Pumping at Work - Elk Grove,CA

I had the same problem a year ago. I used an electric pump and with my free hand, I read baby magazines, like "Parents" or "Parenting". With the first months of parenting, it seemed like "any" baby-related stimulus helped trigger the let down reflex. It also helped to get my mind off work and other possible stress, and at the same time, really enjoy/learn from the articles. Don't forget to drink lots of water.

If you are going to pump at work, I would suggest the Medela Pump in Syle Advance. It is a little pricey, but money very well spent. Pumping only takes about 10-15 minutes depending on how much milk you have. The more you pump, the more milk you will get. Supply and demand.

I strongly recommend a Medela electric pump - the one that allows you to pump both breasts at the same time.

If you're able to get an electric pump I would recommend that. There are new ones that mimic baby's sucking where it goes really fast initially and then slows down which encourages let down. For me however, I honestly got more from pumping with a Medela Harmony manual pump than my pump in style electric one. The Harmony allows you to do the quick pumps and then the slower ones after let down. I also used Fenugreek but you have to use a lot. I took 3-4 capsules 3 times a day. It helped my supply immediately. I agree with the responses that say the best way to increase is to stick the baby on there as much as possible and then try pumping when the baby is done. It's a supply and demand system, the higher the demand the more you'll make and babies are the best "machine" for getting the milk out. Good luck!

I'd definitely go out and get an electric pump. It took me three weeks to start letting down at work when I got back from maternity leave, and I can't imagine being able to relax while using a manual one! You could also try fenugreek (sp?) or one of the mother's milk products to increase your supply, and of course, the more you pump/nurse, the more you'll be making.

Good Luck!

I agree with the others that you really need a good double electric pump - manual pumps are generally only meant for moms who only need to pump occasionally say for a night out or to relieve engorgement. The double electric pumps are made to maintain supply.

My only other suggestion is to make sure you are pumping first thing in the morning right after baby nurses so that you take advantage of your body's natural time when it makes the most milk. Also I have heard that taking fennel seed helps with letdown.

You will also want to be sure to be nursing baby as much as possible. No bottles or pacifiers when you are available. It's tough but we nursing mothers have to make sure that our breasts get as much stimulation from the baby as possible - baby does a MUCH better job of maintaining/increasing supply than any pump ever can hope to do.

A great web resource is http://www.workandpump.com and http://www.kellymom.com

Pumping is hard work - I pumped for a whole year while working full time. I stopped pumping at 13 months and now at 30 months my dd still nurses when I am home.

I struggled with milk supply with both my babies... I drank the tea, Mother's Milk and tons of water. I also took the herb combo More Milk Plus. The key ingredient is Fenugreek, so just supplementing with Fenugreek should help. You can get all of this at Whole Foods. I also pumped right after every feeding which increased my supply too. Good Luck!!!
You can find an electric pump for a good price on craigslist.

I took the herb, Fenugreek. It was recommended by my lactation consultant. It's also important to drink as much water as possible. I was told to drink a glass of water every time my baby nurses, which is currently around nine times per day for my 4-month old. If your health insurance covers laction consultants, they can be helpful. I've heard that La Leche League is good also. Good Luck

I had this problem too when I pumped at work. I also used the avent manual pump. In the end what really helped me was to bring a picture of my son to work and something that smelled like him. I would look at the picture when trying to pump and try to imagine that he was there with me. This was my last resort and it felt a little weird, but worked! Good luck!

Pumping is hard work, I know! With the Avent, squeeze rapidly at first, while massaging your breast, then slow down and squeeze one steady squeeze and hold it until you see the milk flow lessen, then give it another big, long squeeze. Otherwise, I advise you to either rent or buy an electric pump. I used Medela and it was a life-saver! You can find them at Target, or For Kids Sake (the second-hand store in Napa) Or if you get WIC, they can rent or loan you one. At this point it's okay to make only 4oz. at a time--although it is frustrating. On a good day, I could've pumped 8oz. out of each breast with my pump! Consider this if money is an issue: which is more important? energy & time? or money?
Good Luck!

