Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Pumping Question

OK, I could use a little advice. This may be an obvious question, but I thought I'd ask anyway in case someone else has experienced this and has some tips.

I am on my 9th week of pumping on the accelerated protocol. Things seem to be going well, as I am up to about 8 oz per day and increasing each week. However, I am having a hard time knowing when to stop pumping each time. Previously, I was pumping until there was nothing left, but now I have one breast that just seems to produce a slow drip endlessly.

I guess that this is a good thing, but am I safe to assume that I should just stop after 30 minutes or so even if I still have some milk? Is there some reason why I am such a slow pumper? I am using breast massage, compression, etc. already.

Even though I am puzzled, I am also encouraged. Maybe I won't need to supplement much if I'm able to nurse frequently and there is usually at least something there.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, ladies!

-Jenny M. in MI

Hi Jenny,

How are you doing the compression? I had a breast like that and I could get sprays when I pushed the breast tissue into the flange. Once I got sprays that way the breast drained rather quickly. Since the breast works on supply and demand it is best to be sure the breast is drained so that it triggers your body to produce more milk. I started just pumping that breast and using the second hand to do the compression but then I mastered using just one hand. Good Luck!

I also wanted to say that you may want to try manual expression after you get done pumping to be sure that everything has come out. I had one breast that reacted better towards the pump and one that was better at manual expression. It takes a little to get used to it but works like a charm.

Oh I completely agree! When my flow slows to one large drop every 2 or more suction cycles, I stop pumping. Even so, I can ALWAYS still manually express sprays of milk afterward. Pumping alone does not empty my breasts as completely. And it's EMPTYING the breast frequently that encourages more milk.

Thank you both! I looked up hand expression techniques, and that does seem to have emptied that never-ending right breast now. I never learned hand expression before now, despite the fact that I breastfed 3 biological babies. I had oversupply issues with them, so this is an entirely different experience.

How's it going?