Breasts Feel Full After Pumping

how much are you getting when you pump? just a few ounces? because yeah maybe the let down isn't happening for you, it is so different, isn't it, sitting there with two bottles attatched to your nipples yanking them away, vs cuddling with your little baby. good for you for going at it. i would consult the la leche league because they are THE SOURCE of everything to do with nursing etc. i do know that when you are pumping you can get cloths wet with warm water and put them on, and then imagine that you are in fact nursing instead of pumping.... good luck

If your milk is not letting down while you are pumping then the milk you pump out will not be very fatty (look at it after it has been sitting still for awhile to see if there is a good layer of fat on the top). I had letdown problems for awhile w/ my son and when I tried to pump not much milk would come out, so if you're getting a good amt of milk and the fat content looks ok, I wouldn't worry. Your body's milk production fluctuates depending on how much you pump, nurse, what you eat, etc.

If you are emptying your breasts when you pump, your body will think there isn't enough and trigger a second let down.

Either pump again for more milk, pump only a little this second round to relieve the feeling but don't pump a lot to DISCOURAGE milk production, or don't completely empty the breasts the first time around so your body thinks it's making TOO MUCH milk.

If that doesn't make sense, feel free to PM for more info.

You are so fortunate, I can't pump like that. I dry up while pumping, even pumping 20 minutes at a time every hour and a half!
S., mom to four girls, the first two I pumped for the first month and resorted to formula when I dried up, and the next two I exclusively breastfed.

There is already great advice posted. My only suggestion would be to pump one side at a time. I also had a double breast pump but I never was able to get as much out when pumping on both sides. I dropped to one side at a time, making the suction more powerful. I was able to get more out in a sitting. Good luck, I know how hard it is to pump at work!

K.
Congrats on nursing and working! I know that that is a real challenge for a lot of moms. Congrats for making it work!

A lot of women who feel the let down tingle at first don't as their babies get older and as their bodies adjust. I stopped feeling it around 6mos, it can vary mom to mom. I have a friend who's let-down tingle was mildly uncomfortable -- and she felt it every time until the baby weaned.

As for the full feeling - the more you nurse/pump, the more milk your body will make. Unless you are uncomfortably full, I don't see a reason to pump. If it is uncomfortable, you can pump to comfort, and then stop. Or capture more of that mama goodness for your little one :-) Most moms feel full now and then - since you have a pump handy, that's one way to take care of it. Your body will reabsorb the milk if it doesn't get pumped/nursed out - so there's no harm in not pumping in those cases. Your body will adjust.

HTH
K., mama to
Catherine, 4y
Samuel, 15m

You need to ALSO nurse your baby or your supply will begin to dwindle. Pumping removes the milk well but does a terrible job at stimulating production; I know, I have 4 daughters ages 2-8 and I nursed and pumped with all of them between 19-23 months. Make a habit of nursing the baby on only one side (as long as this is enough to fill her up. She should fall back with her hands over her head sound asleep or just fade into a happy contented sleep at the breast) and then pump the leftover milk in that side out as well as all the milk in the other side. Massage the breast and run your fingers from under your arms down to the nipple. The next nursing, nurse on the opposite side and then follow the same procedure. I always have milk in my freezer after I finish nursing for those extra little boosts during the cold season or whatever. If you need to go to formula at some point, purchase "Nourishing Tradition" by Sally Fallon, you can find it on our "suggested reading" under "nutrition" on our website, www.sandcreekfarm.net. I have a degree in Scientific Nutrition and have seen many babies raised successfully on Sally's recommended raw milk formula recipe and many raised on soy and store bought recipes that their parents "wish they had known". Soy is being linked to ADD, ADHD and all those other disorders; it also messes with the hormone balance and suppresses the thyroid. Check out the Weston A. Price Foundation for more information on why you don't want to eat soy. Breast is best and you should do whatever it takes to keep that as your babies full nutrition for a minimum of 6 months, up to a year if she is satisfied on your milk. Babies don't have the ability to digest anything but milk until their gut develops, usually other foods given under 6 months old cause gas, constipation and colic as well as the potential development of many food allergies. Also, GMO grains found in our food sources cause thickening of the stomach and intestinal linings. Check out "Seeds of Deception", you will find it on the web and on our website. It will blow your mind as they talk about GMO soy, corn, crooked neck squash, zucchini, some papaya, and cotton. Many blessings and happy milk production.

I think it sounds like you might not be pumping long enough. When I breast fed I felt the let down in both breasts. But when i pumped with a double pump I had to massage my breasts before I started pumping to get a good let down then start pumping and make sure that you are breast feeding as much as possible in the evening and through out the night! Even though you are at work you got to make sure you pump as soon as you start feeling the pressure and then get a pattern down so your body will stick with it. If not you might find you will slowly start to loose your milk supply. Good Luck Breast feeding is the best thing you could ever do to start your child out right. WAY TO GO YOU BREAST FEEDING MOMMY YOU!