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A low milk supply is the most common reason for mothers to stop breastfeeding.  We have learned that what we do (or do not do) in the first 3 days after birth can have a major impact on future milk production potential.  Research found that milk production in pump-dependent mothers of preterm babies depended on the frequency they used hand expression in the first 3 days after birth.   Mothers who used hand expression more than 5 times a day in the first 3 days yet pumped with the same frequency as other study mothers, expressed an average of 955 mls, about a quart a day by 8 weeks. Mothers also found consistent increases in production when they did not rely solely on pump suction alone to remove milk, but used “hands-on pumping”. This technique combines breast massage, compression and hand expression with electric pumping and does not require more time. 

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