Pumping while Pregnant

by Erica
(West Virginia)

Pumping while Pregnant?

Visitor Question: Would it help my milk drop if i started pumping my breasts 2 months before my due date?

Breastfeeding Magazine Response: We suggest that you wait to begin to store up expressed milk. Your milk will come in by your body's own natural means without any help.

The biggest reason is that any milk that you could be producing before birth would be colostrum, which is specially suited for the needs of a newborn and only for the first few days. Colostrum is also very dense and would be difficult to pump.

Another concern is that expressing breast milk usually stimulates contractions which may also increase your risk of early labor.

Don't worry about your milk coming in...it will just as it has for women for thousands of years before we even had breast pumps.

Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy!