Pumping

How often do you pump to get breast milk? my sister had her baby at 30 weeks & 4 weeks gestation. She was given a double electric pump to use until her baby comes home from the NICU. Don't really have a set "schedule" on when to pump, but when she does, she does it for about 15 minutes and hasn't been getting that much milk to come out. Her baby is 3 days old and hasn't been started on feeding yet, but she does have about an oz of milk to give the nurses. Is it best to pump every 2-3 hours or only when engorged?

At 3 days, her milk might not have fully come in yet, but the colostrum she's been pumping is wonderful. If she wants to build her supply, then I think pumping every 2 hours for 15-20 minutes, more if she's still getting milk out at that point, is a good way to do it. And there is Mother's Milk tea she can drink that will help with production as well.

Quoting PurpleBama582:" At 3 days, her milk might not have fully come in yet, but the colostrum she's been pumping is wonderful. ... [snip!] ... at that point, is a good way to do it. And there is Mother's Milk tea she can drink that will help with production as well. "

This!! also the nicu here swears by root beer.  

2-3 hrs at least.

And she should start by putting a warm cloth on her breasts to help stimulate let down. Let her breasts dangle forward a bit. Get a pic of baby to look at or a cideo of baby crying. Then put the pumps on. Let them pump until nothing else comes out. Then take off one pump and do knenside at a time. Use one hand to hold the pump and one to massage around the breast. Make a c shape with her hand and as te pump sucks drag hand from the chest all the way to the end of her breast.