Parents all over Facebook are loving this mom and lactation consultant’s brilliantly simple tip for increasing breast milk output and taking the pressure out of pumping. In fact, her Facebook post has been shared almost 9,000 times as of this writing.
Johanna Sargeant, IBCLC, shared on her Facebook page, Milk and Motherhood, that she often used a breast pump after feedings to boost her supply with her own baby, but being able to see every precious drop as it was being pumped left her feeling worried, rather than accomplished. “I’d double pump for 20 minutes after every feed, and become more and more demoralised at the lack of milk in that bottle,” she wrote in her post. “I realised that, for my own mental health, I needed to stop watching!”
Rather than relying on willpower to keep her from gazing longingly at the pumping bottle, she used something every baby mom has on hand: a baby sock!
How this genius pumping hack works
Sargeant slipped the sock over the bottle so she couldn’t see how much milk was going in. Now, she wrote, she advises the other moms she counsels to do the same thing, and it has not only helped them eliminate their anxiety, but has also increased their output. “Some women are reporting often 2-3 times more milk when they remove themselves mentally from the result of their pumping session,” writes Sargeant.
The key to the whole thing is oxytocin. Oxytocin is the hormone in the body that triggers “letdown,” or the flow of breast milk. If a mother is in pain or emotionally distressed, the oxytocin reflex can become inhibited, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. So, things like stress, depression and other mental and emotional struggles can potentially slow down or stop the flow of breast milk.
Sargeant says not focusing on the outcome of each pumping session can help moms relax and ultimately allow the oxytocin (and the breast milk) to flow.
Many moms are lauding Sargeant for her awesome advice, but others are also sharing additional tips that moms might try if they’re having trouble with their output. Recommendations cited on her post included:
-
A whiff of baby. “As a NICU mommy, I can say pumping in my room while I looked at my baby or smelled his lil beanie increased my output too,” one mom commented. “I wouldn’t even look at the bottles I’d focus on him. Next thing I knew my milk would come sputtering out the flange from overflowing.”
-
Undercover pumping. Other parents suggested using a breastfeeding cover to hide the pumping bottles from view.
-
Exactly what you knead. Some say giving yourself a breast massage while pumping helps too.
-
Otherwise entertained. Some wrote that they found they pumped more breast milk when they were distracted with some reading, a phone app, or their favorite show on Netflix.
Breastfeeding and pumping, like most things in motherhood, are deeply personal and dependent on what works for each individual, but Sargeant’s advice could prove to be a huge help to struggling moms who need a little extra help and support.
Read next: 6 signs your breastfeeding baby is eating the right amount
