We asked our donors how to maintain breastmilk supply

Looking for suggestions and tips for maintaining you breastmilk supply? We’ve gathered tips from our donor community to help both nursing and pumping moms. This list is not intended to substitute medical advice. If you have any concerns, contact a lactation consultant or your healthcare provider immediately.

Techniques In Maintaining a Generous Breastmilk Supply Pumping Breastmilk Essentials Must Have Nursing Supplies or Accessories How To Recover From A Dip in Breast Milk Supply

"Eat ice-cream, it seems to help my supply, drink even more water and add an additional pumping session to the day for a couple days." - Tricia F. "Oatmeal cookies!" - Katie J.

"Power pump and pump every 2-3 hours." - Aunvah H. "Power pump like crazy!"  - Jessica G.

"Nurse more, pump more. Make sure to drink enough fluids and eat enough." - Kabarielle A.

"Eat oatmeal, drink more water, replace all pump parts (especially the membranes), and sometimes add a power pump." - Nicole A.

"Increase number of pumps, power pump, hydrate, eat and rest." - Monica M.

"Pumping more frequently & drinking extra water." - Christyn P.

"Pumping every 2 hours, eating oatmeal twice a day, and drinking water non stop." - Lindsey B.

"Adding pumping/nursing sessions and/or adding time to each pumping session." - Elizabeth T.

"Red Gatorade." - Angie M.

"Power pumps." - Jodie D.

"Powerade, longer pumps, more water intake, most importantly maintaining a pumping schedule" - Erica M.

"Pump more often and drink Gatorade" - Stephanie P.

"Drink lots of water and eat often." - Racheal G.

"Drink water, drink Gatorade, drink coconut - anything that will keep you hydrated." - Meslia H.

"Drink Gatorade and add extra pumps." - Maria H.

"Drink lots of water and pump more often.I would pump every half hour to get my supply up." - Megan A.

"More consistent with pump times! Not just with frequency, but pumping at the same time everyday." - Rachael M.

"Be very consistent and pump every time the baby nurses (no more than 3 hours between each pumping) also power pumping helps. Measure output goals in the span of weeks not days. Be patient with yourself." - Andrea B.

"Drink a lot of water and eat more calories." - Brittanie P.

"I drink more water, increase calories and honestly try to sleep more (usually supply issues for me are stress related)." - Jennifer C.

"Take a nap, hydrate well with coconut water." - Sheri S.

"Lots of water, oatmeal, healthy calories, power pumping." - Christina W.

1. Drink lots of water: in general, moms are busy and may forget to take care of herself. Avoid dehydration and keep a water bottle around to stay hydrated
2. Create and stick to a pumping schedule
3. Healthy, balanced diet to keep up your energy, stick to health-eating basics, such as choosing plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
4. Snuggle and cuddle with your muse (aka baby) – after all, your baby is your inspiration for nursing or pumping.
5. Hands free pumping bra to free up your hands for other tasks or relax while using your breast pump.
6. Electric Double Breast Pump and  as for a preferred brand, it was a tie between the Medela Symphony and Spectra S2 or S9.
7. Breastmilk bags and bottles to store all your hard work
8. Heating pads to loosen your knots
9. Nursing cover  helps you nurse your baby in privacy and comfort.
10. Sterilizer for the bottles and pumping parts so that you can spend more time with your  little one.
11. Compression nursing tank tops helps with friction and the fold-down front allows for easy nursing at any time.
12. Nursing pillow can ergonomically support your baby for comfortable feedings.
13. Organic nurse breast pads to prevent an “Oops” moment. The pads absorb and prevents leakage.