Why can't the breast pump suck out milk? What should I do if the breast pump can't suck out milk?

A breast pump is a good helper for working mothers to continue breastfeeding, but many new mothers do not know how to use a breast pump. Therefore, many mothers are confused about why the new breast pump cannot suck out milk. Today, I will explain to you what to do if the breast pump cannot suck out milk.

Precautions for using a breast pump

Under what circumstances will the inability to express milk occur?

1. There is too much milk. Just like when the RF increases, it will be very difficult for the baby to suck at the beginning. At this time, you can squeeze out a little milk and then suck.

2. If there is congestion in RF, you can apply heat to the RF area with a relatively hot towel before using the breast pump, and rub and massage from the base of the RF to the RT area, and then use the breast pump to suck out, and repeat this action when you can't suck out anymore.

If your hands get sore from using a breast pump, you need to pay attention to the frequency and posture of breastfeeding:

1. When pumping milk, you can use one hand to lift the breast to be pumped, and then put the breast pump horn cover on it, so that the fit will be better.

2. The pressing frequency does not need to be too fast. A rhythm of pressing once, waiting for two seconds, releasing, and pressing again is sufficient. This can avoid hand soreness caused by pressing too quickly.

Will hand expressing damage my mammary glands?

Exerting too much force when expressing milk can indeed cause breast damage, but the correct way to express milk will not injure the new mother's mammary glands.

Correct way to hand express milk

Wash your hands, find a comfortable position to sit down, and place the container of milk near your breast. Place your thumb on the top of the nipple and areola, and your index finger on the bottom of the nipple and areola, and hold the breast with the other fingers. Use your thumb and index finger to squeeze toward the chest wall. When squeezing, your fingers must be fixed and cannot slide on the skin. Repeat several times and the milk will come out. For mothers with a strong milk ejection reflex, milk will spray out after squeezing for a while.

In short, the technique should be appropriate and the strength should be appropriate, otherwise it is easy to get breast diseases and affect breastfeeding.

Reasons for not being able to pump milk

1. The breast pump does not have enough suction

There are many reasons why a breast pump cannot suck out milk. It may be that the suction power of the breast pump purchased by the mother is not enough. Generally, manual breast pumps have suction problems, and electric breast pumps rarely have this problem. Mothers who are concerned about this may wish to pay attention when purchasing a breast pump.

2. Breast pumping frequency is too fast

Many mothers have a misunderstanding about breast pumps. They think that the faster the manual breast pump rotates, the more milk it can suck. In fact, this is not the case. For mothers with thin or blocked mammary ducts, a frequency that is too fast will still not be able to suck out milk, and it may damage the mother's breasts and cause mastitis.

3. Breast pump installation error

If the breast pump cannot suck out milk, it may be because there is an error in the installation of the breast pump. Therefore, the assembly must be carried out according to the steps in the instruction manual, or ask a professional to help with the assembly. During use, it should be close to the breast, pressed tightly, and no air should be allowed to escape.

Solution:

To avoid the breast pump failing to suck out milk, mothers can lie flat on the bed for 10 minutes and relax before using the breast pump. Use a horn comb to comb the breasts from the base to the nipple, then gently move the breasts or apply a hot towel to relax the breasts again, and finally start sucking milk. During use, it is best to use the gears from small to large.

Many mothers have little or no milk, mainly because the milk ducts are too thin or blocked. Letting the baby suck directly will be very effective for the mother to clear the milk. Or you can directly buy an electric breast pump, because electric breast pumps can stimulate milk flow and dredge the mammary glands.

Concerns about breast pumps

1. The amount of milk will decrease - Some people think that using a breast pump will decrease the amount of milk. In fact, it will not. In the early stage, more breast pumping will help increase the amount of milk. The principle of the breast pump is the same as that of the baby's sucking. Of course, the feeling is a little different, but you can manually adjust it to the same frequency as the baby's sucking;

2. Poor milk quality - some people say this, but they can't tell the reason. I personally think that the milk quality problem has nothing to do with whether or not to use a breast pump;

3. Milk leakage problem - Some people think that using a breast pump will make the nipple bigger and leak milk, but it won't. Sucking one breast will stimulate the brain, secrete prolactin, and make the mammary gland secrete milk. This stimulation is the same for both breasts, so milk will also drip out of the other side, commonly known as milk leakage. This is a normal phenomenon. Direct breastfeeding will also cause this situation. Using a breast pump can prepare in advance to avoid the milk from the other side from wetting the baby's clothes. Sometimes, even with direct breastfeeding, the nipple may be stimulated by external factors (such as friction and touch of clothing, etc.) and secrete milk. Of course, this varies from person to person.