I have a strange request that requires a little bit of history so bare with me for a moment...
In november of last year i had a miscarriage, I also have PCOS which causes my hormones to be a little out of wack, well since my miscarriage, i have had some brest discharge/leakage. I went to my ob-gyn and she said that it is infact breast milk, and i have tried everything i can think of to get it to stop to no avail.
well a very good friend of mine had a little girl, she is now 4 months old, and my friends milk supply has decreased dramaticaly, so after talking to my doctor and getting the ok, i offered to pump for her. (if i'm going to produce milk, why not put it to good use)
I the first couple times i used it, i got about an ounce or so out of each breast, but the last few times i've used it, i dont get much of anything in the bottles, but if i gently squeeze the area, i can squeeze alot more out.
my question is, could it be the pump or the way i'm using it, or could i be clogged...any advice would be great, i still have leakage, though not near as much since i have been using the pump, but just want to know if there is something i can do differently. Thanks for your advice!
I wanted to send a big thankyou to everyone for all of your advice! I think my big problem was that i had the pump up to high. i slowed it down and put it on the lowest speed setting, and i got about an oz on the first pumping! it was quite wierd i must say. i have also started to look up "baby noises" on the web, playing those seem to help a little bit. Thankyou also to everyone for being understanding with my request. i was a bit worried that people would think i was being gross by pumping since i dont have a baby, and i wasnt sure if it would be something others would understand so your advice and praise was well appreciated! i hope to increase the amount for each pumping and continue to help my friend. thanks again to everyone!
2 Suggestions ~
1. You need to have a good pump if you are planning on doing this for any amount of time. The money is well spent. Some hospitals will even rent them out.
2. You are probably not "letting down." The hardest part of pumping is relaxing and "letting things flow." You have to be complately at ease...with no interruptions. I had the WORST time letting down whenever I "pumped" with both my kids.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. That is awesome though what you are doing for your friend, she's lucky to have you in her life!
2 things... invest or rent a really good pump. And check out More Milk Plus. I was told at my natural food store that this is the best one to take, it's a little pricey but worth it. That or Goats Rue might help you too. One of the two of those i was told actually can help adoptive mothers bring in a milk supply before adopting a baby (this is what I was told, don't know it for a fact though). Good luck! Let us know what happens!!
I am sorry to hear about your miscarriage. What a wonderful thing you are doing for your friend and her baby. I see you work at Methodist. Any chance you could use their pump? They should have a great one you could use. Otherwise, it may be your body trying to dry up your milk now. Good luck.
S.
mom of 3
When I pump I massage my breast first to "loosen" the milk ducts. It just helps my flow better. Once the initial amount is pumped out I go back and massage my breast again, especially the base area of the breast. This again will release the milk better for me and I usually can get more milk out. Also, I use a medela pump. Not all pumps are created equal so that could be part of your problem.
Also, a suggestion for your friend and her milk supply, you might suggest that she take fenugreek. AFter my last baby my doula recommended it to help increase my milk supply and it really did work well. It helped bring my milk in more by about 1/3 the amount. You can buy this at any nutrition supply store and I know HyVee at 156th and maple carries it too.
As for yourself, it sounds like you need a complete hormonal work up to find out your prolactin levels. There is a doctor here in Omaha, Dr. Hilgers with Pope Paul VI group who specializes in infertility and treating women with pcos. I know women who go to him with this very problem and he's helped them to concieve. There might be other doctors who have been trained by him who can also help you.
Good Luck! and KUDOS to you for helping your friend out! Most people wouldn't do this.
That's part of the problem with pumping...... It never gets out as much as it could. I would definitely try another pump but you need to find a way to get your milk to let down. Have you tried looking at a picture of a baby? Or would your friend let you try holding her baby while you pump to see if that would get your milk to let down? And it's possible that your body is starting to let your milk dry up too.
I was an exclusive pumper for seven months with my son. I found that using the lowest setting on the pump produced the most milk for me. I was pumping upwards of 60 ounces a day at my peak - so I don't believe the saying that a breastpump isn't the same as breastfeeding in regards to milk output. Are you pumping every two to three hours for about 10 minutes? I did that for a few weeks. I also never went more than four hours at night without pumping. You could also pick up a manual pump and try that out if you think you might build up your supply faster...message me if you have any other questions. Good luck - and what a blessing your friend has in you!
what will help you a lot is to go to www.llli.org and find a local or nearby la leche league. look at any and all cities near you if there isnt a group IN your area. they will have a TON of information, can help you directly with your breastfeeding issue, and might actually have another mom who has been through similar experiences. :)
What a wonderful thing to do for your friend.
I tended to massage my breast as I was pumping to increase output. Like another poster, I also used a slower speed (about a pump a second or slightly faster). Frequency would also be important as well as a great pump (hospital ones are the best I understand).
It could be your pump. It is definitely worth it to have a good one.
It also helps to massage your breasts while you pump. You should be able to feel where the pockets of milk are in your breast; they will feel like hard lumps. If you squeeze and massage those areas while you pump, you will get more out.
I pumped exclusively for 11 months months with my second and produced enough to provide him with milk for over a year- and I was only doing it once a day towards the end- so I know it is possible to pump plenty if your body is able to produce it.
