Why Power Pumping Isn’t the Magic Fix: Practical, Holistic Ways to Boost Milk Supply

By Jess Draper, Certified Low Milk Supply Specialist, IBCLC, Holistic Infant OT, and Pelvic Floor Therapist | Eugene, Oregon | Hali’a Therapeutics

Image credit: Babycenter

When a parent is struggling with low milk supply, the internet (and every well-meaning mom group) often offers the same advice: “Just power pump!” I know it's well-meaning advice...but its often oversimplified, and for many moms, it can actually backfire.

While power pumping can help some parents in specific situations, it is far from a universal solution. In fact, for many moms already exhausted by the physical and emotional demands of breastfeeding, power pumping can lead to more harm than good — including nipple damage, clogged ducts, stress-induced low letdown, and intense burnout. If a parent is already pumping 8-12 times a day plus nursing, adding power pumping is unlikely to be the magic fix.

Low milk supply deserves root-cause care, not one-size-fits-all advice. Let’s break down why power pumping isn’t the quick fix it’s made out to be and explore practical, evidence-supported ways to increase supply that actually work.

What Is Power Pumping — and Why Is It Overused?

Power pumping is a technique that claims to mimic cluster feeding. It involves pumping on and off for an hour (usually 20 minutes on, 10 off, 10 on, 10 off, etc.) with the hope of stimulating increased milk production.

The problem?

It assumes low supply is simply a “not enough stimulation” issue. But most supply challenges aren’t caused by a lack of time on the pump. When you are already exhausted, overwhelmed, and working SO hard to increase your supply, adding 60+ minutes of intense pumping can be more detrimental.

Low milk supply has many causes beyond stimulation, such as:

• Baby not transferring milk efficiently

• Shallow latch

• Body tension

• Tongue-tie

• Birth trauma or inflammation

• Thyroid issues, anemia, or micronutrient deficiencies

• Hormonal shifts

• Overwhelm and nervous system dysregulation

• Fatigue from caring for a newborn and not sleeping

• Poor flange fit

• Infrequent stimulation (vs. insufficient time)

When the root is deeper than pump time, power pumping simply adds more strain without solving the actual problem.

When Power Pumping Can Backfire

For some mothers, power pumping can create new challenges:

• Improperly fitting flanges: Without proper fitting flanges, nipples can swell and pinch off the milk ducts decreasing the flow of milk and decreasing your supply overtime. If you are pumping with the flanges that came with your pump you are probably using the wrong size. Most instructions on the internet, pump instruction manuals, and IBCLCs that are not up-to-date on evidence based fitting methods measure the base of the nipple and recommend adding 2-4mm to your measurement, but this is NOT the correct size. Get a virtual fitting here

• Nipple damage or swelling (edema): Longer pump sessions increase friction and suction, leading to microtrauma, sensitivity, and swelling that can reduce output.

• Worsening clogged ducts or mastitis: Overstimulation without adequate drainage can cause inflammation. This inflammation narrows the milk ducts and decreases the output.

• Oxytocin suppression from stress: Stress decreases letdown — and trying harder only makes it worse. If you are dreading having to be tied to a pump for 1 hour every night, your output is going to reflect that.

• Burnout (because, hi... you're human, not a dairy machine): Parents already working tirelessly to increase supply may feel defeated when power pumping “doesn’t work,” even though the underlying issue was never addressed. Power pumping may be the tip of the iceberg to cause them to cease breastfeeding earlier than they desire.

If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone — and you’re not failing. You just need targeted, supportive, root-cause guidance. Before you push your body harder, let's zoom out. Low supply is almost never solved by more minutes on the pump. Its solved by understanding what's actually limiting the milk signal - because once you fix the root cause, your body responds.

Evidence-Supported Ways to Increase Milk Supply (No Power Pumping Needed)

These strategies are effective, sustainable, and rooted in both lactation science and the holistic, body-based approach that I use with families every day. There are many options to help parent's improve output. A skilled IBCLC is able to narrow down these options and recommend the correct strategy to get your supply up quickly.

1. Optimize Baby’s Latch + Oral Mechanics

This is the #1 most influential factor for milk supply when breastfeeding.

Common issues that reduce milk transfer:

• Tongue mobility restrictions

• Poor coordination

• Head-turn preference or torticollis

• Body tension

• Shallow latch

• High palate

• Weak jaw stability

When baby isn’t transferring well, the breast doesn’t receive the “make more milk” signal, and in fact the extra milk left in the breast presses on receptor sites that tell the brain to make LESS milk — no amount of power pumping can compensate for this. An oral function assessment from an IBCLC trained in infant bodywork can be a game changer. Fixing oral functional increases stimulation and output without extra effort.

2. Increase Frequency — Not Duration

Milk production responds better to 8–12 effective stimulations per day rather than long marathons. Small, frequent signals = bigger hormonal response. Even if this means adding in 3-4 five min sessions throughout the day, this will be better than an hour long power pumping session.

