Carol,
My understanding is that since milk production is driven by frequency of
breast emptying and therefore that best time to pump to maximise milk
production (all other factors being equal) would be exactly between
breastfeeds. Apart from Peter's research there is a stack of info on dairy
animals and I remember from undergrad lectures in animal science that equaly
spaced more frequent removal of milk gives greatest volume but that there
are diminishing returns in volume per removal session per session added
(thus dairy cows pumped 12x a day would give more milk than 4 times a day
but because it costs work to do, it's only worth getting the animals in 2x a
day and you notice it's equally spaced often 5am, 5pm....they work hard in
those dairies!)
However, not all is often equal in breastfeeding and many women find they
get more total milk when pumping one breast while babe is breastfeeding,
taking advantage of oxytocin secretion in response to a suckling baby and
how would you work out what is exactly between feeds unless the child is
scheduled.
Karleen Gribble
Australia


 I was discussing some of Peter Hartmann's research regarding the breast
> function with a client today.  Her husband asked me if there's a
definitive "best"
> time to pump after breastfeeding to optimize milk production.  I usually
> recommend pumping after nursing the baby because it takes advantage of the
elevated
> prolactin level stimulated by baby at breast.  But, our question is in
> regards to the latest research on the breast function and whether there's
an exact
> "best" time to pump.  I shared the findings in support of pumping for 200
> minutes in 24 hours, and in pumping for 2 minutes beyond the cessation of
milk
> flowing to increase milk yield.  But does recent research support pumping
at a
> certain time interval beyond much of what I've tried to quote briefly
here?
> Thanks!
> Carol Chamblin, RN, MS, IBCLC

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