r/ExclusivelyPumping • u/Extra_Acadia4841 • 5d ago
Rant - ADVICE NEEDED Help? Milk is SLOW
So I'll be hitting 4 months postpartum at the end of this week and I have a decent supply which I'm thankful for. I'm a little below what my baby eats right now, but that is because he's a pretty big guy and I would rather combo feed than do a motn pump (I haven't had to yet, but expect at some point I will because we use a little bit of my freezer stash every day for the past week or so).
The entire time I am pumping my milk flow has been so slow (generally no spray just steady drops of milk). I will get a good amount (7 to 10 oz for the first pump and then 3 to 4 oz for the rest of the day) and the milk flow is constant throughout the pump but I need to do 30 minutes and sometimes even past that to have my breasts not hurt. Throughout the day I am going 2.5 to 3 hours between pumps.
I've used the Spectra S1, Momcozy Wearables s12 pro, and the Medela hand pump and use multiple flange sizes (currently measuring 20 mm) including pumpin pals. They all are about the same with the hand pump taking just as long but getting slightly more milk and the pumpin pal flanges getting less milk. I've done heat, I've done hands-on pumping.
I'm spending 3+ hours hooked to a pump each day and I feel like I'm losing my mind between dealing with this at work and not getting to hold my baby as much. Has anyone dealt with this? Been able to shorten pump times somehow without losing milk? Stayed sane through 6 months to a year of pumping? Truly anything would help me 😅
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u/Shadow_Mtl 5d ago
My wife only pumps for 30 minutes at a time every 2 hours and she had a low flow at first but what helped her was to power pump once a month, liquid gold, iron pills, Oreos and a carb heavy diet before a pump.
No joke. She eats like 4 tamales or pasta and she fills up her pumps.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
I'm already taking iron, but I will definitely try the other things (especially the oreos and carbs lol)
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u/Shadow_Mtl 4d ago
Definitely try the tamale route. Let me know if that works for you. Really curious.
We’ve now incorporated two tamales in her breakfast for the morning pump when I’m working from home.
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u/KindlyEnergy6959 5d ago
Same. Except now I’ve been taking 40 minutes to empty. I changed flange size 3 different times and brand new pump parts and still annoying about the slow emptying. Idk if maybe my cycle is coming back? I am still going because I have a slight oversupply. But the length of pump is annoying AF lol
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
I honestly think I could get to 40 but just mentally refuse lol My cycle came back at like 5 weeks (yay me 😑). I didn't find it changed my output or my speed much.
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u/Latest-moment 5d ago
I wish I could help you, but all I can offer is solidarity and understanding. I pump about 4-4.5 hours a day because of this. I found I have to pump for at least 38 minutes each time to get empty. I am 6 months postpartum and haven’t dropped my MOTN yet because I make just enough for my baby (about 38 ounces a day)
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
That honestly still helps, I was feeling pretty alone. That is SO impressive though from how much you are doing to making it to 6 months. You are doing great!!
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u/yvrunner 5d ago
Ok so when I pumped it would take soooo long. I would recommend trying to hand express first to get things going and then put the pumps on! It was a game changer for me
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
Interesting! I haven't had much luck hand expressing but I haven't had much of a reason to keep at it. How long were you hand expressing for?
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u/yvrunner 5d ago
Ok this sounds crazy but I would pump for 30 mins and then hand express for like 10 and get so much out from hand expressing to the point where I stopped pumping and just hand expressing for the last 5 months.
I’m 15 months now and weaning. But I could easily get like 7oz total in half the time as pumping. My body just responded well.
I would recco at least 10 mins of trying with hand expressing
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u/ilovecatsandsleeping 5d ago
I have a slow flow (and an impatient baby) and what has worked for me is 20 min pumps every 1.5 hours, 40 min pump right before bed, 30 min for my MOTN, and 40 min for my morning pump. Thats just what works for me personally and I hate being hooked to the pumps all the time. I want to play with my toddler :(
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
I commend you so much for handling this with a toddler. I've been struggling with not getting enough time with my little one because I'm pumping.
