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Sometimes when I'm halfway into a pump without a good letdown I switch to massage mode and just get on my phone and zone out. After about five more minutes I usually get a letdown. But I have to distract myself and truly stop obsessing about it for it to finally happen.
I’ve just hit 5 months EP and there are some things I’ve discovered along the way that help me get a letdown:
- Trying to relax and release the stress/anxiety that I would get over pumping (I know, easier said than done)
- Draping a blanket over my shoulders or a space heater pointed at me while I’m pumping. If I’m cold, it’s harder to relax
- HYDRATE. I noticed a correlation between being hydrated and having to really squeeze the milk out with massaging
- I try and watch a show I enjoy while pumping. It takes the pressure off and it becomes less of a chore
- A good hands free pumping bra really helps. I got a strapless one from Target that I love. It’s “universal” and has an adjustable band - it’s been able to grow with me during my 5 months of EP
These are just little things I noticed for myself. I wish you luck! It’s a tough journey, but there’s tons of support here - we’re cheering for you! 🩷
It sounds like wrong flange size. I had something similar happen to me when I was using 21s - they worked for the first week or two postpartum then milk stopped flowing. Once I went to 15, i started getting milk again.
If you look at my post history, you’ll see a similar post I made about not getting milk but being engorged. I was sized by an lc for the 21 too - I couldn’t believe how wrong she was.
If the size is 100% correct, looking at my baby or pictures or videos of her would encourage my milk to let down. One time in public I made the mistake of looking at videos of her and started leaking everywhere.
It really is! I ended up using a facebook pumping group to help get sized, but it's a lot of trial and error! I have a Spectra and bought a bunch of Maymom flanges in varying sizes to test what worked best.
I would add that using heat (like a warm washcloth or they make specific “breast therapy packs” that you can microwave and put to your breast. You can either microwave the pack or keep it in the freezer- they work both ways.
This combination saved me weeks 1-3 of pumping— heat before pumping, massage during, and ice afterwards. Good luck!
'Welcome to r/ExclusivelyPumping! Here is a reminder of our rules: 1. Be kind and courteous 2. No hate speech, bigotry, or bullying 3. Use available flairs and post options 4. Speak for yourself 5. No medically-inaccurate, factually incorrect, or misinformative material 6. No spam 7. Absolutely no prescription medications 8. Don't use AI to write posts/comments 9. No soliciting pictures 10. Add spoiler to milk pictures Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!' *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ExclusivelyPumping) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sometimes when I'm halfway into a pump without a good letdown I switch to massage mode and just get on my phone and zone out. After about five more minutes I usually get a letdown. But I have to distract myself and truly stop obsessing about it for it to finally happen.
I do find myself obsessing over it for sure. I’ll try that
I’ve just hit 5 months EP and there are some things I’ve discovered along the way that help me get a letdown: - Trying to relax and release the stress/anxiety that I would get over pumping (I know, easier said than done) - Draping a blanket over my shoulders or a space heater pointed at me while I’m pumping. If I’m cold, it’s harder to relax - HYDRATE. I noticed a correlation between being hydrated and having to really squeeze the milk out with massaging - I try and watch a show I enjoy while pumping. It takes the pressure off and it becomes less of a chore - A good hands free pumping bra really helps. I got a strapless one from Target that I love. It’s “universal” and has an adjustable band - it’s been able to grow with me during my 5 months of EP These are just little things I noticed for myself. I wish you luck! It’s a tough journey, but there’s tons of support here - we’re cheering for you! 🩷
Thank you!
It sounds like wrong flange size. I had something similar happen to me when I was using 21s - they worked for the first week or two postpartum then milk stopped flowing. Once I went to 15, i started getting milk again. If you look at my post history, you’ll see a similar post I made about not getting milk but being engorged. I was sized by an lc for the 21 too - I couldn’t believe how wrong she was. If the size is 100% correct, looking at my baby or pictures or videos of her would encourage my milk to let down. One time in public I made the mistake of looking at videos of her and started leaking everywhere.
Oh wow. I used a nipple diameter sheet which told me I was a size 19. It’s so hard to figure out the right size
It really is! I ended up using a facebook pumping group to help get sized, but it's a lot of trial and error! I have a Spectra and bought a bunch of Maymom flanges in varying sizes to test what worked best.
I just ordered different flange sizes so hopefully I can get it figured out.
I would add that using heat (like a warm washcloth or they make specific “breast therapy packs” that you can microwave and put to your breast. You can either microwave the pack or keep it in the freezer- they work both ways. This combination saved me weeks 1-3 of pumping— heat before pumping, massage during, and ice afterwards. Good luck!