It's been a lot of years since I pumped at work, but what I remember was that it was worth it to rent or buy a quality electric pump. Pumping at work is not the most comfortable experience for many reasons (at least for me when I was teaching) yet so well worth it. You really want a pump that's not going to pull on your breast tissue. You probably know already to bring a picture of your baby or a soft blanket or toy. Try not to fret too much. I found my body regulated on it's own and eventually, my son accepted milk at child care( I nursed for a long while!) and I could still nurse when we were togehter. Always consider consulting a La Leche or lactation specialist to help you along.

I too had difficulty using a breastpump to express enough milk. My son's pediatrician suggested pumping directly into a clean (dishwasher clean will do) bottle. Your nipples will toughen up and it really is only uncomfortable for a minute or so. I expressed 8-12 ounces routinely, which was more than enough to handle the times I was not home. I will admit, this is "old fashioned" technology, and my son is now 34 years old with children of his own, but it worked well, is not messy as a pump can be and there is barely any clean up when you're done. I hope this helps.

Hi K.;
I am the mother of three, and all done with that phase! It really helped me to drink lots of water throughout the day - almost constantly. Also, be sure to eat healthy, and every 2 hours. And, I would highly recommend an electric breast pump. They are a little expensive, but WELL worth it. You will be amazed at how much more effective they are - you will get a lot more milk, in way less time! Also, a gentle massage, starting from the top and outer areas of your breast right before pumping may help to speed up the let down (almost like pushing the milk toward the nipple). I hope this helps.... :-)

I know they are really expensive but.... Buy an advance medulla pump.. It is totally worth it. I had the same problem until I got the good pump. It has a feature that helps let down...

for the first nreast-feeding of the day, I would pump on one side and nurse on the other, then switch.
It would start my milk replenishing itself very well that way.
I would fill 4 oz bottles and freeze them in order.
None of my 3 kids ever had formula nd they all nursed between 15 months and two years.
They were also very rarely sick.
I went back to work (at least part time) in 4 to 6 weeks.
E.

I was having the same problem. What I started doing was pumping on one side while I nursed off the other. It's a little awkward at first. I had to turn my boppy to the side and bolster it up with pillows so that I could easily keep my daughter in a football hold (if I tried to nurse her in my regular position there was no place to put the pump.) After about a week of doing this my body learned to let down at the sound of my pump. I don't know how well this will work with a manual pump (since they're so quiet) but it's worth a try.

Good luck.

There was this same question on another message board I'm on. This is from another mom and I think there are some excellent tips, plus info on multiple let downs, massaging, etc:

- Buying a ton of spare pump parts, so that I don't have to wash them every time I use them. I just keep the clean parts in a separate bag from the dirty parts and throw them into the appropriate bag after the pump session.

- Keep a small refrigerator in my office (a little portable one costs about $50), so I don't have to keep going to the kitchen to put my milk in the fridge.

- If you're not familiar with the pumping process, you have multiple let downs, so when it seems like you have emptied your breasts, you really haven't. Turn off the machine, wait a few minutes, massage your breasts, (look at pictures of your baby, smell an article of his clothing, or whatever it takes to put you in mommy mode), and turn the pump on again. You'll have another cycle start up again, and you'll get more milk. It's very important to drain the breast, so that your body knows you want more milk! It's a supply and demand thing! If your body thinks you have too much milk, it will cut back on its supply.

- Get a great, efficient pump that will make it fast to get your milk out. I have the Medela Advanced Pump in Style. Pricey, but it's going strong after two kids, and I never had to buy even an ounce of formula, so that justified the price to me.

-Keep my pump set up at all times, so that I just have to sit down at it, hook up the tubes to my parts, and start pumping. (This is super important!!!)

- If you have the luxury of your own office (or don't mind looking like weirdo when others are around wherever you pump), definitely get the hands free pumping bustier by www.easyexpression.com. You can type and work while you're pumping, and no one will even know that you took a break! It's wonderful!!!

