SOOOO Frustrated. Pumping.

here's what i did, cause kinda like you, it took me sooo long to pump...i pluged in the radio in the bathroom, got in the tub, got the bottle, made my self comfy, and forget the pump, i literally milked myself like a cow, and if i felt like my body wasn't producing like i wanted, i would think 2 words.....(daughter's name) + hungry and ENGOOOORRRGE!!!! instant pain lol. while i was breast feeding NO ONE was allowed to say my daughter's name or hungry in the same sentence round me, and no one was allowed to talk where i could hear the mere thought of my daughter being hungry around me while breast feeding.....pumping in the bathroom worked wonders for me cause i was more comfortable and that's how mommy needs to be...it was my "private space"

I have pumped for almost a year, so have quite a bit of experience. There have been similar questions on the subject before, so you may want to do a search. I do NOT think it is your timing at all. I am sure you have plenty of milk, as you are able to feed your son just fine.

Here are some suggestions:

I think number one thing is to relax, so you can have a let down. While pumping: Imagine nursing your baby, smell his cloths, look at his pictures.
Do NOT look at the bottles while pumping, do NOT count drops! Just close your eyes, relax, think of your baby.

Massage breasts, put a warm wash cloth before starting to pump.

Make sure you have a good pump (double electric is the best) with adjustable speed so you can adjust it to your comfort level.

Good luck!

It could be your pump, or your timing. I would try pumping right on time, and be consistant. I had a mechanical pump with my first 2 kids that was AWESOME - it was a medela. With my second set of kids, I have a different pump, I can't remember which brand it is, but it hurts me and I don't get as much. So I just got a medela hand pump and now I am cool. My baby is 4 months, and I pump 2X a day at work. I try to do it right on time just like if I was feeding her and I get about 6 ounces total. It may help to keep a picture ofyour baby with you and look at it if you need to? I haven't done that but I have heard of that helping other people. Also, it is quicker when I use the hand pump then when I use a mechanical pump. Sounds weird I know, but seriously, it is quicker for me. Good Luck, I hope everything works out. I know it is frustrating sometimes!! But hang in there!! It is awesome that you have stuck with it for this long!!

Your body has naturally conformed to what your child needs... that is completely normal! I would try pumping the other breast while breastfeeding to see if that helps.

Always remember - the suckling that your child uses versus the artificial suction of the pump - the pump is nothing compared to your child. Do not compare what you can pump is what your child is eating... they are not even remotely comparable.

Do you have a trigger? Sometimes your fav pic or a pic of your baby nursing, a blanket that smells like baby, or something to that effect it is as much a mental and full physical response as it is anything else.

You have every right to be frustrated. Good for you for not giving up and asking for help! That's isn't always the easiest path, but you're doing what is best for your baby.

The unfortunate thing is that there is no easy answer. There could be lots of things going on. I would have lots of questions to try to rule out several issues. First, you do want to look at your pump. Is it designed for the amount and type of use you are doing? Is it working as it should? Is pumping comfortable for you (I'm working for instance if your shield size is accurate)? If all of that is in order, there are some strategies that can help you. Like some other moms have said, relaxing, thinking of your baby, gentle massage on your breasts, warm compress before or during pumping... There are bunches of techniques that may help, depending on your situation.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will say I am a lactation consultant at Bosom Buddies. We have a team of consultants with lots of experience with pumping moms. You may consider setting up an appointment so we can help you try to get better results. Also, Bosom Buddies does troubleshooting on Medela and Ameda breastpumps to see if the motor is working according to manufacturer's specs.

i would say its your pump if you are usually feeding well.

K.,
Try pumping before he has his first feeding in the morning. He will always be able to bring your milk in after, and it will be easier to get used to the pump when it is not a stressful situation. Plus your milk will have collected all night. So just figure out about what time he usually nurses and pump an hour before that. Once you have more confidence and not so much anticipation about the pumping you will actually be able to have a "let down" while pumping and get all the milk you need.
Good luck!
E.

Maybe you can try drinking more liquids to increase your supply. The same thing happened to me and with more liquids it helped. :)

If you are worrying too much about it, you are stopping the flow. You might try to change the pump. Manual one worked fine for me. Drink lots of fluids and be relaxed. It could also mean your baby isn't hungry at the time!

