Are you trying to pump breastmilk and finding that nothing is coming out? There are a few different reasons why this can happen. Here are some answers to the question “why won’t milk come out when I pump,” and what you can do about it!
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Four Reasons for Getting Little or No Milk When Pumping
Here are four scenarios where you might find that hardly any milk comes out when you pump.
Each has an individual cause with different strategies you can take to fix the issue.
1. You feel engorged, but little or no milk comes out when you pump
When you can feel the milk in your breasts but can’t get it to come out, the issue is often getting a letdown.
Milk stays in your breasts except when you’re nursing or pumping (aside from the occasional leak). A letdown is the release of of milk from your milk ducts that happens when you’re pumping or feeding your baby.
Letdown is a conditioned response, which means that your brain is trained to let your milk down in response to certain stimuli that it has learned to associate with pumping or nursing.
If you’re an exclusively pumping mom, it could be the sound and sensation of your breast pump. (It can also be the sound of your Playstation booting up.)
If you’re a nursing mom, it’s more likely that this would be your baby suckling or the sound of your baby crying.
So what do you do if you’re struggling to get a letdown with your pump?
If you’re nursing, see if a video can trigger the conditioned response. You could try taking a video of your baby as you start to nurse to capture all of the sounds and what you normally see when you let down, and then play it when you start your pump.
Some other things you can try include:
- Seeing if vibration helps (you can start with an electric toothbrush, and then get a lactation massager if you find it works for you)
- Trying a warm compress
- Seeing if you can achieve a letdown by hand expressing first
(*Note: LaVie makes two lactation massagers – a smaller one with just vibration and a warming massager that has heat AND vibration. They are both super helpful – use the code EPUMP on their website for 10% off!)
2. You just had your baby and you aren’t pumping any milk
If you’ve had your baby within the last week or so and you’re not getting any milk when you pump, the issue could be that your milk hasn’t come in yet.
In the late stages of pregnancy and in the days immediately after birth, your body produces a type of breast milk called colostrum.
Colostrum is a concentrated milk that provides everything your baby needs in the first few days after birth. After 2-3 days (though it can take up to a week), milk production generally begins to increase, and the milk that is produced transitions from colostrum to more mature milk.
If you are pumping before your milk comes in, you may be getting little to no milk. This can be for two reasons:
- Colostrum is very concentrated and your baby doesn’t need much of it, so your breasts don’t produce very much.
- Colostrum is very thick and seems to be more difficult to pump.
If you need to pump before your milk comes in and find that you’re pumping little to no colostrum, try hand expression (you can find videos on YouTube that might be helpful) or using a Haakaa.
Both of these methods seem to be more effective for expressing colostrum than a breast pump.
3. Your baby nurses fine, but you can’t seem to pump much milk
It’s not uncommon for breastfeeding to be going well while you’re on maternity leave, but then you go back to work and your milk supply drops.
Why would this happen?
Unfortunately, some women don’t seem to respond as well to the breast pump as others.
(You might have heard that your baby is far more effective at getting milk out than a breast pump – while I don’t think this is true for all women, I do think it’s true for some.)
If this is the case for you, the milk is there – your breast pump is just not as effective at removing it. So the question is not how to increase your milk supply, but how to pump it out.
Often, the issue can be the same as discussed in #1 – getting a letdown. If you struggle to get milk to come out at the start of your session, try some of the strategies listed above.
However, if it’s more that once you get a letdown, you’re not getting much when you pump, there are a few things that you can try.
Try using different settings
The vacuum strength should be set to the highest speed that is comfortable for you.
If your pump has the ability to change the cycle speed (most Medela pumps do not; most Spectra pumps do), play around with the number of cycles per minute and find what’s best for you.
Use the right size breast shields
Some pumps only come with one size flange, but that might not be the best size for you. Using the wrong one can be painful and affect your output.
More on how to measure to get the correct breast shields here.
Breast compressions
Do breast compressions while you pump.
Massaging while you pump can help you push out more breastmilk.
Try to get additional letdowns
If you see milk stop spraying, that might not mean you’re “empty” and you have no more milk.
