What can I do if I'm having trouble pumping?

For many women, the most difficult thing about pumping is finding the time to fit it into their schedule during the workday or finding a comfortable, private space to do it in. But pumping doesn't come easily for everyone. Here are some reasons you may be having trouble getting much milk out and some tips for what to do about it:

1. You may be pumping too soon. You won't get much milk out of your breasts if you or your baby has recently done a good job of draining them. Don't stress about exactly when is the optimum time to pump, but take note if you're having trouble.

2. You may need to change the settings on your pump.

It can be hard to get enough milk if the suction pressure is too low or the cycling speed is too fast. In some cases, your pump may not provide the right pumping pattern for you no matter how you adjust it. The most advanced pumps now come with a reprogrammable setting card that you can send back to the manufacturer for adjustment.

3. You may not be using a very good breast pump. Some women have trouble getting enough milk out if they're using a manual pump or an electric one that doesn't work very well (after about a year of use the battery may be worn out). You'll get the best results from a high-quality, electric double pump.

4. You may be using shields (phalanges) that are too small for your nipples.

This is a common problem because most pumps come with phalanges that are designed for women with small nipples. If your phalange is too small and your nipples swell up once you start to pump, you won't be able to get as much milk out of your breasts. Many breast pump companies now make breast phalanges in larger sizes. Make sure you're using the size that's right for you.

5. You may not be producing very much milk. There are manyreasons for this, including not nursing often enough and not staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Some medications, like decongestants or estrogens, can also inhibit milk supply.

6. You may be having trouble with the letdown of your milk. Try to relax and get yourself comfortable while pumping. (Some women like to look at a picture of their baby, close their eyes and think of their baby, or even listen to a recording of their baby's coos or gurgles.) You might also try gently massaging your breasts or using warm compresses on them before pumping.

If you're having trouble or feeling discouraged, call a lactation consultant. Or talk to pumping moms in our Community. They can help and be a great source of support.

Here are the top tips from mums who pump....

Pumping helps extend your breastfeeding relationship with your baby and enables you to kee your milk supply up and collect precious breast milkfor later feedings while you're away from your child. So how to make it easier? We've collected the best tips of the trade from our readers.

Setting the stage

"Find the time of day that's best for you. For a friend of mine, it was in the evenings when her baby was asleep; she was relaxed and could pump easily. For me, I could never get anything at night. Pumping in the morning worked best."

— Julie

"I've heard many women say that pumping in the morning yields lots of milk. I was never able to manage this because my daughter always woke me up to eat right away, and then it was a mad scramble to get to work. So I always pumped one last time at night right before I went to bed. I did this even when I was really tired. Plus, it helped keep my milk supply up after I went back to work."

— Linda

"Start pumping early. I wish I had pumped once a day from the beginning to build up a stockpile. That way, if something happened at work and I was only able to pump once instead of twice, or if I didn't get much milk during a session, I still had plenty of milk."

— Elizabeth

"I find it helpful to pump after I get out of the shower. The warm water seems to help get things flowing, even after my son has already had his morning nursing."

— Karoline

"A great tip that helped me when I pumped at work was to look at pictures of my daughter while pumping. This relaxed me and made me feel that I was doing something worthwhile and very beneficial for my daughter."

— Roma

"I would sometimes let the baby nurse on one side and then pump on the other side. The flow was remarkable and I still had enough to feed the baby."

— Cathey

"I would usually pump and go online to check my email. It helped me relax. I wouldn't be uncomfortable while doing it and before I knew it, I would be finished. So I suggest reading, watching TV, or performing some other activity to make the time pass more quickly. Because if you're waiting to finish, it just seems like it takes forever."

— Jennifer

The right equipment

"If you work and pump, get the best pump you can. It's worth it. If not, you may find your milk decreasing and having to give formula, which is expensive. Go with the pump!"

— Anonymous, mom of twins

"If you're pumping for quite some time or to establish your milk, you need a big industrial-size pump. (These are available to rent at most hospitals.) Hand pumps and cheap drugstore electric pumps won't establish your milk."

— Leah

"I'd highly recommend investing in a good electric pump if you're planning to work and continue breastfeeding your child. I purchased the Medela Pump 'N' Style. I'm very pleased with the product. Friends told me a good pump would make a huge difference."

— Carolyn

"I have a small, effective, easy-to-use pump that can be manual, battery, or plugged in. It's nice to know that if the batteries die on me while I'm away from home I can always use the manual extension. And since it can operate on batteries, I just slip into a stall in the restroom at work."

— Kjersten

"Use a double pump — it takes half the time."

— Karen

"Get a pumping bra. It allows for hands-free pumping by holding the bottles for you. You can pump while working, typing, and talking on the phone. It made my year-long pumping journey tolerable."