Edited to add: Oh, I just remembered the name of the pump I used it was called Ameda Purely Yours. Also, do a google search of the formula companies and pumps and it brings up lots of interesting reading =0) It really exposes them for what they are.

What kind of pump are you using? I'm thinking it may be the pump itself. I took a breast feeding class through my health care provider while pregnant with my second child. I knew I would be returning to work and would need to pump. I also know that with my first child whenever I would try to pump I got the same results that you did. This is what I learned through the class.....some of the pumps are actually made by the formula companies!!!! They do NOT want the pumps to work (they know they don't work & they refuse to improve them) because they want you to give up on breastfeeding & buy the formula! I was shocked & disgusted! The best thing to do is call your health care provider and ask what pump the recommend, can you buy it through them & get a discount, etc. If you have Kaiser then you can buy through them. The Madela works well. I used another brand recommended through Kaiser...I can't remember the name now (it started with an A )but it worked well. They're expensive though so expect to pay out some money but they work.

Also, you have to be RELAXED to get the milk so make sure you're as relaxed as possible.

Hope that helps,

T.

I'm curious about your pump. I (amateurishly) first tried a manual hand pump, being kind of squeamish about being hooked up to something that looked like it was supposed to be on a dairy farm milking cows. But I quickly realized that such a pump was completely useless and frustrating. So, I upgraded my pump. I knew I needed something with some more oomph, but I still didn't want to spend a fortune on a breast pump. So I got a battery operated pump. It did ok, but still wasn't optimal, by any stretch. I could usually get about 2-3 oz. on each side. If I ever breastfeed again, I WILL bite the bullet and get a good pump.

So, as I originally said, I wonder if your pump could be inadequate...

Start pumping immediately after each feeding... after a week or so you should notice a difference.

I had the same problem, with both of my sons. I ended up having to supplement with formula because it was such a problem. So if you have concerns, go to your doctor and let them know, because it could lead to your child being underweight or eating issues.

Pumping is just not a good way to get milk. Most people only get a couple of oz. You are not doing anything wrong.Make sure you have a good pump and play around with the settings. One of my breasts likes the highest suction and the other about half way but with more frequent "sucks". So I have to switch the controller after 5 mins.
Try a trigger. Tea works for me. I drink a cup of lactation tea when I sit down to pump. It is the trigger for the milk to come I don't actually think the tea has ant magic milk producing qualities.
Warm washcloths work well for some people. RELAX.

In addition to all the other suggestions, do your best to think not about the pump and the process, but about holding your cuddly, warm, sweet-smelling baby boy in your arms while you're pumping. If he can be present, so you can hear his sounds and breathing, all the better. I've known a couple of young moms who were surprised that they couldn't produce much milk while feeling rushed, stressed, or trying to multitask while pumping, but when they moved their attention back to mothering, cuddling, or nurturing their babies, they did much better.

Good luck.

Hi! I don't have any advice per se, but just wanted to add that although I exclusively breast fed both my daughters I could never easily, or reliably pump milk in large quantities. I think it's just harder for some of us, but it doesn't mean our breastfeeding babies aren't able to get enough from us! best of luck.

The more you pump and nurse, the more milk you will produce. This time next week you could be getting 2 oz... then 4... etc. Keep it up! Your body knows to produce what is being demanded... Pump, pump, pump :)

I had done some pumping, had the issue of feeling like I could never have enough or my baby running out of milk. How I did this and this was every day was at night feedings I would nurse my baby on say the left side and while she nursed asleep I would pump on the right side, this also help trigger the let down, I didn't do this to the clock but just when it was time for bed. Then I would pump in the morning at work double pumping and afternoon some time. I figured the more I pump or the more baby would nurse the more milk I had. I can't remember how long this took me to do but I would say by the first week I remember feeling full if I didn't pump or nurse. Oh ya I was told by my doctor not to count what I pump as what is in my breast. A baby will get out way more milk than a machine will. It is the let down you are looking for as everyone has said something to relax you or smell of baby will triger this. For me it was nursing along side of pumping and during the day having my babys picture while I pumped. I didn't pump long, my longest pump of the day was 15 minutes top, with a medela I borrowed from my local WIC program. Good luck remember the more baby nurses the more milk your body will make!