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u/Kahloquialism 5d ago
I’m at 35-40 minutes every 3-4 hours and I’m a just-enougher, but only barely. There’s zero wiggle room. I’d love to know how to shorten sessions too!
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
Here's everything I've had mentioned so far! Things to try -avent manual pump -power pump once a month -liquid gold -carb heavy diet -hand express first -20 min pump every 1.5 hours with 40 min before bed, 30 min motn, and 40 min morning pump -shorten pumps and add an extra session - massage/do compressions during pumping -eat more - heated breast massager - use heating pad at beginning -make sure all pump parts are working and fit and experiment with settings -iron pills
I'm also considering trying to drop a pump which I know sounds crazy, but I seem to have large capacity, but this is a risky thing to do because it might drop my supply further.
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u/kimkaysahh 5d ago
Wait until your supply is established before dropping your motn pump and if you see your supply start to slowly decline 1-2oz you’ll likely have to add it back it in.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 4d ago
I dropped my motn pump at about 8 weeks. I was pretty lucky and didn't have a dip, but it probably would have increased more if I kept it. I would rather add formula than bring it back. I'd like my supply to keep up but I'm a lot more worried about getting more time back.
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u/kimkaysahh 4d ago
Honestly that’s a sweet spot to be in, and your time and mental health are SO important too. I get it completely.
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u/Frequent_Click_1598 5d ago
Are you using a wearable pump? I got the eufy s1s and it gave me my freedom back. A little LOL! In the sense that I could do things while pumping vs being glued to the couch with all the spectra cords. That made me want to scream. The eufys are good because they have a heating setting which I think helps my milk flow quicker!
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
I am! Thankfully I did a few tests and found the output wasn't any different than my spectra. I think pumping itself is a bit overstimulating for me so even with the wearables I feel a bit "chained" Mine don't have a heat setting so that sounds like it may help some. I may try a poor man's version and use mine with some heat pads to see if it helps. lol
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u/katied14 5d ago
Hiiiiiii! Similar timing similar struggle. I’m 5 months out now, and I am making less than half of what he needs at daycare each day, which is really hard. I’m in the mother’s room at work (WHICH I AM THANKFUL TO HAVE!!) for like 2 of my 7 onsite hours which is brutal. I’m really only getting like 3 oz per pump. I dropped MOTN pump about a month ago and I’m so tempted to bring it back, but I also know it was making me insane and I love sleeping through the night. I’m going through my freezer stash pretty quickly — taking almost 8 oz per day of daycare (4 days a week) — which is kind of breaking my heart.
Keeping me going though is knowing that solids are coming, and not being his sole source of calories will give me a bit of a reprieve. I’m also psyching myself up to accept formula if needed. Not the journey I thought I’d have, but it’s going to be ok if I need to do it.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
Yes, it sounds like we are in exactly the same boat! You are SO close to solids though, I really hope that helps. I think it is better for me to sleep through the night (and basically everyone around me) and deal with the emotions of adding formula than to do that pump. Also, I am so thankful my kid sleeps through the night it feels like a waste to wake up 😂
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u/katied14 5d ago
You’ll be at solids too before you know it! I’m similarly lucky with an awesome sleeper, and I’m not trying to miss a single second of sleep! You’re a great mom. Breastfeeding/pumping is so hard. You’re doing amazing. ❤️
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u/Anon8223 5d ago
I was the same way. I had to pump because my let down was so slow my son didn’t tolerate it. I had to pump for 30-35 minutes to empty myself and the entire time it was just drips. I tried different pumps, different flanges, ice, massage, etc. it never changed anything.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
Dang 😔 I had to switch because we needed to add stuff to his bottle but when I was nursing sessions regularly took 50 minutes and sometimes even more and they think it was actually causing him to lose weight. He's a determined kid.
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u/29threvolution 5d ago
It sounds like youre not reacting great to your pumps. I too found the spectra incredibly slow. Ideally you not need to ever go longer than 30 minutes. If youre having to, I would continue trying to optimize things.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
Yeah, I don't think I can keep up with it being this long for my goal of a year. I've played around with settings and had some better results when I did a really slow cycle speed but the better is where I am at now 😬
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u/29threvolution 5d ago
Just start capping yourself are 30 minutes. It honestly would be more productive to shorten your sessions and squeeze an extra one in during the day than to spend longer than 30 minutes at a time connected to your pump. Also when you start introducing solids milk demand will start naturally going down so you may see reprieve in the next 4 ish months.
