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September 2015 Moms
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My breast forgot how to do their job.

v1wwov1wwo member
in September 2015 Moms
I have been having more and more difficult time with pumping out my milk. My supply has been steadily dropping for a few weeks now but today I struggle to pump 3 oz at my 11am session. I use to pump 6 oz with out a problem. Some morning I would pump 9 oz!
Now I crank the pump up and have rug burns around my nipples. It hurts all day long and every time I sit down to pump I cry a little.
But I feel so guilty just stopping. People keep on incorrigng me to keep going because "just a little breast milk goes a long way."
If only I could increase the output I would not mind the pain as much. :(
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Re: My breast forgot how to do their job.

  • Yiggle09Yiggle09 member
    You can try coconut oil or olive oil to lubricate nipple and areola before pumping. This reduces the rug burn esk pain. I ep so I have done alot of research most of the time the lower setting is best. If your getting alot of pain you'll tense up and milk won't flow. One bottle a day is enough for them to get benefits but if your not happy or its making you miserable what's more important? Happy momma fed baby or unhappy momma
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  • klpieklpie member
    I sympathize with the output decrease. My seems so erratic. Some days I can pump enough, and others not so much-and I have to add an extra pump session before I go to bed to have enough to send to daycare (or supplement).
    My Lc said to keep the suction on super low, but to increase the speed until I get a letdown (then slow down the speed during the letdown). That might help with the nipple soreness.
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  • v1wwov1wwo member
    I do all that. I have the pumping pals and do coconut oil and power pump and do let downs. What ever is in the book I did it all.
    My mom said that her milk dried up after 4 months. I wonder if its genetic. :neutral:
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  • kmcshane0211kmcshane0211 member
    I'm sorry to hear you're feeling down about it. It's tough. I struggled with supply in the beginning and was crushed...maybe that's normal. I have no idea. It did turn around and we're still EBF at 17 weeks. However, I've seen dips here and there for certain and it always leaves me wondering how much she's getting, if it could wean sooner than I'd like, etc. No advice necessarily. Just wanted to share and say I get it. It's hard.

    Is it possible that your milk is just regulated and maybe output at that time is lower? Or maybe your baby only needs 3 oz if you feed every 2 hours?

    If you want, try all the measures to increase that you can find online.

    If it stays this way, please just don't beat yourself up...like I did when I was struggling.
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  • dmbfan46835dmbfan46835 member
    Is it the pump pieces by chance? Those little white flap thingies (very technical I know) cause issues. Like there isn't the proper suction sometimes because of it needing replaced.
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  • ForeverEverAfterForeverEverAfter member
    Try replacing the white membrane-helped for me too. Also, your own nutrition/hydration and stress level play a role. Does baby BF at all? Older babies often latch better, so you could try that if you EP.
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  • J0C0TXJ0C0TX member
    My production has slowed too - just as his appetite increased.  I'm pumping out one bottle a day and he gets some "comfort feeding" at night from me, but apart from that he's formula now. 
    It's bothering me A LOT more than I thought it would as I only managed 3 months with dd1, but I got to 5.5 months with dd2, but I thought I'd definitely get more milk than this til he was 6 months.  And he's my last so there's that as well.  I'm going to keep pumping as long as I get one bottle a day.  Below that, it's not for us.  And I'm trying to remember the advice I gave before all our babies arrived - that no matter what you're doing your best.  What matters is your relationship with your baby.  But it still stinks!
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  • bcamasosabcamasosa member
    My supply dropped too, i started taking galactogogues and added more pump sessions at work. It's so much work and my nipples are really starting to hurt too-- but i'd like to believe that things are on their way back to normal now. I think stressing out over pumping output plays a huge role too-- but how do you not stress over it??? Good luck momma!
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  • buckleykbuckleyk member
    1. Try replacing pump parts- that should help a LOT!
    2. Drink! Drink! Drink! Water or Gatorade!
    3. Consider adding in a middle of the night session is baby is sleeping. Every time my supply dips, I do that and it helps boost things.
    4. Nurse as often as possible on the weekends and pump after feedings if you have time.
    5. Keep pumping now matter how much time you have or how little comes out. Any little bit will help keep things flowing. Sometime at work I have time for 10 minutes but that's better than nothing and signals the body to keep making milk.
    6. Eat! Rapid weight loss can cause a dip in supply. I think kellymom.com says a pound a week is generally safe for breastfeeding.
    7. Time permitting, pump for 5 minutes after milk has stopped flowing to signal more milk production.
    8. If you have a Medela, hit the letdown button after milk has stopped to try and get some more out. You can also try message or hand expression.
    9. Try watching videos of LO or looking at pictures while you pump.
    10. MOST importantly- Be kind to yourself. Be proud that you've been able to do as much as you have. Take it one day at a time. It's hard work! Much harder than anyone really tells you.
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