Keep pumping for another 5 minutes or so to see if you can get a second letdown.
Replace your pump parts
Consider replacing your breast pump parts.
Breast pump parts stop working as well over time, and this can affect the suction of your pump. I have been shocked at the difference in output that I got after changing valves.
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4. You are currently feeding your nursing and supplementing with formula, and not able to pump much
In this case, the issue might be your milk supply. There are quite a few strategies that that you can use to increase milk supply – this article describes each of them in the order that I would suggest trying them.
Have you struggling with getting no milk when pumping? Tell us your experience in the comments!
References
- Bonyata, Kelly, IBCLC. “When will my milk come in?” https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/when-will-my-milk-come-in/
Comments & Chitchat
I have an almost three month year old, I predominantly give breastmilk but will give formula here and there if I don’t make enough for a bottle or did not have time to pump for the next feed. My baby has a cow milk and protein allergy and I changed my diet so I can continue to breastfeed. I mainly pump and give a bottle because my baby will latch but will not stay on long so this is why I pump really and occasionally I will put her on the breast. Sometimes I will make two bottles (one from each breast) sometimes one breast produces more but essentially I will make enough for one 5oz bottle….. my baby is drinking 5 oz….. but the past few days I am having a hard time producing even enough for one bottle, I dont know why! And I am getting upset I pump every 3 hours the only time I dont pump is if my baby sleeps throughout the night and even if she wakes up I pump I dont know what to do….. I have been drinking body armor, eating oatmeal, and nuts please any suggestions would be so helpful
Hi Tiff! Here’s what I usually recommend for increasing milk supply – I hope it helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
My baby was born 6 weeks early and spent 19 days in the nicu. She was on donor milk via NG tube as I was still not producing, and then later started breast milk via bottle. She is also now supplemented with formula 4 times a day as she is a premie (dr recommends). My issue is I have pumped every day, 7-9 times per day. My baby is currently almost 5 weeks old. For a while I was getting about 2 oz a pump. We are also attempting to “practice” breastfeeding but it seems she gets frustrated.
I don’t know how much longer I can do this pumping schedule as I am barely sleeping, having to practice breastfeeding, then bottle feed her, then Get her to sleep, then pump and it feels like I start all over again in 45 minutes. Recently, I think I realized that if I don’t experience a letdown with the pump, milk just won’t flow at all. So before I didn’t even really know what a letdown was and was still getting almost 2 oz. Now, one breast can literally give me a few drops in a session. I’ve tried heat, keeping hydrated, lactation cookies, taking fenugreek, massage before and nothing helps. I’m going to have a breakdown at any point lol why is this so hard?
Hi Amy! First, congrats on your sweet baby! It sounds like you are doing an amazing job and really giving it everything you can. I think it’s okay at this point to drop down to 6-7 sessions a day, if you want to. It sounds like what you’re doing isn’t working well for you, so it might be worth making a change – maybe getting extra rest will help. Another idea (you never know what will work) is to maybe try vibration and see if that helps with letdowns? Good luck!!
Hello ,
I am 25 days pp and trying my best to exclusively pump , but pumping every two-three hours for 20 minutes on each breast seems ineffective, I can bary have 4oz (one feed) in two sessions.
I need to increase my supply and start to have a freezer stash, I really do not want to supplement with formula.
Please help
Thanks
Hi Marah! Congrats on your sweet baby! I have some ideas here that might help:
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Good luck!
Hello. My pumping journey has been fine up until two weeks ago. I pump 4 times a day for a total of 120 minutes. I pump about 20 ounces or less now. I’m supplementing with formula because I’m not producing enough milk for my baby. I’m not sure if my supply went down because I sleep more throughout the night, a few times I’d go 11-12 hours without pumping, I felt so guilty but work is draining me out. I can’t pump as often at work and I have to wait 6 hours in between pumping sometimes. I could possibly be dehydrated too or even stressed out. I recently got out of a relationship and dealing with that is very difficult. So many factors that could be a possibility for my drop in milk supply. Now I’m not looking forward to pumping as much because I’m not getting the milk I used to get. I’m not sure if I should try to get my supply back or give up on pumping. However I wanted to keep pumping until my baby turns a year old. I read online I can pump more to trick my brain into getting more milk but I’m not sure if I have the time for that. I recently got a new Medela pump so I know that’s not the issue.