- Join the Pump Moms Yahoo Group! They seem to know everything about pumping, so if you have a question, they are wonderful resource!

On a side note, I prefer to pump into bottles, then pour it into the Lanisoh freezer milk storage bags. They're much easier to defrost/reheat because it only takes about 2 minutes to warm them up under warm tap water, versus trying to heat a big bottle, which doesn't work very well.

The main thing is consistency. Plus, once your baby starts eating solids, his milk intake will start decreasing as the requirement for solids increases, which is probably why women say their milk supply decreases, as solids usually start between 4-6 months, although it's more toward the latter time frame if you're exclusively nursing. (How's that for a runnon sentence!!)

K.,
have you tried any supplements to boost your supply?
The make orgainc tea that can help. Try your local health Food store or Gnomeandlotus.com
Also do you pump at home between feedings? This can boost your supply too.
My friend and I have been looking for a good cause to give her electric pump to,if you would like it,you can have it!
A.

I pump 3x a day at work using the Medela "Pump in Style" Advanced pump. I usually get between 10-25 oz. per day (avg. is 15 oz.) depending on many variables. I had no luck with manual pumping or even much luck pumping at home with the baby around. So here's my advice:

1. invest in an automated pump. I like the one I got because you can adjust the suction strength and it has two settings for the let-down suction and drinking suction. It allows me to respond to what's working for each breast at each pumping session.

2. drink lots of water... staying hydrated is important!

3. try pumping some after your baby has just nursed. Often you wont be drained and the milk will have already let down.

Good luck!

Hi K., K. here...just an idea, I found it really helpful to take pictures of my baby to work to look at while pumping, and especially pics of her latched on and nursing got my milk going. I had to pump in the office bathroom, very difficult environment, but I just took a few minutes to look at the pics and close my eyes and visualize her in my arms and it worked great. Good luck!

Get an electric pump. It's worth the money. Also, keep trying. You can teach your body to let down to the pump.

fenugreek works really well, if you buy the capsules, you can take i believe 6 a day. i stopped nursing about 3 months ago so i dont quite remember how many, but it will help with the quantity of milk, as for the let down, make sure you are relaxed,no thoughts of stress in any way, and have a picture of your baby, or imagine your baby in your head, and your let down will come.

I agree with taking a picture, also take something that smells like your baby (worn article of clothing, blanket that was wrapped around the baby. Parenting & breastfeeding services at Good Samaritan Hospital sells a MERmaid herbal tea that helps with let down. When I pump it takes 15 min before I let down, when my twins nurse it's almost immediate. . . a couple of cups of the MERmaid tea really helped.

Hi K.!

Congrats on choosing to do the best you can for your baby and keep breastfeeding! I do not know if this will help or not, but its worth a try. I was THE dairy when my child was that age. Immediately after work I would feed him on one breast and pump the other, simultaneously. It takes a lot of practice, but it can be done. I would get at least 1 full bottle each sitting. I think if you try this, you might get a little more each day and eventually have much more supply all day. You absolutely MUST get an electric pump. La Leche League rents them for cheap. Or go purchase the best you can afford! There are so many of different sizes for travel.
Also, a great friend who had trouble with supply swore by marshmallow tea. There are a few different "mothers milk" teas at your local health food store.
Keep on pumping, the statistics on health and the intelligence of breastfed children do not lie!
Good Luck,
J. I
(AKA the milkmaid!)

K.,

I very successfully breast feed four children a total of 8 1/2 years, I never could pump with manual pump. If your serious about pumping get an electric. Good luck!

Have you tried the electric pump. I could feel the let down with that. One of my daycare parents pumped for a year and she recommended an electric pump also.

I've read about this but ended up quitting to stay at home with my daughter. So what I lay out is what I've read. Take a picture with you of your baby, maybe one of the two of you snuggling, and one of it's stuffed animals or something you're close to as well as your infant. Be sure to be in a quiet and secluded (as much as possible any way) spot where you won't be interrupted. My own personal suggestion is to rub your breast (the one you are pumping) in a downward motion, gently, to help the flow. It's really important to relax and be comfortable. I hope this helps. Jen

Hi K.,

It may help to have a picture of your baby with you. I know it's probably hard to relax completely when you are pumping at work, but if you visualize your baby nursing, it may help.

