Breast Pump Not Working

I used to take an herbal supplement called fenugreek when I needed to build up my milk supply. It was La Leche League that clued me in on it and I have to say, it works wonders! You do end up smelling like maple syrup for a few days though, lol! Sending you good moooo vibes! ;-)

N. M

The best pumps are the hospital grade ones that you can rent.
I bought a manual pump for my wife and she never had much success with it. ($50 down the drain)
Then, she went to a place called the pump connection on ventura to meet a lactation consultant.
We rented a pump for a couple of weeks and it worked really well. You may consider doing this and freezing the milk.

I know it takes a bit of acrobatics, but it can be done... You are only producing enough milk for your baby that's the way we work. You have to increase your production again to get enough extra to pump.

Get a single hand held pump - The Avent is easy to use one-handed. At your first morning feeding in the morning - put the baby on one breast and the pump on the other - as soon as the baby initiates the let down - start pumping the other breast while the baby nurses on the first one - when you switch breats swith the pump. do this everyday for a week and you will have better luck with the pumping. You can do this for more than one feeding a day if you have a date, but I don't recommend overdoing it you might get a bit sore - maybe 2 or 3 feedings a day...

Good luck and don't be frustrated when the baby hits the pump - she'll get used to it and leave it alone after a little while.

Call Susan Orr for free advice. She's a wonderful lactation specialist out of Long Beach. Her number is ###-###-####.

M.,

Make sure you are eating right and often. This will help you build enough milk to pump.
If you are tying to diet right now then you will be lowering your milk productivity.

Also, the only pumps ones that I know that truly work is the eclectic kinds.

Hope this helps.

L. C
Personal Nutritionist
www.herbalmom.com

I am having a similiar issue, my 4 1/2 mo, only nurses from one side. Now when I pump I can get 1 oz out of the side she doesnt eat but nothing out of the side that actually has milk in it. Maybe it is the body is only making enough for what she needs like someone mentioned but I will be interested to see what others say.
Good luck
C.

M. it may be because your milk supply has reached the supply/demand mode. This happened to me with both my children once they started getting table food at 6 months. I breastfed exclusively until my son weaned himself at 18 months and my daughter still nurses. You can try drinking more water in the day, and tricking your body to think you need more milk. It just takes time and patience. Pump one side while your daughter nurses on the other. At first you may get nothing or just a few drops, but eventually you will begin to produce more milk again, if your body thinks you need it. Good luck!

M., you may have already tried this but have you nursed your daughter on one side while pumping on the other? If you contact the hospital where you gave birth they will be able to reccomend a lactation consultant. They know what they are doing.

-J.

Hi, I also had a similar problem when I was nursing my daughter. I worked with a lactation consultant and actually took an herbal supplement to stimulate my milk production. I also had a very difficult time with the letdown when I wasn't actually nursing. Since I was working during the day I had to be away from her and pump so my doctor actually gave me a perscription to stimulate the letdown. I took it right before I would start to pump and it would cause the letdown within 1 minute. Not sure, but it worked for me.

K.

Hi M.,

At nine months, you are probably only producing exactly what your baby requires, so there's not usually a lot of excess to actually pump (esp if it is right after a feeding).

To road test, try skipping a nursing session and give the kiddo a bottle of formula (don't worry, she'll live!) then pump what she would have ate. You should test this when you are pretty full, so you KNOW milk is going to come out (the fuller you are, the easier the letdown).

If you STILL aren't getting any milk, THEN it might be the pump.

CHECK THE VALVE MEMBRANE FIRST--it's the easiest thing to over look. While the pump is on, you should see the membrane pulsing in and out (I'm assuming this is electric/battery operated?)if it's not, it could have a hole/tear/crack and need to be replaced. If its not that, check for other gaps, holes, leaks along the rest of the tubing and connectors.

Check babys r us for replacement parts (they have quite a few for some of the pumps) or got to the manufacturers website.

As for increasing supply--nutrition, hydration, stimulation.

...And you can be creative on the stimulation ;)

M.,

What kind of breast pump are you using? I am only familiar with Medela. If that is the brand, check to see that there are little white rubber discs attatched to the end of the yellow elbow joints (I don't know what else to call them!) You might also try going on the companies website. There is probably a troubleshooting section OR you could call The Pump Station in Santa Monica or Mother's Haven in Tarzana or Encino (I don't know which one) I'm sure they could help. You could also try Le Leche League. Every mom I have talked to says they have been incredibly helpful!

Good Luck,
K.