My letdown is still strong at 7.5 months postpartum. In 20 minutes, I pump between 4-6 oz depending on the time of day. In the past, a strong letdown meant milk would spray everywhere. Now, this past week, my milk doesn’t even drip in the pump after a strong letdown and it takes a lot of convincing with massaging and pressure to get the milk to flow. Where did the strong, easy flow go? Why the change? How can I get it back?
Hi! That is really weird. There are no other changes and you’re sure your pump parts are working okay and don’t need to be replaced? One thing you could try is lecithin maybe? Some people use it for recurrent clogged ducts but it might also be helpful here.
I’m struggling to increase my milk supply. I read all your articles, but I feel like nothing is working. My baby eats between 30-40 ounces per day. I’m not ready to give up trying. Exclusively pumping and baby is 6 weeks.
Hi Erica! I’m so sorry to hear that! So stressful.
I usually recommend going through this step by step – https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/ – you’ve probably already read it but just wanted to make sure. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Congrats on your baby!
It’s five weeks after delivery and my milk supply is little or nothing. What can I do?
Hi Toyin! I’m so sorry that you’re struggling with this! Here are some ideas – good luck!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
I’m having this issue only getting milk our of one boob and the other feels engorged. Been going on for almost 4 days it’s painful. At first she wouldn’t latch even she did it hurt then I had to do bottle she lost too much wieght and my milk supply was going away. I got ger to latch a couple of times non painful but then I got sick did pumping and bottle bow she’s a bottle fed baby. I need to get the milk back and also out of my boob.
Hi! Have you tried either hand expression or a haakaa? Or maybe a manual pump?
Other than the Elvie, all I have is a haakaa. I’m not sure that would be effective but I could try. How many times a day do you think I should be pumping at this point?
A lot of these comments are resonating with me and mirror my experience. I had issues with painful breastfeeding early on and a lactation consultant later diagnosed me with Raynaud’s and put me on blood pressure medication which seemed to help I think. But in the meantime, after trying and failing with a nipple shield and moving to a bottle, my baby got used to the bottle and I was never able to get her to go back to breastfeeding, which was heartbreaking and frustrating. So I’ve been exclusively pumping with an Elvie pump. After countless experiences with clogged ducts and what I suspect was a mild case of mastitis, my supply dropped from ~45oz/day to ~15. I tried power pumping and funugreek (I do have a history of borderline thyroid issues so I’ve since stopped this), elactia, and some other supplements. I have oatmeal every day and try to stay hydrated. But I haven’t seen any improvement really. I’m now 6 months post “party” (autocorrect has an interesting sense of humor) and I’ve been told it’s normal for your supply to drop after 4 months so I’ve become resigned to this and have tried to count my blessings. But it’s confusing when I pump and I only get an ounce or less from each side but then I can get much more hand expressing. I don’t know if this is normal or if there’s an issue with my pump? I’ve already had all the parts replaced at some point so I hesitate to reach out to customer service again. I was hoping to make it to a year without having to use formula. I have maybe 1-2 months of milk in storage. I’m now pumping 4-5 times a day and am wondering if that is a good schedule (or if I can drop a session even) or if I’m just encouraging a further drop in supply. I want to put my best foot forward and continue to provide breast milk for my baby if possible but at the same time it’s depressing to think of continuing this masochistic venture for another 5 months, especially when I’m getting such a meagre return now. And I haven’t done the math out but I imagine at this rate at some point I’m going to blow throw what I have in storage and probably have to ultimately switch to formula anyway. Any feedback or suggestions you might have are appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Liz! Question – do you have any other pump besides an Elvie? Like even a manual pump? I’m wondering if you might have better luck with a non-wireless option.