Funny story - when I was nursing, someone asked me about my milk "letting down" - you know, what it feels like, when it happens etc. Well, as I was explaining it to them, my milk "let down" and leaked right through my shirt! It was totally visibile. I even had breast pads in my bra, but I guess I was really focusing on my child!

Best of luck!

L.

Rent a hospital grade electric one from your local hospital or lactation station. They are usually about $40 - 70 per month. Also, try to drink Mother's Milk tea and taking Fenugreek supplements. Happy pumping!

I had that same problem with my first child and using a manual pump. I invested in an electric pump and then used a trigger word to help with the let down. I had a lactation consultant help me with this one and it really made a difference. Also, putting a picture of you baby on you pump so you can focus on him or her. It sounds funny but "milky waterfalls" was my trigger word/phrase. Take a deep breath and relax, that will help too. Remember that your body will only produce as much milk as your baby is used to needing when he/she nurses. Hope this helps. Just stick with it, it will get easier.

F., mom of 3, son 6, son 4, daughter 1.

Try thinking about your baby. Also, taking some really taking some deep breaths to help relax. I use to have a picture of my son taped reson my breast pump too. Also the more expensive the pump, the better results you will get. Even if you need to rent a pump, I think that would give you better results, than your getting from the Avent manual one.

I went back to work after my son was born, and pumped until he was 1yrs old. Stay committed, you'll be glad you did.I also remember adding another pump session 30 min after I'd feed him in the AM to help get more of my supply going. Remember though, that any pump will not be as effective as your baby's suck. Also that the more you demand of your body to produce milk, the more it will produce.

I used to tuck photos of my baby in my pump bag and took a few minutes of quiet time to really think about my baby and the nursing experience. It worked!

Hi K.,
I understand what you are going through. Most women I have talked to have the same problem. Pumps are never as good as babies! What helped me was to borrow a big electric pump ("hospital grade"), one of the double pumps, and that helped some. I still can't get tons of milk but much better than the manual or single electric. Since my baby is with me most of the time and I don't need a lot of pumped milk, I thought I would not need a big pump, but the motor is stronger on the big pumps and you can get more out. If you know someone who has it or you can rent it from a hospital for a week and try it. It's worth a try.

I have tried taking Fenugreek capsules and Mama's Milk herbal tea and did not see a difference in my milk supply. Drinking a lot of water helps too, but most of all frequent nursing is the BEST way to increase your milk supply. make sure you nurse on both breasts each time.

Another trick someone told me was to pump AFTER you have just nursed and that empties out your breasts and gives your body a signal to make more!

Good luck and happy nursing!
S.

Dear K. B Try putting a picture of your baby in front of you while pumping, also try putting a blanket that smells like your baby oer your shoulder while pumping. If all else fails, try renting an electric pump and use above suggestions. Good luck, C. F.

You need to get a professional grade electric pump... it made all the difference in the world for me. I tried the manual pump just like you, and had a very difficult time getting a lot of milk. Also, drink plenty of fluids, and relax. Good luck!

I'm impressed you get 4 oz with a manual pump. I know they are expensive, but an electric double pump will make the job a lot easier and faster. We found one on Craigslist for $40, but it was used, so we replaced all the external parts so it was about $100 total. Hope this helps...good luck!

Hi There, Don't know what your schedule is but I have a few suggestions. First, pump as often as possible. The goal should be to pump every three hours. Also, with the manual pump you may not be getting the right amount and frequency of suction. The electric pumps are expensive but I would go for it. I have the Medela pump in style it's $250 but still less expensive than formula. It works very well, it's worth the investment.
I pump at work and I'm not always able to do it every three hours. I know it's a challenge. Good luck.
Also, take Fenugreek. It's a supplement recommended by the book Nursing Mother's Companion and also my sister's OB recommended it. I use it and I feel it works. You can get it at health food stores like whole foods.

