I've been breastfeeding for 2 months now and i have two pumps that i havent been able to use the past month one of them is electric the other is manual. The reason i havent been able to use them is because my breast wont leak when the pump is on me nothing comes out but when i squeeze on my breast milk flyes out of me and when my daughter is eating she gets plenty of milk but why wont my breast leak on the pumps ? I have tried massaging and putting a warm washcloth but after using the washcloth and then putting the pump on my breasts seem really sore and they started to ache. I have decided to waite a couple hours before i try and use the pump. If that dont work why wont the pump work on my breast.?

I had the same problem. The only thing I found that worked was pumping on one breast while my daughter was nursing on the other. Not exactly easy, but thats all that worked for me. And even that only worked in the morning during the first feeding of the day. Some people just don't work well with pumps, my Aunt was the same way. The only other thing I can suggest is express the milk by hand. Sorry I couldn't be a better help. I hope things get easier for you.

same problem...unless i was expereancing let down.. i gave up on the pumps, they gave my nipples what felt like an indian burn...so now i just manually express into a big thick rimmed coffee cup alot quicker and easier and less painful..also manually i can draw alot more hindmilk.

First, don't quit because of this! Second, not everyone is able to pump huge amounts of milk, let alone any! I was a lucky one and could work and pump enough for my baby to eat and extra for the weekend mornings my husband would let me sleep in. However, I knew a girl that was almost jealous of me because the most she could extract in a whole day, if she was lucky, was 2 ounces. Some women can do it others can't. But as long as the baby is eating and getting enough, don't worry about that. If you are returning to work and need to supplement, don't feel bad about using formula, as long as when you are with her you constantly offer the breast so that she doesn't want the easy way out! Hope it works out for the better!

Emotionally and mentally your body doesn't want to use the pump. You have to learn how to relax and let the pump do the work for you. This is difficult I know and some women can't quite get the hang of it. Make sure your comfortable, warm, get a snack or a drink of water. Have pictures of your baby close by and maybe an article of his/her clothing because it smells so yummy! Also, reading really helped me. If I started reading something (mostly parenting magazines) I would relax more and it would take my mind off the pump and then I could make more milk.Good luck and don't give up! Electric pumps are much easier though... I wouldn't keep struggling with the manual.

Not every nursing mother can use a pump successfully. The reasons for this can be either emotional, physical, or both. Emotionally, there is no attachment to the pump. It's a clinical thing, a machine, versus the baby you nurture and feed at the breast. In addition, for many women the pump represents the inability to breastfeed because work separates you from your baby. Because of these reasons, nursing mothers often have difficulty relaxing enough to allow for let down. And no pump will pull milk out of a breast if there is no let down.Physically, there may be a number of problems. The suction attachment on the pump may not be the correct size for your nipple, or the attachment may not be fully sealed against your breast. If your pump is battery operated, the batteries may not be fresh enough to provide enough power for proper, continual suction. If your pump has not been properly cleaned it can also clog and not suction properly, either).If you feel that it may be an emotional block preventing you from pumping, examine the environment in which you are trying to pump. I'm guessing you are trying to pump at work. If you're lucky enough to work where there is a lactation room just for nursing mothers (the Food Network headquarters has one of these, for example), you're a step ahead of the rest. If you have a lockable office, then put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door and lock it. If there is no private space in which to pump (and the company bathroom does not count!) talk to your supervisor or employer about needing a private space for a couple of 15 minute stretches per day. If necessary, explain to him or her that breastfed babies are healthier babies, meaning less time away from work for you.Once you have your pumping environment set, then bring out some photos of your baby (some pumps have plastic photo holders just for this) or something that your baby wears that carries her scent. If you have an iPod, play some relaxing music. Have a bottle of water to sip while you pump. Dim the lights to help you relax, if necessary. And focus on your baby, whom you will be nourishing with your milk.Now, if it's a matter of the pump possibly not working correctly, call your hospital's lactation consultant and ask if she can observe you pumping to see what might be wrong. Some hospital lactation consultants charge, so another option would be calling your local La Leche League leader (you can find one at http://www.lalecheleague.org). Leaders are trained to support and encourage all facets of breastfeeding, and even if you have never attended a monthly LLL meeting, your local leader should be able to help you pump more efficiently.It's not easy, but using a pump beats hand expression, which can take a long, long time. However, if you cannot get past that mental block, you may need to consider hand expression. Remember that no matter which way you do end up expressing milk -- by hand or by pump -- every drop of breast milk for your baby is worth it. Good luck!