Pumping Panic

Like others wrote, make sure you drink fluids - water, milk, juice. This happens to me too, esp when I'm in a 'rush' at the office. Sometimes my milk will 'let-down' immediately when I start pumping. Other times, I get a few drops and need to wait ~10-12min before another 'let-down' occurs.

My friend suggested oatmeal which can help with milk production. I've also eaten papaya that my mother-in-law suggested. My first pregnancy I used fennugreek to help my milk production too. If you are exercising, drink alot more fluids, as that will reduce your milk supply.

9 months is excellent!

1 mom found this helpful

Don't worry, it happened to me also.
Two things I did - drink ALOT of water and I also started taking an herbal supplement (all natural) Fenugreek (I think that is the spelling). The fenugreek helps to produce more milk. It took about 24 hours to start seeing the results and I didn't have another problem after that.
Good luck,
S.

1 mom found this helpful

This would happen occasionally to me, though never to the extreme of getting NO milk. If you have an electric pump, see if the rubber cup is fully engaging. With my pump I would notice sometimes that I wasn't being "pulled in," just like you said. I noticed that the rubber cup was stuck at the top and not fully releasing ... if that makes any sense. I have the Ameda Purely Yours pump and I would detatch/pop off the top and reattach it. The suction seemed to improve. I would have to do this every minute or so for the rest of the pumping. Good luck!!

I had that problem a few times with my son as well.

My recommendation is to nurse as soon as you get home (even if it's not on schedule) as there is no better stimulant than the demand of your child.

I agree with Christine, too, about fluid intake and remaining calm. Just get your son to nurse and do your best to increase your volume through his demand.

Good luck! I had to learn the hard way with my second child that she would be OK without my milk even though it was my preference to nurse her for the first year. 9 months is such an accomplishment, and I hope you make it to 12.

You could always try fenugreek to up your milk production if you think that might be the problem.

All these answers are great. Sometimes thinking about your son will help with letdown of your milk as well. The milk is there!

I pumped exclusively with my son and this happened to me a few times. It usually happened when I was stressed or something (like a cold or extreme jet lag) was bothering me a lot.

Try to relax - drink a LOT of water and see what happens later this afternoon when you pump. If you can, bring a picture of your son when you go to pump and do some nice relaxing deep breathing exercises. Take whatever you get - it will be fine. Being freaked out will only reduce your milk production. IF you have trouble pumping this afternoon, tell yourself that you will have a serious let down when you nurse your son and don't worry...

If you are still having trouble tomorrow then consider calling your doctor or trying some of the more natural remedies for increasing milk production. You can check the La Leche website for a listing of ways to increase milk production.

Hang in there and don't worry! C.

Sometimes pumping can cause inflammation. You can try pumping one side at a time if you think sometime may be wrong with the pump. Or try adjusting the hoses and make sure they aren't cracked.

I hope this helps.