Relax. Look at a picture of your baby. I have the same pump, and I never used to be able to get much milk. The other day, I used it while I watched TV and filled a bottle in less than 5 minutes, partly because I was only minimally paying attention, not watching and worrying if the milk had dropped or not. I was relaxed, which might be hard to do at work. Maybe wear and iPod and listen to your favorite music. Zone out as best as you can.

Bring a picture AND one of the baby's toys or blankets.
the smelll of the item along with seeing your childs face should help you relax and ease the letdown.

I did this for months and it worked very well!

With DS1 I pumped after every feeding (Medela PumpInStyle) for 4mos getting dribbles and drabs and never had a let-down (even while nursing). If he fell asleep nursing on the first side I would put him down and quickly run to the pump to empty the 2nd breast and still got disappointing results. He would nurse for 45min and get 3oz which was so frustrating for both of us. Somehow we stayed on breastmilk exclusively for 5mos and nursed until 15mos.
With DS2 I FINALLY felt a let-down and he could get 4oz from the first breast at only 9dys old! But when I pumped it was the same story as with DS1... dribbles and drabs. I again pulled out all my extra gear... the hands-free halter tops, the extra sets of tubes, bottles and horns. Then my MIL gave me some empty glass jars someone gave her to put jam in... they originally had ready-to-feed formula in them so they screwed right onto the bottom of the pumping horns. Believe it or not the extra weight of those glass jars increased my pumping volume significantly. It must have simulated my son hanging off my breasts! I didn't ever have any glass baby bottles so I don't know which are heavier but when we went to Target it was cheaper to buy the Nestle Good Start package with 8 bottles than it was to get 6 glass baby bottles. They don't bounce around in the dishwasher and reheat quickly! From the reviews it looks like the evenflo glass ones are a good option for heavy use: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2864795

I too pump at work and my baby is almost 14 months old. It is not easy especially when you first go back to work. You are a little more stressed than you would be if you were at home with the baby. There are some things you can do.

1. Pump as often as you can. (ie. every two hours)
2. Keep a picture of the baby with you where you pump so you can see them. Or imagine them nursing while you are pumping.
3. Meditate when you pump to relax as much as possible. I would even repeat over to myself... "Feel the letdown" and I would eventually feel it.
4. You could take Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle (herbs found at Elliots Natural Foods or other Natural Food stores. Take 2 to 3 capsules 3 times a day of the Fenugreek and take 2 capsules 3 times a day of the Blessed Thistle. You and your milk and the baby might start to smell like Maple Syrup but it won't harm either of you.
5. I would also recommend you get a better pump. I rent a pump at Sutter Memorial in Sacramento, it's worth the extra expense.

Good Luck!

What I did was pump one side while the baby was nursing from the other. You have to have everything set up beforehand since you'll be one-handed.... Later, at work, I would close my eyes & think of my baby or look at a picture of her when I tried to pump.

I've been pumping at work for 4 months now and highly recommend the Medela Pump in Style Dual breastpump. Because it's electric my hands are free and it keeps a consistent sucking like when you are nursing. For help with let down I would suggest looking at a picture of your baby or reading a baby website while you are pumping, try staying relaxed (not easy, I know). When you return to work make sure you have a private place to pump, your HR department should be able to work with you to find you space to use other than the restroom.

Good luck!

To increase milk the best is to consume: Fenugreek (supplement you can find anywhere, like Vitamin Shoppe, or any local healthstore!!!)It also may help prevent autism, since the child will recieve more milk with great quality...Fenugreek is a natural source of OXYTOCIN)
Love, G.. :0)

Hi K.,
It's all about supply and demand. The more you pump, the more milk your body will make. I found this is true. I experience the low milk production when I first got back to work after 3 months due to irregular pumping schedule. I only pump once or twice at work and that wasn't enough. What I tried was to pump every 3 to 4 hrs. At first I only get 2-3 oz each time but after a day or two, I'm back to 6-8 oz each pump (10minutes). My baby is 5 months on the 22nd and she's still 100% breast milk. I have to say try to pump every 3-4hrs at night is tough because you need your sleep so normally try to do the last pump at 10PM and I nurse my baby at night at 2AM and 6AM. I hope she will start sleeping longer at night.
I use Medela Pump in Style Advance. Good luck.

