Early and frequent pumping following premature birth is very important in establishing a milk supply when baby and mother are separated. I have found that 8/24 hrs is a minimum for adequate supply. Mothers in our area who are routinely told (usually by NICU nurses who are not aware of the effects of the advice) to pump "up to 5 times a day" usually find they get no milk within a week or two of starting a pumping regimen that is so infrequent. I ask the mothers I work with to aim for a "goal" of 8 times/24 hours, two of which should occur between 9PM and 6AM (to take advantage of increases in prolactin in the late evening early AM hours). These moms do MUCH better and seem aslo to gain confidence in themselves and their ability to make milk for the baby, something only they can offer. It translates into later confidence in getting baby to breast. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% Kathleen G. Auerbach, PhD, IBCLC %% %% Lactation Services %% %% Homewood, Illinois %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%