Where I've landed is to generally recommended 10-15 minutes, maybe 20, of
double pumping, or until the milk stops, whichever comes last. So many
mothers think that fewer long pumpings a day will do the trick over more
frequency, but they are wrong. The real key if they are trying to maintain
or increase supply is frequency. You can have two women pumping the same
number of minutes a day but broken down into different frequencies and
durations; the one with the greater frequency with quite likely have the
best long term yield. 

I also tell moms who don't have enough milk that if the milk stops at 3 or 5
or 10 minutes, to close their eyes and keep going. Why? Because they need
that extra stimulation for the milk supply. It's not only about removing
milk and emptying the breast, it's also about stimulation. When you are
inducing milk production, it all starts by sucking or pumping on a dry
breast, right?  And we do it often to encourage more milk. I see the
principle as the same. Most babies breastfeed 20-40 in the early weeks,
somewhere around there, and we want to duplicate that and translate it into
the double pumping regimen. 

It also is always wise to look at the big picture and the context of the
situation, and what we are aiming for when making recommendations-- of
course!

~Lisa

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