I have Raynaud’s too and also have a lot of difficulty getting much when I pump – I can pump a whole session and get not one drop. I’m currently mixed feeding my second child, who is a month old after breastfeeding my first child, now 4, for 18 months, supplementing with formula from about 3 months. I made myself crazy the first time around trying to exclusively feed on breast milk. What I have learned is it’s not worth the stress. Mixed feeding is fine. One of the biggest penny-drop moments was when my wonderful paediatrician told me to top my daughter up with formula (I was battling to produce enough milk to have her gain good amounts of weight and pumping around the clock). He said that when she was standing on her graduation podium I wouldn’t be reflecting on whether or not she was exclusively breastfed or not. These things don’t matter as much in hindsight. This time around I’ve had so much support from nurses and doctors to mix feed – they have all said that my son will be getting vast benefits from the breastmilk he is getting and then the formula top ups will ensure he’s gaining weight as needed – and guarding my own wellbeing because I’m not striving to achieve something that’s not possible for my body. I hope this may be of some help to anyone else out there going through something similar.
I am 7 weeks pp. My baby was born 8 weeks early and spent 5 weeks in the NICU. I exclusively pumped for those 5 weeks and am slowly working on breastfeeding but my son just isn’t that vigorous with it. I’ve clawed my way up to producing about 20 oz a day (8 pumps). The lactation consultant at the hospital was not comfortable/knowledgeable about exclusive pumping. It took me weeks to realize I wasn’t letting down which I think messed up my supply/demand since I wasn’t effectively removing milk. Ive done a lot to increase supply (bought a spectra which I respond to better, bought proper flanges for elastic nipples, using massagers/warmers, hands on massaging during and after sessions, taking supplements, eating and drinking well). Is there any hope of getting to 24-32oz my baby eventually needs? I know that capacity isn’t an issue. Normally I get 2-3oz (combined) but the few times I’ve accidentally gone longer than 3 hours I’ve gotten more (up to 5.5 oz).
Hi Linda! Congrats on your sweet baby. I do think there is – 7 weeks is still really early. You’re doing an AMAZING job – either way. Good work!!!!
Hi I am 7 months pp and since my little girl was born she was never able to latch on, being a new mom I didn’t know what to do and my lactation consultant would tell me just to give her formula. A month later I would pump and would only get 1oz many 2 combined.
Still to this day I will pump at least 5 times a day, I have taken legendairy milk supplements, fenugreek, ect and I have not been able to produce more than 2oz.
Is there something I am doing wrong? What do you think?
Hi Desiree! How long are you 5 pumping sessions? Did your lactation consultant give you any other information about what she thought the issue might be (like IGT, or something like that?)
Hi! I’m 7 weeks PP with my baby boy. We’ve been in the NICU this entire 7 weeks and will be here for another month atleast. I’ve been exclusively pumping and have struggled since day one with my supply. I have never been able to pump more than 3oz per session (a total for both breast combined). I’ve done EVERYTHING the enternet has said, I’ve done everything that lactation has told me, and I’ve even went to the doctor and started taking prescription meds in hopes to up my supply and nothing is working. I only pump a total of 10-15oz a day and my baby is now eating 25oz a day. I pump every two hours and I’m exhausted, I wake up every two hours to pump, I eat oatmeal for breakfast, body armors, drink 150oz of water every day, massage, watch videos of my baby while pumping, take prescription meds, I’ve tried 3 different pumps, I eat healthy foods and eat around 2500 calories a day, I take milk supplements and eat milk bars and cookies, I don’t know what else to do but it’s extremely discouraging and hard on my mental health every time my supply goes up a little bit and then drops again. What else can I do!? Am I just not meant to breast feed?
Hi Courtney! Ugh, I’m so sorry that you’re dealing with this. It sounds to me like you have done everything you possible could. When you talked to the lactation counselor – did they look into IGT by any chance?
Hi Amanda!
Thank you for being one of the only reliable resources in my pumping journey!!
