Getting No Milk When Pumping

Don't listen to the people who say you aren't making any milk. This is totally not true and it's 100% normal to get less or even no milk when pumping as compared to breastfeeding. Babies are much more efficient than a pump and as time goes by, our breasts become more used to the harder sucking that older babies do. So often pumping is just not strong enough to get any milk out, especially if your pump is not very good. Medela makes the best pumps but if you are not working, I would not bother getting a new pump and just continue breastfeeding. Around this age they get distracted and often pop off and on the breast. I would also be willing to bet she is teething and that's why she is getting upset. Her gums are probably hurting when she sucks. Don't worry about her not getting enough. You got to 9 months so there is obviously enough milk. Just keep going and the phase will pass eventually.

1 mom found this helpful

I am sure you already know this one, but fenugreek (found in health stores) is known to work really well. Make sure you are very well hydrated and even consider drinking some Guinness beer. Good luck!

Call la leche league for free lactation consultants. Google for their website and to find people to call in your zipcode. I've called them for advice before-its a great resource.

Hi A., I had the same problem, however I believe my situation was due to lack of adequate enough fluid intake. You may be dehydrated and need to increase and maybe even double your intake of water particularly after breast feeding. If you don't see a change in another day or two, call your pediatrician. When in doubt no question is a dumb one. After all it is in your child's best interest to receive breast milk up to a year old. Good luck, C. B

sadly, it may be time to stop nursing.
you could call the laleche league and see if they have any ideas.

I have 3 kids, 14, 9, and 3. Breast pumping for me was not the answer. I believed in natural breastfeeding because for some reason it didnt work for me either. The secret is to nurse on each side an equal amountof times because most mothers seem to have babies that are nursing off of one breast more than the other. Baies tend to feed off of one breast more than the other which creates an unequal flow of milk. So to keep an equillibrium in each breast: try 10 minutes on each side, and rotate until the baby is full. Good luck!!

You may not be drinking enough water to meet her supply. Drink more water and the more you supplement with a bottle, the less milk you will produce. You have to really relax while pumping or feeding. Do not get tense, the milk will not flow. ~J. (I breast fed 11 mnths)...

Definitely call the LeLache League. There is a web site also if you want to check it out. They really know what they're talking about.

I agree with the other ladies! Just keep nursing, she may have hit a growth spurt. I also am not able to pump anything but I exclusivly breastfeed. Pumping just is so different than nursing. Good luck!

It is quite possible that you no longer "make" milk. Your Body might be going back to its normal self. When you "nurse" things are never what you expect. Thus you have to go to another plan.Don't feel badly about this. It happens.

I am going through the same thing right now with my 6 1/2 month old. This also happened to me with my other two. You can try the herbal supplement found in health food stores or GNC called fenugreek. It is all herbal so does not harm your child. My friend is a doula and suggested this to me. She said to take double the daily amount for 48 hours, so I took 4 pills a day for three days, then cut it down to the normal dosage after that. The day before taking it I could only pump out 1/2 oz. out of each side. Two days after taking it I pumped out 2 oz. out of each side. While it is slowing up again, it did work at first and worked for my friend the last 6 months of breastfeeding her child.

There is a government help line for breastfeeding. I found it very helpful with questions and answers- try it. They are avaiable m-f till 6pm est
1-800-994-9662

I agree with the previous post, my first thought is growth spurt time. Keep nursing! Are you not feeding her any solids?

The same thing happened to me around that age- 9 months.
Once my daughter was eating more solids and nursing less, I could barely pump anything. The babies are much more effective at getting milk out of us than a pump is. So keep in mind that she is probably still getting enough when you nurse her. If you had your daughter at a hospital where there was a lacatation consultant on hand you could call them and ask for advice, it would be free over the phone. Also check out kellymom.com its a great resource for breasfeeding.

i have also been having the same issue. I believe that my son is getting enough milk when he nurses, because he is always satisfied when he is done; however, last night when i pumped i also got only a few drops after 15 minutes which is not normal for me. Is your daughter on solids? That could effect her "interest" in nursing. Or perhaps maybe a change in feeding schedule could help also.
Did you have your baby at Highland by any chance? You can call their lactation consultants anytime, free of charge.

You could also try the homeopathic medicine call Calciodoron for inadequate lactation. It is a powder that comes in an AM and PM. You take an eighth of a teaspoon in the morning and at night. Go to www.usa.weleda.com, click on personal care then mother and baby. Go down and click on nursing tea. At the bottom of that page you will find the Calciodoron. It is kind of pricey but lasts a long time because you take such a little amount.

She might be going through a growth spurt. When she's nursing she's getting all the milk and your milk supply hasn't caught up to the volumn she's drinking yet. Nurse her more often and your milk with catch up to what she needs. Don't offer formula or a bottle since the only way your milk supply increases is by nursing.

As far as not having much luck pumping I can understand how that can happen. The pump isn't as effective as the baby.

I agree with the post about dehydration - make sure you're drinking plenty of water because I've found first hand that that makes a big difference - the only other thing I might think is the problem would be inadequate let-down. I've had a few incidents where I've tried to pump and gotten nothing because I never let-down. Either environment distractions (my 3-year-old screaming, etc.) or other stressors prevent me from having a good let down and I get nothing. Try to relax, think of baby, and be comfortable. I've also heard of warm compresses or showers prior to pumping to assist with the let-down. It might be the issue, who knows? Just a suggestion! Good luck!