I am one of those IBCLCs who tell moms not to pump beyond 20 minutes unless 
they are still dripping milk. And here's why: I have heard many times from 
moms who try to pump for an hour on maximum suction 2-3 times in 24 hours. 
Guess who has sore, cracked and bleeding nipples? And it doesn't seem to 
make more milk because they complain that even though they are pumping for 
an hour they still only get 1-2 ounces total of two sides. They say the milk 
spray is finished at around 10 minutes time. Their second complaint is that 
it takes too long to get that 1-2 ounces, and it hurts so they quit 
altogether.

I watch alot of moms use the pump and when the milk stops dripping, the 
comfort level seems to decrease and moms say it hurts. Even when using low 
suction. Without good research to say moms should continue pumping after the 
flow stops and when it begins to get painful, I am hesitant to suggest more 
time after 15-20 minutes. When I do get moms to increase the number of times 
they pump in 24 hours, their supply usually increases after a few days.

If something unusual is working for a particular mom, I do encourage her to 
follow her own ideas!

Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC 

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