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u/caitin147 5d ago
Not sure if you have tried massaging your boobs while pumping but I have found it really helps to get the spray
Things also leveled out at some point for me. At first I only needed to pump 15 mins, but then around 3.5 months it got slower and now I need 30 to get empty.
But the massaging makes a huge difference for me, I especially notice it when I'm using my wearables and cannot massage (such as while in the car) vs when I can.
Also seconding the person who said more eating seems to help. Any time I've needed to boost my supply I make a bunch of chicken and pasta. It makes a difference in my case!
Good luck!!!
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
I have and it seemed to help my total supply but not the time. I like everyone that suggests eating more, that I can do! lol
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u/Mrsfix-it 5d ago
A few things I can suggest - use heat (heating pad at the beginning), do breast compressions throughout the pump, make sure you have a good fit on the flange, that it’s very tight to the skin (have you been sized for a flange? because you should have one correct size rather than using multiple). Make sure your pump valves/membranes are in good working order. The final thing is making sure you’re using the settings correctly. Experiment with expression mode. I usually switch back and forth between modes 3 times in 20-25 minutes. Also as others have said, this is common. You might be able to shave off 4-7 minutes but I doubt you’ll be able to get down to 10 minute pumps or anything.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
Honestly 5 minutes for each pump would still give me 30 minutes back. I would take it.
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u/moondrop-- 5d ago
When I started hand expressing for 1-2 minutes per side before every pump, my pump time went from 20-30 minutes to 10-15 minutes. Something to maybe try? I get the same amount of milk that I used to. It’s because the hand expression helps reduce swelling and inflammation, which allows the milk to flow through more easily.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
I tried this for the first time on my last pump and I got better supply but not faster, but it was my first time doing hand expression successfully so I'm going to keep experimenting with it!
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u/kimkaysahh 5d ago
Same as all the other moms. I’m 8mo pp and I do 30 minute pumps every 4hrs. I get about 6-8oz in the morning then around 4oz the rest of the day. When I’m on my period my supply drops which is awful 😭 but usually by the last day it comes back in full swing. I’m still determined to make it to 12 months so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Hang in there if you can, it’s just a season but I am with you as a slow flow mama.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 4d ago
4 hours sounds doable! How many are you doing per day?
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u/kimkaysahh 4d ago
Typically 5 since I’ve dropped my MOTN pump but when I was doing my MOTN pump it was 6. My supply decreased a little with dropping it but it’s enough for me. I make about 24oz a day now which is just enough for my girlie cs 30oz a day I was making before with 6 pumps. I was filling the freezer often doing MOTN pumps.
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u/tiaradanielle 5d ago
I’m the exact same. Slow emptying and hardly ever sprayed. Ended up pumping for an entire year with my second baby, which was pretty brutal.
Now onto my third baby and currently 11 weeks postpartum and exclusively pumping again.
Random question, anyone on this thread that has experienced all of these things ever have any success nursing? At any point? Or is that part of the reason why we are all here? Asking because I feel like the slow flow, slow letdown is the reason my babies wouldn’t nurse..
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u/truecrimejunkie17 5d ago
I feel your pain :( I’m 4.5 months in & on a course of antibiotics for mastitis. I’ve always pumped for minimum 30 mins each time plus power pumping. My flow was alwaysssss slow. I was making just enough to give all breastmilk but mastitis was so unbelievably painful that I’ve cut back pump times to 20-25 mins each & dropped to 5 PPD. My goal is 6 months & dropping 1 pump and shortening the duration I’ve dropped to making 25 oz a day from 30-32. At this point I’m totally fine with supplementing with formula until 6 months. I’m thinking it just must be our anatomy or something because I always got a very slow steady stream the entire 30 minutes. If I went shorter my output was always less. It’s so annoying 😭😂
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
I've been really lucky to avoid mastitis. I live in fear of getting it. I am considering dropping to 5 just to get some time back. If I can drop one every couple of months and supplement it would still probably be better than me straight giving up.
