The one time I actually need to express and I can't get anything. Please please help me.

[Somersaults]

I've never had trouble expressing before. I don't do it frequently but enough to know that I can and that DD will take it (and that the fussy little madam will only drink it if it's been expressed in the last 24hours!)

Well tomorrow I go back to work just for a week and a half before having the summer holidays off. I planned to express milk for her to have during the day for these few days then cut out day feeds as much as possible throughout the summer. I've had two attempts now tonight at expressing tomorrow's milk for her on both sides each time and got less than an oz which is basically just foremilk. I've checked that it's not the pump and that's fine so it's me. Why can't I express? Any tips on how to dramatically improve fast because she needs this milk for tomorrow! Please help me because I really don't know what to do.

Have you tried hand expressing?

Hello. I always find expressing first thing is by far the most successful. I can get 6 oz. If I were to try now it'd be a dribble... Good luck!

Have you tried hand expressing?

How old is dd?

I find I can only express well if ds2 (and was the same with ds1) is on one side and I express on the other side, I don't get let down properly otherwise. Could you get your dd to latch on one side and you express on the other? Appreciate it may not be practical at this time of night...

Or could you get up early to express in the morning? I always find my supply is better then.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon

X posts - I meant more knowledgeable than me not that the posters who type quicker than me aren't knowledgeable

Are you a little stressed about going back to work at all?

I always find that when I NEED the milk expressed, it just doesn't happen - I think it's because I can't relax enough or something, yet when there's no real need for it to be expressed I can get loads - and I mean loads (6oz of one side this morning)

The more stressed you are and the more you stare at the pump not filling with milk the less likely it is to work.

De-stressing first by having a warm shower or a nice back massage can help release some extra oxytocin to get things moving along.

You could also try covering the pump with a muslin/your top and reading a book, watching an engrossing TV programme or MNing like mad while you ignore the pump.

Following this may help too.

Relax! Get warm and comfy, and don't think about how much this milk is 'needed'.

I always found I expressed loads more when I covered my breast up with a muslin cloth and didn't look at how much milk was going in (strange, I know!).

Make sure there is a good suction around the breast. I used to rub some ebm onto the part of the pump that goes round the breast to improve the seal.

Once the milk starts to flow, press the pump in really slowly, every fourth or so pump (so the rythm is: in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, iiiinnnnnnn...and repeat).

If your breasts are on the large side, support the breast from underneath with one hand, and pump with the other.

Good luck!

I can try in the morning. I'd just planned to express for one feed tonight and for one feed tomorrow. Maybe it's just the pressure if knowing I must get enough. I'm tempted to see alarm for 4am to get a pumping session in before DD wakes up and drinks it all!! She's 7mo. I've not tried jabs expressing since she was born.

Have you tried hand expressing? I used pump with my first 3 DSs but was told about hand expressing and although initially a bit about it, once I got started it was much easier (and faster) than using a pump.
here

with some images
pdf leaflet here
The trickiest part I found was 'catching' the milk

X-posted with everyone

Can you try and relax and not think about it? Maybe watch some TV or something, and cover the pump up with a muslin so you're not watching every drop come out?

What age is your DD? If necessary, could she get by with water to drink and yoghurt/banana/whatever her favourite foods are?

X-posted with lots of people...

Some very useful posts everyone and they keep popping up fast. Think I might chill for an hour and try again, and not care how much I get as I still have a chance in the morning.

cowboy your links don't work. Any chance you could post them again for me?

Just tried again after an hour or so chilling on the couch and watching tv. Still nothing really :( I did manage to get a few drops hand expressing but nowhere near as much as I can usually get with the pump. I'll try again in the morning.

Could it be because I've been ill and not eaten as much as usual? I've drunk loads but not had an awful lot of food for about three days. I only just thought of that now.

I don't think what you eat and if you were ill would have that much effect on expressing.

I haven't expressed in a long while and only just started up again a few days ago. Reason being that DD became a bottle refuser but now is getting into cups so we're giving that a go.

However, back then when I was expressing regularly and that was back in Jan, I was getting a lot but now it's definitely harder to get as much out.

Truthsweet's link up thread seemed to work for me along with expressing first thing in the morning. I think I got about 5 oz from one boob this morning.

so sorry those links didn't work for you-not sure what happened there. Might be too little too late for you now but will repost them anyway

www.nct.org.uk/parenting/how-hand-express-breastmilk

www.realbabymilk.org/breastfeeding-information/31-hand-expressing

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/BFNExpressing&Storing.pdf