I had high BP issues starting at 32 weeks and ultimately was diagnosed with PreE at 35 weeks and was immediately induced. I was on Magnesium so I wouldn’t have seizures and missed the first 24 hours of my sons life. Because he wasn’t sure quite how to eat he focused on eating at NICU for 2 weeks. During this time I was pumping on your recommended schedule both at home and at the hospital. I was ecstatic when we were encouraged to try breastfeeding in NICU, but that later turned into frustration when the nurses would put additional milk down the feeding tube in his nose so he would
Consume a consistent amount every 3 hours. I thought we would get it, but never got the hang of it at home after discharge.
I managed an over supply- 50-60 Oz a day for months and was able to fill an entire deep freezer. After a cold and starting my period in September my supply dramatically dropped. And my freezer is about a week from being empty. I now pump about 8-10 Oz a day. I’ve power pumped, went back to my spectra wile at home, fenugreek, ledendairy milk supplements and drops, body armor, oatmeal in the morning, N/A beer, munchkin cookies and bars. I’ve had my thyroid checked too! Greater than drinks are coming today! I think I’ve Exhausted every possible cause of my drop in supply. My son is now 8 months and I’m considering throwing in the towel. Pumping 6ish times a day to net 10 Oz doesn’t seem worth it (even wake up at 4am for my
First session of the day) and we will need to transition to formula soon. Before I start this, anything else you’d recommend?
Hi Kirsten! First, congrats on your sweet baby. I’m so happy for you!
The only other thing I can think to try is maybe a calcium/magnesium supplement, as it might help with milk supply loss from your period. Here is more info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/what-to-do-when-your-period-tanks-your-milk-supply/
Other than that – maybe rejigger your schedule and drop a session so that you’re only pumping during the day, and see how you feel? If you’re ready to stop, then you can go ahead and drop another session or if things feel more manageable, you could stay where you are for a while?
Hello! Great article! I have a question- I am 7 months pp and would love to keep breastfeeding until my baby is at least a year old. I nurse him in the morning and evening, but pump during the day while I’m at school. I’ve had a good supply the entire time I’ve been breastfeeding/pumping, but in the last two weeks, I’m not even getting an oz out of my right breast when I pump, even though I know it’s full. I get 3-4 oz from my left. I thought it was an equipment issue, but since the left breast seems fine, maybe it’s not that. My baby seems to be satisfied when he nurses from the right, so it doesn’t seem to be a supply issue either. Do you have any suggestions? Is it common for each breast to use different flange sizes? Thanks so much! 🙂
Hi Sierra! Ugh, so sorry you’re dealing with this! It is common for people to need different flange sizes. Have you tried hand expression or a manual pump at all on the side that’s not responding to your electric pump?
I had my baby 2 months ago and wasn’t able to breastfeed and was advised to use formula and my milk came in after a week and my baby was not latching cuz i have flat nipples and she would cry a lot even though she latched a little
But still her tummy wasn’t full and she would take right side only
My doctor told me to pump and i started pumping 5 days ago and there is nothing
A little from right side
And nothing from left side
Please help me!
My baby is only having formula now from the day she was born
Hi Sahar – how often are you pumping and for how long? what kind of a pump are you using?
Hey, I’m 3 weeks pp and since week 1 I’ve been pumping between 80 and 180ml but my supply dropped to about 40 per session and my baby has 120ml plus. I started breastfeeding again to increase supply and I thought I did because she nurses for hours but I got really engorged and tried pumping but only made 20ml… What is going on??
Was nursing with no issues for the first 3 months other than mastitis in my first 2 weeks. Returned back to work today and attempted pumping with minimal output (2 ounces total each time). Was pumping at home and would get 4 ounces total. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. Felt a letdown 1x and still produced minimal
I am 6 weeks post partum and have been an over supplier and now out of no where barely getting any milk at all. Help i’m not sure what is happening or why, this morning i filled the pump 9 oz between both breasts and now barely 2.
Hi,
My milk starts to come out after8 to 10 minutes of pumping. How can i message it come out faster?
Thanks
Hi Aisha! So sorry that you are dealing with this! Here are some ideas that might help you get a faster letdown:
https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-boost-milk-supply-letdowns/
Good luck!
