Let-down problems at work

Some women have great difficulty breast pumping at work. It's just not that easy to go from building actuarial matrixes to hooking yourself up to a breast pump. You can almost feel like your in a race - how fast can I pump? Often, let-down doesn't happen and you're left going back to work frustrated, worried about your milk supply AND stuck very uncomfortable engorged breasts. How can you achieve a faster let-down?

This is a topic dear to many women's hearts. So often you have no problem pumping at home, but once at work the milk just won't come out. You know there is milk in there, in fact, there's tons of it, but try as you might you just can't tap it.

The first thing you need to do is RELAX. Admittedly this is hard to do when your breasts are on fire, but you have to get into the mindstate you have at home. If there is a TV in the room, watch your favorate shows. Listen to music, read, do crossword puzzles etc. You should also try bringing in an article of baby's clothing and hang it across you shoulder so you can smell baby while your pumping. Make a tape of your baby crying - especially the cry when baby is hungry - and play it while your pumping at work.

Try massaging your breasts while pumping. Sometimes, this will help let-down. A tip we were sent was to massage the areola. Place your index and thumb on the areola and massage towards the nipple. Do this initally until a few squirts of milk come out.

If you feel your getting nowhere you may want to look into the Whittlestone breast pump. It is designed for mother's with special needs - engored breast being one of them.