Suddenly having trouble expressing

[bunnygirl80]

I'm going back to work next week, and my nearly 7mo DS is starting daycare. He'll need 2 feeds while he's there, and I was planning on him having one bottle of EBM and one bottle of formula.

The problem is I'm suddenly having real problems expressing any milk at all. I'm trying to do it at a time when I'd normally feed him, but even so, I'm getting either very little or nothing at all. I've just spent 10 mins with the pump, and even though my breasts are feeling really full of milk I've not managed to get a single drop out.

It's only been happening since last week - prior to that 10 mins pumping would get me at least 200ml of milk and now I'm really starting to worry.

I'm considering just BFing morning and night and letting him have formula while at daycare, but I'm concerned that will affect my supply and mean the end of BFing for us.

Has this happened to anyone else? And do you have any tips on getting the milk flowing while I express? Or should I just give up, and let him have formula in the day and try and only BF him morning and evening (I'm only working 3 days a week so I could feed during the day for 4 days out or 7)?

I'm not sure why you would suddenly be having problems, I'm afraid, but I know that people have had luck with looking at a photo of their child while expressing, or even expressing from one boob when feeding from the other (the logistics of this boggle my mind, but apparently it can be done), so that the boobs get the message correctly.

Are the three days consecutive? I would think that by seven months your supply is established enough that as long as you're feeding morning and night, and during the day on non work days, your supply will be fine. It's a lot more established now than in the early times; in fact, when you do wean you'll probably be surprised at how long you can still get a bit of milk out. But try the photo/baby thing first, maybe.

Is it a problem with your pump? I needed to repace a tiny flap of plastic on mine and the milk gushed out! The other time I lost supply i was pregnant with DD2 but there was no milk to pump not that it wouldn't come out!

I found my supply dropping when my periods returned or at certain points on my cycle. Or when I was pregnant... They felt full but hardly anything!

definitely check out the pump first, is there suction there? Have you tried hand expressing to see if you can get any out that way?

I have some photos and video of my ds on my phone which I look at to stimulate let down, I find that this really helps.

If you do get back to 200ml that will be more than enough. DD was on just bottle at 7 months.

Could it be the pressure of having to pump could be effecting your let down?

Thanks for all the replies.

I tried pumping again about an hour after the original failed attempt, having checked the pump and while looking at a cute photo of DS, and for whatever reason the milk came pouring out. I think perhaps the problem stems from feeling the pressure of having to pump at a certain time of day, so I'm hoping that as it becomes part of my daily routine it'll get easier.

penguinarmy I actually think DS really only needs one bottle during the day, but at the moment he's so distracted by all the other children at daycare he's only drinking 50-60ml at a time, so they've asked me to provide 2 so he'll hopefully drink more.

you need feet up, telly on, chocolate to hand. Tell your DP if you have one, it's doctors orders (although technically not a medicine one)