Do you know that double pumping is more effective than single pumping? Because of this, double pumping may be the best approach to guarantee your baby continues supply of your breast milk if you are frequently expressing (e.g., because your newborn is unable to feed directly from your breast, you are returning to work, or you need to raise your milk production).
It’s common knowledge that double pumping helps mothers save time. It also increased milk production. The effectiveness of double breast pumps has been further proven because of the following reasons:
Yields More Milk
On average, double-pumping sessions produced 18% more milk than single-pumping sessions. The mothers experienced an increased letdown because the two-fold stimulation was more effective at releasing the milk-releasing hormone oxytocin.
Undoubtedly, infants know best when it comes to suckling at a mom’s breast. But if they double pump, they come much closer to their limit. It has been hypothesized that oxytocin release is enhanced during breastfeeding because even if a baby only sucks from one breast at a time, he is still in close physical touch with his mother the entire time. The increased oxytocin production and milk production that results from double pumping may be due to the increased contact and stimulation that results from doing so.
Even though double pumping increases the efficiency of expressing, it does not necessarily suggest that mothers who employ this method are headed toward producing an excess of milk. Our research also does not imply that double pumping is superior to a baby; rather, it shows that single sequential pumping is not as effective as double pumping.
Produces Milk With a Higher Fat Content
Incredible as it may seem, researchers also found that the lipid content of the milk produced by mothers during double pumping was higher than that of milk expressed by mothers who pumped each breast individually. Why? Specifically, you need to focus on draining your breasts.
Whether breastfeeding or pumping, breast milk gradually gains fat. Double pumping helps drain the breasts more thoroughly since it causes an additional letdown and 18% more milk than single pumping. Therefore, the increased fat content after double pumping indicates that the breasts are emptied more thoroughly than during single pumping. Babies who arrive early in the hospital and can only drink a limited amount of milk each day may benefit greatly from this higher calorie content.
The efficiency of your double pumping is also crucial since a dry breast indicates to your body that more milk needs to be produced. In contrast, any milk that remains after pumping poorly tells your body that it already has plenty. 4 Because of this, it’s vital that you remove your milk frequently and efficiently.
Encourages Healthy Milk Production
Some mothers choose to pump exclusively for various reasons, including difficulty with latching or worries about their baby’s weight gain. The first 12 weeks after giving birth are crucial for your body to establish a milk supply. According to studies, for a mother to have a healthy milk supply, she needs at least 120 minutes of daily nipple/breast stimulation. A healthy breast milk supply can be promoted by pumping both breasts 8-12 times daily for 15-20 minutes. Researchers have shown that mothers who double-pump produce roughly 20% more milk. When pumping exclusively, it increases to twice as much!
