you know the feeling, right?

pumping for your normal 25 minute pump session, you think everything is going fine, but you take a peek and you look in your collection bottles aaaand nothing. okay, what feels like nothing because you know your body holds more milk than you’re seeing in your bottles.

cue the panic, the heart dropping into your butt, the actual devastation — is your supply dipping? is your pump dying? do you hold a funeral (is that appropriate or just too weird) for your stupid pump? you spent all this time hooked up to your fucking pump, working on your breathing techniques that your therapist taught you because you are NOT getting overstimulated and bested by this boobie robot.

OKAY HOLD IT. before you spiral even more out of control — let’s take a look at the actual possibilities, and how to troubleshoot and fix each one!!!

YOUR “HELP ME EMPTY FULLY” CHECKLIST —

✔️ do you need to try a different pump? is your body not responding to one specific brand or pump style right now?

there are so many different types of breast pumps, and each of them function and support your body in a slightly different way! the 6 types that i like to talk about are primary, secondary, portable, wearable, manual and passive. not every pump style or brand will support your individual body, or remove milk as effectively as you may expect.

part of this conversation is understanding the limitations of these pump types have, how to use your equipment to the best of its physical ability! and therefore obviously actually get closer to achieving your breastfeeding and pumping goals.

SOLUTION —

1. try a different pump if you own one, or ask a friend to borrow their pump (of course if they feel comfortable) — we are trying to narrow down if you respond better to a different pump! this isn’t always the case, but some pumps function well for some, and not for others.
   
   
2. snag the $9 Engorged to Empty e-book — the no bullshit guide to choosing the right pump the first time! i break down and go over the 6 types of breast pumps (primary, secondary, portable, wearable, manual and passive) and HOW to use each of these for your most successful pump session!!! and my fav part? my CLC verified list of pumps that i recommend to my clients, that will actually be worth your money.

✔️ are you using the right settings (letdown + expression mode) with your letdowns? do you need to decrease your suction level?

it seems counterintuitive right? turn down your suction intensity to express more milk? it’s true! higher suction may not necessarily help you empty well or even faster — this can potentially prevent your milk from exiting your body.

be sure you are switching back and forth between letdown (bacon mode) and expression (droplet mode) when your letdown starts to come in full force! this will help you empty more effectively instead of leaving milk behind. using your pump settings can make or break your pumping experience imo.

SOLUTION —

1. experiment with your cycle/frequency to see what your body responds best to. you can also do this with your suction level — which helps you pull the most amount of milk in xxx amount of time?
   
   
2. i teach more about how to know what the hell you’re doing during your pump sessions inside my “basics to successful pumping” course!!! using your breast pump + its modes (no matter what brand or style), and increasing your milk supply and emptying fully? like okay, let me teach ya!!!
   

✔️ when was the last time you replaced your pump parts?

especially for exclusive pumpers, this is really important!!! just like any other tool or piece of equipment, your breast pump requires upkeep and care to be sure it lasts, and is functioning optimally! aka — so it can remove milk fully, to keep up your milk supply. depending on how often you use your breast pump, it will depend on the time period that you will need to replace them.

SOLUTION —

1. grab my free complete guide to replacing pump parts — giving you the when, what and how, the down and dirty of replacing your pump parts with ease!!! including quick links to order and stock up so your parts are all ready to go when you need them.

✔️ do you need to remeasure (or measure for the very first time) your nipple size for a proper flange size and shape fit?

flange sizing is the key to expressing milk and emptying adequately! most breast pumps come with 24mm flanges, but the most recent research is showing us that most parents use smaller than about 17mm — which is a massive difference when it comes to comfort and milk expression.

it’s very possible for your nipple size and therefore flange size to shift and change, especially in the first year of breastfeeding or pumping! i do recommend remeasuring every 3 months in your first year, especially if you notice any discomfort, pain, trouble emptying or decrease in supply.

SOLUTION —

1. get my free flange measuring tool — this is a printable instant download to help guide you on what size is closest to your natural anatomy, for a more comfortable + increased volume pump session!
   
   
2. $9 digital download, the ultimate flange catalog — all the flange sizes, material options + sizes on the market (almost) in one place for quick ordering! including links to my favorite blog posts on how to size your flange correctly, my CLC tips + tricks on how to get the best size fit.
   
   
   

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related blog posts that i think you’ll seriously love —

• the ultimate guide to using your wearable breast pumps to keep up your milk supply
• why you need to stop thinking of foremilk as “low-fat” and hindmilk as “high in fat”
• a peek into my DMs: “can i increase my supply at 3/6/9/12 months postpartum?”

what else would you add to this checklist on how to empty fully?
xoxo, Bethany | Certified Lactation Counselor | Your Overproducing Exclusively Pumping Mama