These are all better than power pumping:

• Nursing more often

• Additional short, consistent pump sessions with well fitting flanges

• Finishing at the breast after bottle feeds

• Allowing yourself to be used as a pacifier

3. Switch Nursing

Nurse → switch sides → switch back. This triggers multiple letdowns and boosts stimulation naturally.

4. Use Hands-On Milk Expression

Adding hand expression before, during, or after pumping or feeding increases:

• Prolactin levels

• Milk flow

• Breast emptying

• Output over time

Even five minutes of breast compressions helps.

5. Skin-to-Skin Contact

Just 60–90 minutes a day has been shown to:

• Increase milk-making hormones

• Improve letdown

• Calm baby for a better latch

• Regulate mom’s nervous system

• Improve infant weight gain

• Improve connection

This is one of the most underrated tools for increasing supply.

6. Overnight Stimulation

Prolactin — your milk-making hormone — peaks between 1–5AM. If you can manage even one early-morning feed or pump, it can make a noticeable difference.

7. Address Root Cause Factors

Low supply is often tied to maternal health or postpartum physiology. Things that happen in pregnancy and during birth can lead to physiological dysfunction, rendering it impossible to increase milk production until the cause is remediated.

Consider screening for:

• Thyroid imbalances

• PCOS

• Anemia

• Retained placenta fragments

• Hormone imbalances

• Excess stress or trauma from birth

• Cesarean recovery complications

• Poor nutrition or dehydration

Supporting the root cause leads to long-term improvement. It is important to note that standard blood tests are often not enough to catch all of the values that can effect supply. In addition, lab values from clinics are rarely ever ranged/standardized for lactating individuals. Instead, their reference ranges are normed for the general population. The problem with this is that lactating individuals have higher metabolic demands meaning their ranges are significantly different than the typical population. Certified Low Milk Supply Specialists are integral in interpreting results to determine optimal ranges.

8. Improve Hydration + Electrolytes

Hydration is more than water. Your body needs sodium and potassium to actually use that water.

Some people may try:

• Electrolyte drinks

• Adrenal cocktails like this one 

• Coconut water

• Bone broth

• Potassium-rich foods

A balanced water, sodium, and potassium intake supports milk volume and maternal energy.

9. Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Foods

Your milk supply depends on YOU being nourished. You can't pour from an empty cup. Milk making is metabolically demanding. High-fat, high-protein options help your body function more efficiently:

✔ Avocado

✔ Eggs

✔ Full-fat yogurt

✔ Coconut products

✔ Salmon

✔ Sunflower seed butter (nut-free)

✔ Olive oil

Fueling yourself fuels your supply so you can fuel your baby!

10. Calm Your Nervous System

Milk letdown (aka the milk ejection reflex) is a hormonal event, not a muscular one. By regulating your nervous system you can use the milk-making hormones more effectively.

Try:

• Deep breathing

• Meditation

• Using a warm shoulder or chest compress

• Massaging your pecs, ribs, or diaphragm

• Dim lighting

• Gentle music

• Humming or singing

• A few minutes of grounding before pumping or feeding

• When pumping: watching videos of your baby, smelling their clothes, or holding and rocking them at the same time.

A regulated parent = a regulated letdown.

11. Supplements Only Work When the Foundation Is Right

Herbal support can help when used appropriately, but you don't want to take random supplements until you find the right one because this can be dangerous. When it comes to low supply, the faster we can get your output up - the better. You don't want to waste time throwing darts at the wall and hoping one sticks. Having a certified low milk supply specialist help pick the ones that are best for you will make this process more efficient. Herbal supports wont override:

• poor transfer

• tongue tie

• stress-dampened letdown

• inadequate stimulation

They should be used as targeted short-term support — not a Band-Aid.

So… Should You Power Pump?

Maybe. But it should only ever be done for a short period of time. It should NOT be part of a nightly routine. Power pumping can be helpful in cases of:

• Re-lactation

• Inducing Lactation

• Rebuilding supply after a long separation

• Increasing output for exclusive pumpers with known mechanical causes

• Parents whose bodies respond well to pumping

It should not be the first, only, or default recommendation for low supply. Most

moms need targeted guidance, not more minutes strapped to a pump.

The Bottom Line

You don't need to "hustle harder." You need support that looks at your ody, your baby, and your unique feeding journey. If someone tells you power pumping is the answe for every low milk supply... they're missing 99% of the picture.

Low milk supply is complex — and you deserve support that treats it that way.

Your body isn’t broken.

You aren’t "not trying hard enough.”

You don’t need to be pumping for hours a day to make this work.

What you need is:

• individualized assessment

• a look at baby’s oral function

• thoughtful stimulation patterns

• regulation of your nervous system

• holistic support for your postpartum body

This is where the real change happens.

If you’re struggling with supply and feeling overwhelmed by advice that just makes you work harder, I’m here to help.

Let’s talk about what’s really going on — and build a plan that honors your body and your baby.

🌿 Book a consult with me Here or follow for more tips on Instagram @haliatherapeutics.