No Milk Flowing with breast pump

[champs]

All help please. I am fully bf. I need to express milk because when I go to collect my ds1 from school it's touch and go if baby sleeps all the way till home or wakes up for a "snack". On a couple occassions I had to feed him on the bus!! I couldn't bare to leave him crying!! The bus is a "Hoppa" and gets very crowded with school children,and adults. I have only had one success when using a pump, I needed to go to dentist and would be some time so needed dh to feed him. All other times have failed, it's like the milk dreis up after a couple of "pumps" What am I doing wrong? please help!! It would also help for times when I am out when bf isn't practical as I need to stand up.

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Hi there,

We've noticed this thread is quite old and some of the product recommendations are out of date. If you're struggling to find a breast pump that works for you, take a look at our round up of the 10 best breast pumps available in the UK.

Hope that helps,

MNHQ

I found it depends on the pump...can you try a different one? I didn't get anything using an advent hand pump, but did with a very expensive medula pump (story of my life!!!). I am not saying one is better than the other but just try a different one...(nor could I hand express)...oh also found it good if I expressed 1st thing in the morning when breasts were full before I bf dd.

When have you tried to express, champs? I usually expressed first thing in the morning with the Avent pump as that was when I was at my fullest.
Also, sometimes it took a while to my milk to get going; warm flannels can help.
I know mears has also suggested using nipple shells to collect bits of milk throughout the day and storing that at the end of the day in the fridge/freezer ( depending on when you will need it ).
Hope that helps a bit.

Champs - confidence is what you need. You can express because your baby is able to get the milk out. Make sure you are in a warm room, massage your breasts gently from the back forwards to the nipple area. Hand exoress to get the milk flowing then use the pump (or continue by hand). Switch from side to side as the flow of milk slows as the milk lets down in jets. Attached is a link wheich might help.
here

Thanx , will try that also does anyone know if an electric pump is better than manual? I have a manual. Crazzybabs- Are there places where you can rent pumps? I got the maws pump and don't wanna splash out on another one if it don't work. Mears - that site didn't help, it talked about the technique but didn't actually say how it was done, did I miss it? Did I look at wrong place? Nursie- I wouldn't be brave enough to wear the sheilds on the street and shops etc, don't they stick out of your clothes?!

The link tells you how to hand express. Once the milk is flowing you can use the pump. Sometimes if you do not stimulate the milk flow by hand expression first, you can't get anything out with the pump. If you get the knack of hand expressing you might find it much easier than using a pump at all.

you can rent them from NCt and places like that I think but I am sure there are many more knowledge people here who will be able to tell you. I bought mine for 180 squid - very expensive but I thought worth it to know dd would be exclusively bf while I was at work. Ha ha ha - she wouldn't drink anything from a bottle or beaker...she only likes her milk mummy warm. Still I did end up with a milk mountain in my freezer much to the ammusment of my fil whose house it is!

Don't think the shields stick out but I have to admit that I wore breast pads instead and just hoped I didn't leak too much!
I also tried using the Medela pump ( about £50 ) which is electric. It was definitely faster but rather noisy.
In the morning I'd have a hot shower and then express; it seemed to help with the milk flow.
I didn't get the hang of hand expressing till I tried the way suggested on the link that mears has posted; that was much easier.
Hugs your way too and hope it gets easier.

I use the Avent in preference to the Medela - and find that if it's hot from the steam steriliser this really helps get things flowing/going.

Haven't done enough hand expressing, mears, which makes me feel vaguely like I haven't done my homework

MI - really.... am really interested to hear why you prefer the Avent to the Medela... I always find people prefer the electric one.... so ken to hear why you have the opposite view.
Thanks

Champs ... I really sympathise ... I have become a bit of a pumping champion, but boy has it been hard work at times! Some tips ...

As mears says, confidence is everything, the milk is in there, it's just a question of finding the best way for you of getting it out.

Often when I first started pumping I would pump for 40 minutes and get only an ounce out and was in despair. Finally I realised I just wasn't triggering the let-down and that there were various things I could do to encourage that.

Firstly it's easiest early in the day when you have most milk - even with my dd feeding (14months) the let-down takes about 20 seconds to come in the morning and up to 2 minutes in the evening. With a pump, even on a good day, it takes a good 5 minutes to trigger it.

Best to be relaxed (hard I know with a plastic pump at the boob). Some people recommend pictures of your baby - I found that actually made me think about the task too intently, I got on best when distracted by something else (e.g. TV or a magazine). Though interestingly one time I pumped in John Lewis feeding room with other babies about I got gallons of milk instantly!

Think of something about your baby that makes you laugh. I would remember something gorgeous or funny my dd had done and woosh ... milk!

Drink LOADS of water. This really makes a difference. And have some water with you when you pump - I can always tell when the let-down is on its way because I get an overwhelming desire to drink water. If you feel thirsty - keep pumping at first and then grab the water once you feel the let-down.

Alternate breasts - even if you can't get the let-down - you should be able to get a fair amount of milk out by doing 10-20 pumps on one side and then switch to the other side etc.

Try pumping from one side whilst your baby feeds from the other first thing in the morning - the baby will trigger the let-down for you and you'll have more than enough milk for the baby.

Contrary to my advice to express in the morning, I used to fit in an extra expressing feed at 9:30pm when my baby was sleeping through the night. Although I only ever got 3-4 oz out, I was relaxed, no pressure and I could pump for 20-30 mins watching the TV and stick the milk in the freezer.

Sorry this is sooooo long.

I used the Avent because I found it quite easy and because it was silent so I could watch TV at the same time or express at work discreetly. The only time I couldn't get anything out was when I hadn't assembled the pump quite right and the tiny white plastic disc wasn't pushed right down IYKWIM.

