Did you know that breast size does not determine how much milk you can hold? Breast capacity varies from person to person, no matter if you are a A-cup or an E-cup! Exclusive pumpers with large capacity may be able to maintain a full milk supply with fewer pumps per day, while a momma with a smaller capacity may need to remain pumping frequently. This is called the “magic number.” Read on to find out more!
Breast capacity
CAPACITY is the term we use for how much milk your breast can hold at one time. Women with higher capacity breasts are able to pump fewer times per day than a woman with lower capacity. What determines capacity? Alveolar cells are the milk-making cells in grape-like sacs called mammary alveoli inside your breasts. So think of it as some mommas having bigger bunches of grapes than other mommas. (I love a good visual!) Breast capacity can increase with subsequent births.
As an exclusive pumper, The momma with high capacity could hit that 30 ounce-per-day goal with fewer sessions than a momma who needs to pump 8+ sessions a day to make what their baby needs. Does that make sense?
EVERY momma should empty her breasts regularly right after birth to establish supply, either through nursing or pumping. But a momma with a higher capacity could afford to eventually pump fewer times a day than a momma who needs to keep up that frequent schedule. That’s the “magic number.” How do you know your capacity/magic number?! You don’t, right away. When you begin to go longer between sessions you begin to find out how much you can hold. See more about “magic number” below.
*Note about IGT and low milk supply*
Some mommas who face primary low supply might be dealing with IGT, or “Insufficient Glandular Tissue” which means that they lack the anatomical space to hold milk within their breasts. Mommas with IGT often did not see a change in breast size during pregnancy or after birth. Having a low milk supply may mean that even with frequent pumping, you may not reach or maintain the level of milk your baby takes in a day. As always, working with a knowledgeable lactation professional is recommended. In this case, I suggest Kaia Lacey, CLC from @lowsupplymom and lowsupplymom.com
Regulating milk supply
Right after birth, it’s your job as an exclusive pumper to tell your body how much milk you need. This is why we suggest pumping every 3 hours, around the clock, to build your milk supply. The demand for milk determines how much milk your body will create. Frequent removal of milk by baby or breast pump builds supply. Any drastic changes in the weeks after birth can lead to secondary low supply. What is a “drastic change?” As a nursing mommas, this can mean being separated from a nursing infant and not pumping instead. As an exclusive pumping momma, this can mean dropping down to 4 pumps per day instead of the recommended 8, within the first 2 months. By 8-12 weeks, your body will have “regulated” which means that you could begin to drop pumping sessions and your milk supply may not drastically change. More on milk supply HERE.
How will you know you’ve regulated supply? The engorgement phase will be long over, but now your breasts may not feel as full or leaky. This change may be gradual over the course of the first weeks after birth. Don’t worry, you’re still making milk! Think of lactation like a river, not like a pond that empties out completely and needs to completely refill. Your body may show signs of getting used to a schedule, feeling a letdown or fullness when it’s time to pump/feed. Another important sign for exclusive pumpers, is that they may be able to drop a pump session or two and still make around the same total ounces per day.
It’s important to pay attention to daily total ounces because milk supply can fluctuate greatly during the day. You might have noticed your milk production being higher in the early morning and lower in the evening. That’s natural! Prolactin (milk-making hormone) peaks and dips throughout a daily cycle.
Magic number
OKAY MOMMAS. If my suggested schedule confused you, you’re not alone. It’s actually pretty impossible to predict what schedule will work for you, because every single momma is different. That’s where the 🔮MAGIC NUMBER🔮 comes into play.
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What is the MAGIC NUMBER?! It’s the number of times a day you’ll need to pump to keep up your supply.
🔮Exclusive pumpers should begin by pumping at least 8x day, which is every 3 hours around the clock.
🔮By 2-3 months, milk supply regulates, which means that some mothers can begin spacing out the time between pump sessions and still make enough daily to feed their baby
🔮 Every woman has a different breast capacity, which means how much milk can be held at one time- so some mothers can pump fewer times a day and still make enough milk.
🔮MAGIC NUMBER- the number of pumping sessions that still give you a full supply
🔮What happens if you drop a session and decrease output too much? Add that session back in as soon as you experience that drop! (If you’re good at 6 pumps per day but 5 pumps doesn’t give you enough milk, then you know 6 is YOUR magic number.)
🔮Stick with that number of pumps per day until you’re ready to wean!
What IS “full supply?” A full milk supply, or what we EPers call being a “just enougher” is when you make as much milk as baby drinks. The goal I use as a reference is usually around 30 ounces because the average intake for an infant under 1 is around 25-35 ounces a day. Babies generally plateau out at 30 ounces or so by the time they are 1-2months old and stick with that daily total until they are closer to 1 year old and are eating more solid meals.
Does the magic number just apply to exclusive pumpers? No! It can also help when returning to work after maternity leave. Once you regulate supply, you take note that your baby nurses 7 times a day. That means when you are gone at work, it will be important to pump the same number of times you would have nursed during that time period. So, if you pump 3 times at work, expect to nurse 4 times at home.
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