Its very importand that you drink a lot of water and green dark leaves. If you can also it alfalfa on your salad its better and a good healthy food.... I am 55 and a had 3 children that I did brestfeed til 1 year old and my daughters have 2 and 3 kids and they did it too and we have no problem with not enough milk. They work full time jobs .....My daughter got a electric pump. Good luck and congratulation you are a great mom.

Try the herbal supplement Fenugreek, it worked for me.

Hi, I had the same problem. I drank Mother's Milk tea and realized that if you keep pumping for 20 minutes you will expereince two let downs and get a couple more ounces of milk. I would pump every two to three hours. It also increases the milk production. It is hard given time constraints, but try it on the weekends. My first time pumping i would stop after the first let down thinking that was it, but with my second child i realized if you keep pumping after the first let down it will happen again. Good luck and keep the faith!

W. B

I find that pumping on a regular schedule at work really helps me (for instance at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2:30 pm) produce more. With the avent, I don't just pump in one place, i'll move the pump around just a bit- i don't know- those variations in pressure seem to help. it also helped to drink a lot of fluids and when i was pumping, really talking myself through it- I'd call milk 'liquid love' and really egg myself on with nurturing vibes.

Plus, if I just get 2 oz, I'll keep trying in a half hour or so- just keep trying! i tried a number of pumps, but the avent worked the best for me- amazingly it was the cheapest.

I've told my friends many times that 'breast milk math' drove me crazy for the first months.. "if I pump 5 oz today and tomorrow she drinks two 3 oz bottles" or "if we have three bottles in the freezer and one in the fridge..." Oh my god, it was stressing me out! Finally, around five months old, I gave up the math and said, you know if she drinks 2 or 4 oz of formula today because she ran out of breast milk, you know that's not horrible. And not worrying about it really helped. All in all she's drank probably five 4 oz bottles of formula in her whole life so far, but just knowing that was there as a safety net really helped.

Don't worry! Anything you can do is wonderful. Congratulations-
Rebekah E.- happily pumping, breastfeeding and night nursing a vigorous 12 month old.

It takes just a bit of juggling, but what you need to do is pump one breast while your baby is nursing on the other - that way you can take advantage of the natural let down that your baby creates. When the baby switches sides - then you switch pumping as well - then back to the first breast when the baby is done... This is a great way to store up milk and increase the milk supply.

The first morning feeding of the day you can usually get enough for two feedings this way.

An electric pump makes a big difference, in my opinion. I always struggled with the hand pump and had no difficulty with the electric one. Also I am a firm believer in drinking lots of mother's milk tea and/or getting a hearty dose of fenugreek one way or another to boost milk production.

You're probably not getting enough suction or it's not repeating quickly enough. You might want to consider getting an electric pump for work. If you are planning to continue breastfeeding for just a couple of months, you might want to looking to renting a hospital grade pump. If you are planning to nurse longer than 2 months, you might want to invest in a portable electric/battery pump. You will have more success (and faster) with a motorized pump.

Take a picture of your baby to work and perhaps something that reminds you of him/her. We mothers respond to our babies by touching and looking at them. Hope this may help.

Have you tried Fenugreek, it's an herb that really helped me when I was very low.You should try to nurse your baby as much as possible when at home. Your babies latch is much stronger than any pump and that will help boost your milk production. Also, the better the pump the more milk you get. You might want to look into buying a medela double pump like the symphony. You can rent them from Day One or your hospital and they sell them on ebay too.
The most usefull advice though is try not to stress out too much, stress will suck the milk right out of you. Take hot baths, drink mothers milk tea and try and relax!!!!!