— Heather

"Always keep an extra hand towel with you to wipe up any dripping milk. It's saved me a lot in dry-cleaning bills."

— Irene

"I put together an on-the-road pump kit to take with me. Along with all the usual pumping accessories (tubes, pump heads, etc.), I have a frozen ice pack to put in the cooling storage pocket of the breast pump, a plastic bag to hold any extra storage bottles, and a little bottle of liquid soap to clean everything after pumping."

— Anonymous

"Keep a hand pump in the car just in case you forget your electric pump or all the parts you need to make it work. Having this emergency back up has saved the day more than a few times and saved me from uncomfortable fullness."

—Sabrina

Pumping at work

"Don't be afraid to ask for special treatment: Expect to use a room that locks; don't use a bathroom stall. You wouldn't make your lunch in the bathroom, so don't make your baby's there, either."

— Veronica

Editor's note: By law, companies must provide unpaid time to pump and a private space that is not a bathroom.

"I found the most important thing while pumping and working is to make pumping a priority. Once you decide to pump 'When I have time,' you're sunk. You're at work — there is no time. You have to make the time."

— Kathy

"I'm a full-time working mom. Along with pumping a couple times during the day, I also pump once a day on the weekends. That way, I can go into the week a little ahead of the game. On Mondays, I take my oldest frozen milk to daycare. During the rest of the week, I use the fresh stuff pumped the previous day. On Friday, I freeze what I pumped that day and any leftover milk from the week."

— Pam

" If you try to make phone calls while pumping, be warned that the person on the other end will likely hear the pump in action. I didn't mind if my husband or a friend heard, but I wishmy co-workers had told me what they heard when I called. (Well, they did tell me many months into it!)."

— Gretchen

"I work in very close quarters (cubicles) in a predominantly male environment. Before I came back to work, I sat my boss down and told him about my desire to continue breastfeeding. Luckily his wife had breastfed and he was supportive. I bought a cheap vinyl shower curtain and spring-loaded shower rod and would put those up in the 'doorway' of my cubicle when I pumped. I informed everyone in my office that when the shower curtain was up, they were not to come in. After a while, people would stand outside my cubicle while I pumped and carry on work discussions. It worked beautifully for me — because I was not ashamed or embarrassed by what I was doing."

— Wendy

"These are the essentials for pumping at work: a picture of your child, a good book, a fridge to store the milk in, breast pads, and a private space."

— Anonymous

"While pumping at work, I keep a clean cloth diaper with me. It smells like my daughter (in a good way) and also helps to dry my breasts after pumping. When I occasionally have trouble letting down, I close my eyes and think about my daughter breastfeeding ... works like a charm!"

— Caroline

"Get extra sets of pump equipment so you don't have to spend time washing at work."

— Camille

"Have two plastic bags for pump parts: one for clean parts and one for holding the milk-covered parts before you rinse them."

— Jennie

"I found that the refreeze-able rectangle blocks used for lunch containers work very well to chill my breast milk pumped at work. Also, the insulated lunch bags are a good size to store 4-ounce bottles."

— Cade's mom

"Keep a stash of extra pumping bottles at work. I learned my lesson one day when I discovered I didn't have any. By the end of the day, I was completely engorged. Now I keep more than I need in my drawer, just in case I've rushed off to work and left the clean bottles at home."

— Sarah

Safe, smart storage

"Pump straight into your baby's bottles if you can. The openings on some bottles are too big to attach directly to a pump, so I always used the small containers that came with my pump and then transferred the milk to the bottles. Months later, I found out the manufacturer made a pump attachment for their wide-mouthed bottles. This would have saved me time and mess. Plus, it seems more sanitary since you aren't transferring milk from bottle to bottle."

— Anonymous

"If you're concerned about not wasting milk (I understand — that's valuable liquid!), my lactation consultant suggested storing the milk in 2-ounce amounts. You can always warm up more if needed."

— Jennifer

"Store milk in small batches. I learned this the hard way. I froze about 8 ounces of milk in one container for my daughter. Her childcare provider defrosted the 8-ounce bottle, fed my daughter (who drank her usual 3 ounces), and then threw the rest away! I cried all the way home that day. Pumping was so hard for me. It had taken me hours to get that 8 ounces."

— Linda

"Pump your milk, then put it in breast milk storage bags. They say the bags are freezer-safe, but I add them to a freezer-safe plastic zip bag for an extra layer of protection against freezer burn."

— Megan

"I pour my breast milk into ice-cube trays. As soon as the milk is frozen, I pop the cubes into a freezer-safe plastic zip bag. It's easy to label a bag for each week of milk. Some trays have cubes that hold about 1 oz. It's much more cost-effective than using a separate brand name breast milk bag for each pumping."

— Lisa

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