Can I start pumping at 12 weeks?

Lwilson24 · September 2014

Hi guys, I can't find any information on starting to pump weeks after giving birth. I was pumping at first till about 8 weeks but never got the hang of storing/freezing any milk so I just stopped. My DD is ebf, and I'm just reading I screwed up. If my hubby and I wanted to go on even just a dinner date alone we couldn't because I have no milk to give grandmom. So I decided today to try and pump. I was expecting little to no results but I didn't even get a single drop to come out of either breast.... Again I can't find anything at all online about this. Should I keep trying every few hours for the next few weeks or did I really miss any chance of expressing milk. TIA

vvvvvfee · September 2014

what time of day did you pump? generally it's better to pump in the morning because your supply tends to be better then. you can also try pumping one breast with your LO nurses on the other side. that will help stimulate let-down on the side you are pumping. you have to "learn" how to pump- that is, relax enough to be able to let down. try reading a book or watching tv while pumping. set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and don't look at your output until time is up.

it is hard to pump very much at a time if you are not missing any feedings with your LO. you may only get an ounce or two at a time, which you would have to combine to make up a bottle. (of course, if you're out long enough that you're missing a feeding, you will probably also need to pump while you're gone, so you'd be able to freeze what you pumped that time for next time, if that makes sense).

Lwilson24 · September 2014

That is great advice. I am going to re-set up my little pumping station and will try pumping while she is nursing in the morning because she only ever eats off of one breast in the morning. I'll try the timer thing too, thanks!

greeneyed_bride · September 2014

I've heard that smelling something that your baby has worn or looking at your baby (IRL or in a picture) while pumping can help stimulate a letdown. It sounds weird, but it really does help.

TheBorg7of9 · September 2014

If you didn't even get one drop, I would make sure the pump was working and all the parts had a good seal.

Lwilson24 · September 2014

Didn't realize I had a problem with letdown?

I really dropped the ball, I was up to 3-4oz a sitting before. Butttttt I did pump while she nursed this morning and it went great, got 1.5oz so I'm just going to keep at it and hope it's not to late to get into a pumping routine again. Thanks all!!

mommatotwo2 · September 2014

Pp have given good advice.it can be very hard to let down for the pump and can definitely take practice! its both a physical and emotional response needed for let down. When you nurse your baby, you naturally release "feel good" hormones which assist in letdown, so it helps to recreate that emotional feeling when you pump. I found it really helpful to close my eyes and think about really high times of emotion with LO, like the way I felt when she was kicking me, or the first time I laid eyes on her, or introducing her to her big sister or just really happy times, like holding her while she was asleep, or how good she smells after her bath. One of those usually got the milk flowing

Knottie30597254 · September 2014

I started atound 8 weeks and it worked! I would pump right before the feeding time once a day and leave the bottle either with hubby or babysitter to have my little one get used to it!

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