Ok, this is getting crazy...I cannot, for the life of me, express or pump any milk!!! My breasts dont leak, drip, or anything...Ever. Seriously, I never wear breast pads and always sleep bra-less at night. Im breastfeeding my 6 month son and would really like to go places...you know like the store or the bathtub or a date...What gives! Ive tried to stimulate the letdown in various ways while pumping like holding him, looking at pictures of him to no avail. I just gave up and tried to give him formula...big mistake! He hated it. The problem with it was I chose like an idiot to wear a dress with no possible way to put him to my breast...so I had to go to the bath room to basically get naked to feed him.....Im starting to feel really frustrated!!!!!!! help!!!!!
ps. my pump is a good one (I think, it was close to 200 bucks). Maybe its not... I dont know really anymore.
Have you tried nursing him on one side WHILE pumping the other???
If you can take your pump to a lactation clinic, they should be able to get you going.
Just a few thoughts however:
If you go out with baby, can you wear a more suitable outfit for breastfeeding and feed him as he needs while out shopping or at restaurants? I always bring a nursing cover and noone usually knows what I'm doing.
If you want to go out on a date, perhaps try different formulas like Baby's Only or Earth's Best. They all taste different. If formula is a no-go, how about making it a 2 hour date and feeding him right before you leave?
Your baby is 6 months so he is ready for solids as well which should put off the hunger long enough for a date or outing.
Anyway, good job on breastfeeding this long and you deserve a break so I hope you get an answer that works!
How about trying a lactation consultant to see if they can't help you out?
I used to always read while I pumped. It wasn't until I was into the book for a good 30 seconds or so before I would let down. Looking at a picture of my son didn't help. Reading and forgetting about what I was doing did the trick for me:) Good job and good luck!
Pumping is hard work. It took me two to three weeks to get used to my pump. I barely got anything and felt very uncomfortable the first few times. For me, looking at pictures and trying to relax worked best once I got used to it and stopped loathing the pump. I also pretended the pump was saying 'feed me' and tried to drink lots of water. If you pump too soon after you've fed the baby, you're only going to be able to get the baby's leftovers. Try to pump at one of your normal feeding times. Pump first for a few minutes - to practice and get used to the pump, and then feed the baby. Another thing that helped me with the comfort level were some breast shields that I got from www.pumpinpal.com.
One think I noticed is if I'm not comfertable I can't express milk. So, if you are frustrated with it - it is only going to make it harder. Sometime massasing the breast can help with let down. Something else I tried to begin with was reading a book or magazine when I was pumping... I didn't watch what was going on, just make sure the breast is in the breast pump cut correctly, then start reading or watching tv & try to relax. It did help when I first started pumping... later I didn't have to do it anymore.
I still haven't got down the double pumping - even though my pump will do it, I just can't seem to get it down, so I do one at a time.
If you still aren't able to - call the hospital you had the baby & see if they offer assistance for nursing moms. Most of them do - they may have more ideas for you.
I think maybe you are stressing out about it too much and it's hindering your flow (that's such a helpful statement I know) :). Anyway, I also had problems pumping, but it worked really well if he was nursing on one side while I pumped the other. Kind of a crazy balancing act at first. Good luck!