I have to admit I leave the plastic disk pushed in even when it's in the dishwasher. Bad mum.

Pupuce, I prefer the feel of the Avent on the breast - much better at stimulating the ducts; and I also like the fact I can move it around to press on different parts of the breast. I also found the Medela just chained me to the spot, as it doesn't seem to work very well with batteries. TBH, I don't know if I'd have gone back to the Avent if I hadn't broken the Medela (melted part of the plastic on the heating element of the steriliser) but I don't seem to want to change back again or indeed buy a new Medela.

Mind you, have well-documented paranoia about getting enough out myself, so who am I to lecture others!

PS - Pidge is a star on this

I think the kind of pump makes all the difference. I couldn't manually pump to save my life. The Medela PumpNStyle (expensive, but well worth it) is what I was able to use for many months. Good luck!!! I haven't known anyone, except for Mears - who I feel like I know having read all of her good advice on breastfeeding - who could manually express. I believe it's extremely rare to be able to do it.

Well, I tried pumping from one side while babe was on boob this morning (have done it before with electric pump and got decent flow but everything was very complicated). You've never seen such a palaver! I think my first mistake was worrying about the whole thing so I got rotten night's sleep and presumably inhibited milk flow. The second was to assume the whole thing was feasible with two-year-old around. The third was to think I could do ANYTHING coherent without any brekkie inside me. But inspired by Pidge, and by SoupDragon's moving accounts of expressing with little girl snuggled beside her, I pressed on.

Milk splashed everywhere, didn't seem to get proper pumping going - babe slurped away but v little went into bottle (3 oz, less than I get with a 9am expressing session on a feeding day!), I disregarded baby while manoevering bottle over her head and tried to apologise to dd1 about being so bad-tempered ('sorry, darling, milko doesn't seem to be going into the bottle, does it'...heaven knows what she's told her childminder this morning)...in short, not a big success. Got a bit out afterwards but really nothing much.

Should I try again, or resume the civilised 9ish pump in front of the newspaper?

motherinferior ... had to giggle at your account of trying to pump whilst feeding in the morning. I should 'fess up here that I've never really managed it successfully either, but other people swear by it, so I thought it was worth a mention! My most hilarious attempt was on holiday in France where I thought I could collect some milk for my dd's breakfast, so I had her feeding from one side and a wine-glass propped up to catch the drips from the other boob. A recipe for disaster I can assure you.

I think simultaneous pumping and feeding is probably easiest with an electric pump?

I too found it easiest to express at 9-10pm ish, just because the baby was in bed, no distractions and even though I didn't have a huge amount of milk I could always get 3-4 oz to stick in the freezer.

Hand expressing is so easy I think though that a lot of women don't really like handling their breasts very much so that is why they find it difficult. The other thing is the actual technique. I have seen many women who swear they cannot hand express but when I have watched what they are doing, they have their fingers in the wrong place and are sliding them over the skin. When I have then shown them how to do it, they are totally amazed as the milk flows out.
When having difficulty expressing, always remember to massage the breasts first.
The best way to do that it to make a fist, press it against the top of your breast, thumb and forefinger against the skin, then roll your fist down the breast. Move your fist round the different areas of the breast. That encourages the milk to flow down the ducts into the resevoirs. Feel down the breast towards the areaola and feel for little pea like lumps (milk resevoirs). They could be just above the areaola or just underneath. With your thumb on top and your hand cupped under the breast, gently squeeze the pea like lumps between your fingers. Do not let your fingers slide along the skin but actually keep them in the same place. The milk will come out in a jet after a few squeezes. Once it slows, move your fingers round to empty all the resevoirs. Or, at this point, start using the pump.
Try it when your breast feels quite full initially. Do not worry if you express then the baby needs a feed - you can still go ahead and feed because the breast is never empty. The baby is the best 'milk extractor' in the world
Another place to try it is in the bath. Just do it long enough to see the milk flow.
Honestly, expressing is a psychological thing.

Or buy a good electric pump, and see how really easy it is! I was told to pump in the morning, but when I went back to work, I always knew when to pump, as I started to leak and my boobs got rock hard. I do agree with Mears about one thing - that breastfeeding in general is extremely psychological. I do think that certain actions, like expressing, are aided with good machinery

AAArrrggg wat a day!!! worst bus trip ever!!! ds2 needed feedin had to stop at m.care to feed. went shoppin but ds2 needed feedin again. he's been feedin aaaalllll day, am typin wiv one hand while i feed him now!! love him to bits but do feel a bit tired. i think i have an idea, there's a certain time in middle of night between 4-6 am wen i get a gigantic wet patch on nightie, and i mean gigantic!!! maybe i can try to express then. i am goin to da baby show on sat so i will look out for pumps. any one else going? am quite excited (i know, doesn't take much ) last went wen ds1 was baby.

i'm having similar problem expressing using avent hand pump..hit and miss, but first big away time from baby coming up, so am intent on getting a stash down in freezer..all tips are v.useful am in process of hiring an eleccy one from NCT..can anyone tell me how much expressed milk in a bottle to give my 14week old at feed times in day..i seem to get about 3-4oz off each boob when expressing..he usually takes about 5-15 mins to empty one during day, just unsure how much to give.ta

I assume the fact my production with pump has suddenly dropped dramatically (virtually nothing yesterday) is nothing to worry about, and is in fact the result of worry (I'm back to work the week after next) not demonstration that am Bad Mother and Failure as A Woman?

On the odd occasion I've missed a feed I don't seem to produce much either

Your assumption is correct motherinferior. Have a glass or two of wine then express in a warm darkened room. You will be able to produce what your babe needs honestly. Chill

Can I do that at 11am, please mears?

Can I confess that alcohol always improved my yield with a breast pump!