remember that the amount of milk that you pump is not a measure of your milk supply!

What can cause a decrease in pumping output?

First, consider the possibility that baby is being overfed when you're apart. If this is the case, you may actually not need to be expressing as much milk as is being requested. This is certainly not always the case, but it is not at all uncommon. See How much expressed milk will my baby need? for additional information.

When you do need to pump more milk, the first thing to check is your pump:

• Are you using an appropriate pump for the amount of pumping that you do?(im using spectra3 & sgt membantu for my pumping session)
  
• How old is your pump? If you have an older electric pump (particularly older than a year), or if you are pumping more often than the pump was designed for, the motor may be wearing out.(br jek 3 bulan usia spectra3)
  
• Many times a decrease in pumping output is because pump parts need to be replaced. Have you checked your pump and replaced any parts that are worn or that haven't been replaced in the last 3-6 months?(owwhh dh kene hantar sebes spectra3 nie)
  
• Do you have a type of pump (like the Avent Isis) that benefits from occasionally boiling the boilable parts? (same goes to my beloved spectra3)
  
• Switching to a larger pump flange makes a difference in pumping comfort and/or output for some moms. See Choosing a Correctly-Fitted Breastshield for more information.

Supply-demand cycle:

• Have you reduced the number of pumping or nursing sessions recently, or cut back on nursing/pumping in other ways? Milk production is a demand-supply process. More nursing/pumping results in a greater milk supply. If you consistently decrease nursing or pumping for several days, your overall milk supply will decrease and you can expect to see a decrease in pumped amounts. (owwhh tidak boleh malas untuk pump)
  
• Has baby started solids recently? As baby eats more solids and takes in less milk, overall milk supply naturally decreases and you may see a decrease in pumping output. You may not notice a change in nursing pattern, as some babies nurse just as often, but take in less milk during those sessions. If baby started solids early (before around 6 months) or is eating lots of solids early on, you are more likely to notice a drop in supply. A very gradual start to solids around 6 months or later is less likely to affect milk supply. (rayna is just introduced to solid food & she not really into solid food yet, demands for milk supply is about the same)
  

Hormonal causes of decreased milk supply:

• Have you started hormonal birth control recently? Hormonal birth control, particularly that containing estrogen, can significantly decrease milk supply.(no, not even once..natural planning ocay!!)
  
• Are you expecting either ovulation or your period soon, or has it recently started? (nope, im hoping not to see bestfren=period soon, if possible smpi rayna 1 1/2 years old)
  
• Are you pregnant?(hehehe eksited jugak nk peknen lg, tp tgu smpi rayna gets enough mum's milk)
  

Taking care of mom:

• Have you started a strict diet? Are you getting enough calories? Snacking during the day on healthy, protein-rich foods may be helpful.(strict diet? nope...i wanna give the best to rayna)
  
• Are you drinking to thirst? Some moms, particularly when they are at work, will get busy and forget to drink enough fluids.(i love to drinks lotsa plain water, its really worked)
  
• Are you getting enough rest? This can be hard to do when you have a baby. Try to go to bed a little earlier and to take a nap each day on your days off. Consider co-sleeping so you can get more sleep. Just a little added rest may make a big difference.(i don't have so much problem with rest :))
  
• Have you been under an unusually large amount of stress? Stress can affect let-down and pumping output. (stress? alhamdulilah only little tiny stress)
  
• Have you been sick? Illness, especially if you have a fever, mastitis or get dehydrated, can result in a temporary decrease in milk supply. Some medications can also decrease milk supply (hormonal birth control, pseudoephedrine, ethanol/alcoholic beverages, bromocriptine, ergotamine, cabergoline). (alhamdulillah, even mase demam hari2 i still can provide enough for my love one, x mkn ubat sgt...telan bnyk gile 100plus)
  

this article really helps me a lot, all ma questions has been answered. so i x bley mls2 pump susu yer...kene maintain the supply, rayna baru jek 7 months old, so i still have a very long journey to complete my mission. that is the best that i can provide to you ma dear daughter. sayang rayna always.....