Kathy writes:

<I know colostrum can be hand pumped during pregnancy, but can a mother begin pumping during pregnancy 
to help increase her supply after she gives birth?>

Pumping, even more than weaker forms of nipple stimulation, presents potential problems with premature labor
because of the oxytocin stimulated. I would never take the professional risk of advising this for any reason, without 
consulting her delivering doctor. The  placental hormones are also actively having their natural prenatal effect
on the milk-making glands and process of L-1 in various ways till the placenta has been delivered after birth

What is this mother's background/nursing history/reason for doubting an adequate supply after birth?

PTP: I had a mother (with ISG), who nursed and pumped and supplemented as well, for 3 months with her first child.

With her second child she nursed directly, plus she pumped, used a supplementer 
with either EBM or formula as needed for a total of 18 months. 

With her third pregnancy, she called me to report that, different from her first or second pregnancy she noted a distinct 
increase in her milk making tissue in some areas of her breasts that had never happened during the first 3 months of her 3rd pregnancy. 

I felt this was due to her awesome efforts to nurse her previous child. I did not see her breasts with that nursing, but I imagine she still may have had the configuration of ISG I noted with her second child, but in those areas with the full 
amount of glandular tissue, I presume more prolactin binding sites had been laid down in her existing lobes during the 18 months of nursing her second child. 

That third baby needed no supplementation whatsoever, and weaned at 27 months.

Prolactin binding sites differ depending on stimulation. Think of the milk-making cells
like leaves on trees, "falling off" in fall (virtually disappearing after weaning) 
and with the stimulation of a new placenta, sprouting "new leaves" during next
pregnancy. (Russo J, and Russo IH, Development of the Human Mammary Gland" full citation on request.)

K. Jean Cotterman RNC-E, IBCLC
WIC Volunteer LC   Dayton OH (currently in AZ for winter;-)

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