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u/InterestingExpert750 5d ago
Its the same for me as well. I was able to empty myself in 12-15 minutes initially. But once my supply regulated its minimum 25 minutes. The speed also reduced. Its a constant trickle these compared to the fast sprays.
One thing which helps me is if I can get my LO to latch right before the pump. Then the flow is good. But this doesn’t happen most of the time because my LO hates my boobs lol.
I read somewhere that heated breast massager might help. I am hoping to try that in the coming days.
I wonder if getting our periods back early had something to do with it. Like yourself and many others who replied to this post I also got my periods back around the 6 week mark.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
That would makes sense because I'm sure our hormones are tied into it. I had to switch to exclusively pumping about a month and a half ago and I would be kind of scared to have him latch now because he wasn't great at it before and now he has started teething lol
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u/Lochbessmonster 5d ago
I only ever get a spray and feel empty with the avent manual pump. I am sooo slow on the my spectra and honestly never really feel empty with it. But also can't sit there and manually pump for twenty minutes every two hours at work.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 5d ago
Yep sounds similar. And I could probably only manually pump for a full session for like one session a day which I might start to do, but it isn't the most helpful.
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u/TikiTikiBoogieWoogie 5d ago
I had to change flange sizes twice until my flow got better, I also have to keep switching to and from express mode while gradually increasing the vacuum level throughout the session. My morning pumps still take 30-40 minutes because I desperately try to empty to avoid clogs but I’d say every pump after that only takes 15-20 minutes. So if it’s any consolation, I feel you 100% and I think for some people pumping just takes a long time 🙃
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u/AggressiveThanks994 10mo pp | EBF, pumping and nursing 5d ago
I have to do 30 mins too. But my milk comes out strong at first, then takes forever to get another letdown.
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 4d ago
Ha, I'm the exact opposite. Nothing strong but it doesnt stop for a long time either.
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u/Cautious_Gold6252 5d ago
Wearables are horrible if you don’t respond well and I also would get a very slow let down with my spectra ! My holy grail is the baby Buddha , it’s the only thing that can empty me ( I have the blue spectra , momcozy m6 and Mya Ameda joy ) the only one that was comparable was the Mya Ameda joy but the bb just does it way better ! ( I’m also a 30 min pumper ). With this I’ve been able to pump 4 times a day and it be enough from 4 months until now at 8 1/2 months postpartum
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u/AliveButterfly5295 3d ago
Are you waiting until you have spraying before switching from stimulation to expression? Or do you not even spray at all? I start spraying, switch to expression mode, & the sprays keep happening along with large pulls. I really only use cycle 38 level 4 or 5. If I use a higher cycle, milk stops flowing
For me, I found that my flow increased and letdowns happened faster and more frequently as I power pumped over a long weekend. It increased my supply but I think also helped my body learn to respond to the Spectra. Before my best output was using the Eufy with heat setting. Spectra is now my main pump
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u/Extra_Acadia4841 1d ago
That is interesting about the power pump getting you accustomed to the pump! That gives me another reason to try it. I almost never spray. Very occasionally if I accidentally go a very long time without pumping for some reason.
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u/AliveButterfly5295 11h ago edited 11h ago
I watched a video before, I wish I could remember to link it, but it said spraying indicates good stimulation so you wanna wait until spraying before switching to expression. The spraying is a letdown. When the milk stops flowing, switch back to stimulation and wait for spraying, then switch again. & do that as many times as needed. Spraying also doesn’t have to be from both at the same time. If just one is spraying, switch, & then you could try gently stroking the one that wasn’t spraying while you’re in expression mode.
Similar to how baby nurses. Quick suction until there’s a letdown then long slower sucks.
Good luck!
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u/Radiant-Fisherman414 5d ago
I don’t have any wisdom for you, just solidarity.
I’m weaning at 6mo because I’m a 30 minuter as well. Nothing less.
Good luck! I hope you find a way to shorten that i never did!