- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Breastfeeding
wohitzi
member
Can't achieve letdown when pumping
wohitzi
member
Hey everyone!
I had my first baby three weeks ago. He was born by emergency C-section, which meant I was unable to breastfeed him because of the pain in my incision while trying to hold him, especially because he has difficulty latching to my breasts. I wanted to breastfeed once I was more recovered, however, so I started pumping while in hospital.
In retrospect, I didn't receive very effective guidance or support for pumping while in the hospital, and it's only after getting home that I started to research and figure things out for myself. The nurses didn't even talk to me about letdown reflex, so I didn't even know that was a thing until I started Googling stuff.
I've never been able to get out much milk from pumping. There were a couple days about a week after surgery that I was able to get 50~ml from an hour of pumping, and that's the most I've ever managed. Otherwise, I'm not even getting enough to cover the bottom of the bottle.
I am at risk for low supply due to a thyroid condition and I expected to have to supplement with formula, but I also know I'm capable of producing more milk than this because I became completely engorged a couple days after leaving the hospital. But because I'm struggling to achieve letdown and can't get much milk out, my supply has seriously dwindled.
So, does anyone have suggestions on how to achieve letdown reflex when pumping, especially for a first time mom who has never breastfed before? All the advice I've found so far is geared toward people pumping to supplement breastfeeding.
I had my first baby three weeks ago. He was born by emergency C-section, which meant I was unable to breastfeed him because of the pain in my incision while trying to hold him, especially because he has difficulty latching to my breasts. I wanted to breastfeed once I was more recovered, however, so I started pumping while in hospital.
In retrospect, I didn't receive very effective guidance or support for pumping while in the hospital, and it's only after getting home that I started to research and figure things out for myself. The nurses didn't even talk to me about letdown reflex, so I didn't even know that was a thing until I started Googling stuff.
I've never been able to get out much milk from pumping. There were a couple days about a week after surgery that I was able to get 50~ml from an hour of pumping, and that's the most I've ever managed. Otherwise, I'm not even getting enough to cover the bottom of the bottle.
I am at risk for low supply due to a thyroid condition and I expected to have to supplement with formula, but I also know I'm capable of producing more milk than this because I became completely engorged a couple days after leaving the hospital. But because I'm struggling to achieve letdown and can't get much milk out, my supply has seriously dwindled.
So, does anyone have suggestions on how to achieve letdown reflex when pumping, especially for a first time mom who has never breastfed before? All the advice I've found so far is geared toward people pumping to supplement breastfeeding.
Re: Can't achieve letdown when pumping
what pump are you using?
have you measured your nipple to make sure you are using the correct shield?
How often are you pumping and for how long?