High on the list of things I wish I'd known earlier...

I am still pumping. I only pump now after dinner, and for most of the last two months that's meant pumping every hour on the hour for 4 hours, for 15-20 minutes at a time. Its not awful but somewhat limiting and I know H is a bit sick of seeing my boobs get pummelled all evening. By pumping this long each evening I was able to get about 150mls or so (5oz) which saw me through most of the supplementing I was still doing, but meant that I didn't have enough for a full bottle for the feeds I was skipping when I started doing work stuff.

Then one evening over the Christmas break I had a bath before dinner. And I went downstairs and pumped, and the milk came pouring out, close to 150mls just in one 20 minute pump. I thought it was a fluke, and so didn't repeat the experiment. Until one day last week, when I was so cold that H suggested warming up the bean-filled hot bags we have to warm me up. Because I was about to pump I stuck them on my boobs. And the milk came pouring out again.

Since then, I put the hot bags on every time I pump. I'm pumping twice an evening, for 15 minutes each time, and getting between 200 and 250mls between those two sessions. It's a lot less invasive of our evenings, and it's enough to feel like I can give him a good chunk of breastmilk even when I drop more feeds when I go back to work full time at the end of the month. But it's an incredibly frustrating discovery. While it's still true that I don't have an abundant supply, to see this amount of milk coming out makes me wonder what I could have achieved if I'd been using this trick all along.

I had a couple of months where I was pumping after every feed, yet only getting an oz at a time because Junior had got good at hoovering it up, while still taking a reasonable amount in the SNS. If I'd known about the heat trick how much difference might that have made? I could have perhaps avoided the month of needing to use formula in the evenings during his sixth month. And if I'd used hot pads on the boobs while feeding, would that have made a difference?

So, good news, but frustrating news. I offer it here for those who come after.

If you are suffering from low supply, and/or if you are pumping breast milk for whatever reason, try the hot pads. It's not just hearsay, for me it worked wonders.

Comments

[Searching for Serenity]

Hi there. I honestly don't recall if I've commented here before or not. I've been lurking for a little while.

Ist's it bittersweet when you come across a resolution to a challenge you've been facing for a while? I'm also a pumper, although I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum. I over-produce. Which has it's own series of frustrations (clogged ducts, engorgement). Sadly, there isn't much information out there to help pumping mothers. There is a wide array of information for bfing mothers (which I sadly am not). But it's hard to find support for pumping breast milk.

I guess I don't have any advice for you. I just thought I'd drop a note and say that I understand how frustrating pumping can be and, like you,wish it didn't take me so long to find solutions to the issues. I've been there.

[Joy]

Good to know, since I will not take domperidone again.

[Hairy Farmer Family]

How interesting (for me) but how frustrating (for you)! I always wondered if I had vasospasmy stuff going on with my nipples, as they used to turn bright white and the let-down was agonising. It WAS winter and we DO have a draughty house. Perhaps I was just too bloody cold?!

Either way, it didn't hurt me in the long run: it's been ages and ages since Harry was near my boobs, and I can still squeeze droplets. Wondering if it's ever going to flipping well stop.

[Summer]

Wow, I can't believe the difference. When I was pumping, the most I ever got was a few ounces (60-90 mls). If I get the chance to BF again, I will definitely try this. Thanks for passing the info on.

[Orodemniades]

I found the morning sessions the most productive, but maybe that's because I usually took a shower before hand.

I am so glad I'm not longer pumping. 13 months was long enough.

[Aurelia]

Oh boy....yes, hot pads or showers work a bit, but never that dramatically for me! Good for you.

I do know that the opposite is true, and that cold ice packs will shrink lumps and dry up your milk fast. Had to learn it after babyloss. It was the only way to stop having everything explode. And that is the last time I wanted breastmilk production.

[Bea]

Good tip to pass on for those who come after... what a shame you didn't know about it beforehand. Who knows how things would have gone?

Bea

[LutC]

Gah, how frustrating to find that out after all that time!

[Kath]

Wow. Ack. The implications... I'm not even going to think about the implications...

Thanks for this public service announcement, my dear. I hope it helps a lot of people. And I wish for your sake you'd found out sooner. XO

[Kate]

Wow what a great tip. I'll remember that next time around.

[Krista]

How interesting. I never had a supply problem, in fact in the fist 3 months I had to pump after feeds to feel comfortable. But I did notice that when I got a blocked duct (one breast was particularly prone) pumping alone wouldn't clear it but pumping with a heating pad almost always did.

[Betty M]

Not sure why typepad is making it so difficult for me to comment. But sure am glad to know of this trick.

[T]

Wow - that's great news, I wish I had stumbled across that!

Cute POB stories - I love the one of her holding his hand, I love seeing that here too, so sweet!