I fell ill after giving birth and was only able to breastfeed once, immediately after birth of twins. I pumped once a day instead of the advise to just formula feed. I was out of hospital by week 7 and started pumping more, 8x/day for at least 20min. It takes 5min for letdown to happen. During week 7, I produced 9-15ml/pump. I never really spray, it is always drops. I talked to a lactation consultant and my GP. I was put on domperidone and started taking supplements like milk thistle/fenugreek and eating a lot of oats. I drink at least 3 litres of water. On advise of consultant to increase milk supply, I tried breastfeeding though painful. My twins started latching at week 8. I am now breastfeeding 4x/day to try and up my milk supply. I also tried power pumping once a day. It has not improved by much and it has been 4 weeks, 12-38ml/pump. They say pump after breastfeeding but it is not clear to me if it is immediately after or an hour after. When I pump immediately after, nothing comes out. I would really like to exclusively pump when my milk supply goes up. Do you have any other recommendations for increasing milk supply?
Hi Em! Congratulations on your sweet twins! It sounds like you have gotten good advice and you are doing everything that I would recommend. I wish I could be more helpful. You are doing a GREAT job.
hi my baby is 3 weeks old and she can’t latch very well but does every once in awhile so we had to go to bottles and when we left the hospital was supplemented a little bit until my milk came in i can pump anywhere 1.5-3 oz a session and now i’m not getting nearly as much i have tried 3 different pump me including the hand pump but the kicker is i can hand express so much milk out it literally pours and sprays everywhere what do you think is wrong ? i keep getting clogged ducts i try to massage warm compress everything! my lactation consultant think i’m engorged but stuck do you have any solutions
I have the same problem. Sunflower lechtin seems to help me with the mastitis. I ordered it from Amazon and take it twice a day. When I stopped taking it, the mastitis came back. Also ask your doctor to culture your milk to make sure the infection is gone. If it’s not gone, they can prescribe a more targeted antibiotic. I’m still trying to rebuild my supply. It dropped drastically from 6-7 oz pumped post feeding to 2-3 oz. Increasing water, pumping more often, eating oatmeal with flax, and changing the gaskets seems to be slowly helping.
Hi,
Unfortunately I had a traumatic breastfeeding experience coming home from the hospital that led me to supplement with formula. However, I would pump to try to give at least a couple of ounces to the baby. Unfortunately, I have been only able to pump a couple drops a day which won’t even amount to an ounce and by the time I do get an ounce, I have to throw what I have accumulated away.
I bought a lactation supplement and am awaiting for my milk supply to increase (even if it’s one bottle that I can give, I would feel like I can give my baby something!!)
Why do you think I’m reduced to droplets instead of actual ounces when I pump?
Hi Shoshi! How often and for how long are you pumping? Congrats on your sweet baby and so sorry about your experience.
So I’ve been trying to pump 2-3x a day for 30 minutes each time (dual pump) and I’m getting little to nothing
Any suggestions?
Hi Shoshi! I would do more of a relactation schedule. Let me give you a link to more info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/relactation-pumping-schedules/
Hi, I m badly struggling for bf since day1
Baby didn’t latched n tunned to bottle feed.
However he is 9months now, I have buyed Medela swing single electric pump but I m a working woman with house work responsibilities. I get able to pump only for once or twice a day…. I only get 20to30ml a day.
Please suggest me something to improve my feed. I m so depressed n guilt coz of it
I am currently pregnant with baby number 4 and I am concerned that I won’t produce any milk, as has been my experience with my two previous pregnancies. When I had my twins at 18, I didn’t produce hardly any milk and it was so painful I gave up early on. With my youngest daughter, I tried for the 1st 6 months of her life to breastfeed but after 15 or more minutes on the breast, she was still hungry and I was dry so I had to supplement with formula. One day I tried only pumping every hour for a whole day to see how much I was actually producing and in 1 day I was only able to produce 2oz. Is it possible to be physically UNABLE to produce milk?
Hi Jessica! Congrats on your pregnancy! It’s possible that you have insufficient glandular tissue? Did you see a lactation consultant at all? I would definitely recommend it if that’s possible for this go-round. It might be covered by your insurance. Good luck!
