Breast milk doesn’t come with the pump??
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 at
1:44 am
I am trying to express my milk (my daughter is 4.5 months old), but it doesn’t come much with the pump. When my baby sucks it comes. What can be the reason? Shall change the pump or there is any particular food to increase milk flow? (I am currently using Avent Single electrical breast pump)
Filed under: Avent Breast Pump Faqs
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I tried every pump and couldn’t express more than 1 oz.
I manually expressed and could get about 2-3 oz each.
Based on that, and the fact that the baby is thriving anyway, I was led to believe that a baby’s much more efficient than a pump.
I had the same problem.
I switched pumps, didn’t work.
I tried fenugreek, all that did was increase my supply, but it still wouldn’t pump out.
Call a lactation consultant. They would probably be your best bet.
It could be the pump. My S-I-L couldn’t get more than an ounce with a pump, and she had a nice medela. I vary, but by no means get as much pumping as nursing.
Drink plenty of water, relax, and don’t focus on the pumping and if anything is coming out. You might also try pumping on one breast while she nurses on the other. This isn’t going to dry you out - you will still have plenty for her (our breast are constantly producing milk). You can also try when you are super full
If you want to try a nicer pump, you can look into renting one, or check eBay for the medela pump in style. The only thing that touches the milk is the horn piece, so you can get that at target for $12.00 - used is okay. And you can find the $350-400 pumps for as little as $50.00.
Good luck!
sometimes people have problems with pumping and either dont get any or very little milk, but the baby is able to get it.
maybe try changing pumps. try a different brand. ive heard the medela pumps are good, but can be pricey. i have a platex one and it seems to work just fine for me.,
I would try the Medela Pump in style double pump. Try a Herbal supplement called Fenugreek. You can pick it up at GNC. You’ll need to take more than they tell you on the bottle.
Good luck!
You need to make sure the equipment is correctly set up per instruction, you need to make sure that the cup that you place over you breast is fully sealed or pushed up hard against your breast, allow it to pump for a while to create a vacuum. If it still is not working, consult with a lactation expert. Good luck!
Also keep up your water and the pumping to stimulate further milk production.
same thing happens to me the pump just does not have the same suction as my baby try squeezing some out by hand to get things going then use the pump that usually works for me
My mom had this problem… something in her just wouldn’t get into the fact that she had a THINGY strapped to her breasts, not a baby. She had to hold my brother or sister, or smell their clothes and think about them to get ANY milk to come. she finally gave up, and just breast fed, and my brother would get a bottle of formual if Mom couldn’t be there.
I wish I had more uplifiting advice, but that is what I know from expereince. Try the smelling thing, maybe it will help. Or try pumping while she is feedind on the other side.
Good Luck
It may not be the pump but you may need a bigger or smaller cup. This is what happend to me. I had milk building up and it really started to hurt. I changed to a bigger cup on my breast and it helped get most of it pumped out. Ask a lactation specialist just to make sure.
Try warming your breasts first- that helps me.
Avent, not so good from my experience. I have an Ameda and it works really well.
The pump just can’t mimick the latch that a baby can make (they are strong!0. before you run out and buy a double pump, take a look into the Avent hand pump. I know it is a pain, but when I was BF, I got more milk from the Avent hand pump, than I did from my Medela pump in style…also try warm washcloths to help stimulate let down.
Also try pumping for 5 mins on one, then 5 mins on the other. Then go back to the first for 5 - 10 more mins, and then repeat on the other breast (taking a little break did help me pump more- the advice of my lactation consultant)..
Good luck.
My wife says that the only way to increase milk flow is to do what you are doing, expressing more after the baby gets all she wants. The additional demand causes the gland to grow and become more efficient so that it can keep up with the demand.
She doesn’t know about pumps. When she was nursing, she hand-expressed every day so that she could contribute milk to the breast milk bank. But she didn’t try a pump.
I’d try renting a really good unit from your hospital. (about 50/month), and see if that works, but talk to your pediatrician’s office and see if they have a lactation consultant there.
Sounds like it’s the pump. Good thing you are letting down when the baby sucks directly from your breast. Good sign!
i had the same problem i just was very persistant and did it as much as i could.
I personally did better with a manual hand pump, me and my electric pump just didn’t get along, it was hardly getting any milk out. Try talking to a lactation consultant, my OB gave me fenugreek and when it didn’t work for me he gave me something that for the life of me I cannot remember the name, but it was prescription. I drank LOTS of water too, they recommended that. Although, some people just don’t produce as much as others (not trying to discourage you) we tried everything for me and I just couldn’t produce enough milk for both babies.
Good luck!
Your comfort level is key. Sometimes your milk just won’t let down unless the baby is right there. I remember sometimes hearing another baby cry and having my milk let down in the middle of the grocery store.
I had the same problem. I bought and tried three different pumps and would barely get milk. It was so frustrating because breast pumps arent cheap and you can’t return them. I talked to my doctor about this and she said it takes practice. There’s probably nothing wrong with your milk flow. A baby can get the milk out better than a pump.
Here are some tips tthat might help you:
What can I do if I’m having trouble pumping?
For many women, the most difficult thing about pumping is finding the time to fit it into their schedule during the workday or finding a comfortable, private space to do it in. But pumping doesn’t come easily for everyone. Here are some reasons you may be having trouble getting much milk out and some tips for what to do about it:
• You may be pumping too soon after your last session of nursing or pumping. You won’t get much milk out of your breasts if you or your baby has just recently done a good job of draining them.
• You may need to change the settings on your pump. It can be hard to get enough milk if the suction pressure is too low or the cycling speed is too fast. In some cases, your pump may not provide the right pumping pattern for you no matter how you adjust it. The most advanced pumps now come with a reprogrammable setting card that you can send back to the manufacturer for adjustment.
• You may not be using a very good breast pump. Some women have trouble getting enough milk out if they’re using a manual pump or an electric one that doesn’t work very well. You’ll get the best results from a high-quality, fully automatic pump.
• You may be using shields that are too small for your nipples. This is a common problem because most pumps come with shields that are designed for women with small nipples. If this is the case for you, your nipples may swell up once you start to pump, and that can reduce the amount of milk you’ll be able to get out of your breasts. Many breast pump companies now make breast shields in larger sizes. Make sure you’re using the size that’s right for you.
• You may just not be producing very much milk. There are many reasons for this, including not nursing often enough.
good luck and congrats on breastfeeding. don’t give up.