Hi Jessica, yes some women have low supply issues with one or all of their pregnancies. You could have an underlying health condition that has made it difficult for your body to produce enough milk making cells in your breast tissue. My recommendation would be that you work with an IBCLC to create a plan to combo feed if supply is an issue with your 4th. Good luck – you are doing a great job momma!
My baby is 9 months old and has just started biting hard after about 5 minutes of eating. I have only exclusively breastfed since birth so I’m new to the pump. I bought one to try so I wouldn’t have to be bitten anymore, but I am not getting any milk when I pump. I am not sure it’s trouble with letdown as when I take the pump off after awhile of trying a bit of milk comes out. Also if I squeeze my breast by hand milk shoots out so I know there is milk in there. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Cassie! Sorry you’re dealing with this. What kind of pump are you using?
I am using a medela swing pump. I have started to get a bit more than I was on day one but still not much.
I have the same exact issue myself, any tips or reasons why this is happening?
Hi, my name is Angelica and I have been exclusivelu pumping since day 1. Now my baby is 6mos, I don’t do dbf. However, I don’t know why my milk doesn’t come out easily anymore when I pump with my breastpump as usual. The first 4 months I pumped 7-8x per day and when my baby reached 5 month I pumped 5-6x per day and that’s how this problem started. I’ve tried to change my spare parts (I was using Spectra) or I tried to massage or compress. Every session both breast I got only 40ml, then I tried to do hand expressions and it works, I can get out my milk around 170-200ml. So, eveytime I pump, I have to finish with hand expressions. Would you tell me what is my problem? Is it because I reduced my pump sessions and my milk supply decrease? Please help me, I don’t have the answer for this. Thank you
Hi Angelica! This sounds so frustrating! Does the suction on the Spectra still feel as strong as it used it? The other thing I was wondering if maybe you breast shield size has changed over time (this can happen).
I’m trying desperately to wean (breastfeeding pain, latch issues, bloody nipples, forceful letdown that causes baby to chomp, yeast infection, mastitis, daily clogged ducts, oversupply issues, pain when pumping…I QUIT!). I’ve managed to get my supply down to virtually nothing, yet minutes after pumping, I feel engorged. I don’t want to pump again because I don’t want to stimulate more milk. I just want to be done with it. Both breasts feel full and hard, but not lumpy like clogged ducts. I don’t feel the letdown anymore, but isn’t that a good thing? It’s so painful! I just want my breasts to be empty.
Hi Katie! HAve you tried cabbage leaves? Some more ideas here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-decrease-your-milk-supply/
Hi! I have been exclusively pumping since baby was 2 weeks. My milk supply has been slowly decreasing as baby’s intake has increased. I’ve tried everything to increase milk supply other than taking supplements (water, oatmeal, lactation cookies/drinks, etc). We are having to supplement baby with formula because I don’t always have enough supply. I feel engorged but my supply will only give me about 1.5 oz per session. I’m pumping 8X a day for 15-20 min. When I pump, the stream stops after about 8 minute and doesn’t last long with massage. I know there is still milk left over after I’m done pumping. Idk how to get it all out. Am I doing something wrong that’s leading to my decrease in milk supply?
Hi Marly! Have you tried hand expression at all? I think it might help. Look on YouTube for videos that might help!
I am having this exact same problem and would love a reply. When the milk stops coming out with the pump I remove it. However when I squeeze my breast by hand I still have a stream of milk that squirts out. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Ruby – This is pretty common, and I don’t think you’re necessarily doing anything wrong. First, it’s impossible to get all of the milk out of your breasts because they are constantly making milk. It’s like trying to empty a sink that’s running. Second, once the milk stops coming out, you’ve finished a letdown – but if you keep pumping your milk might start flowing again (when it lets down again). This doesn’t mean that you should keep pumping forever, just that the milk stopping flowing doesn’t mean that you’re supposed to be “empty”. And third, lots of people are able to hand express some milk after pumping and use that as a strategy to get more milk. I hope this all makes sense and is helpful!