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Stogglebox 
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Joined: 16 July 2008
Location: Auckland
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 Topic: Encouraging a letdown - advice please!
Posted: 27 June 2009 at 12:30pm |
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Hi
I went back to work 2 weeks ago and I can feed my baby at lunchtime, but I still express in the morning. It has been going reasonably well so far, until yesterday when I couldn't get a letdown at all! I sat there for about 20 mins I think and no, nadda. Wasn't gonna happen and then of course I got frustrated so it definitely wasn't going to happen! I take a little photo with me and have been taking a voice recorder thing with 'sounds' of my baby on there (I need to get a different photo and new sounds now I think though) and also I try and relax and think about her - visualise her feeding or being happy and visualise milk flowing etc, but it just wasn't happening on friday. Other times it seems like I have got a letdown when I was thinking about other things - like on my recorder there was a sound of the tap running in the background and then I got a letdown! Maybe I should be listening to relaxing music instead??
Does anyone have any advice of things that worked for them? I now feel a bit worried and I know that is not going to help me either, so today or tomorrow I am going to try and express some milk at home to do some practice and make myself feel better.
I use a double electric pump at work but I have a manual pump at home. I don't really want to go onto formula for feeds in-between times....
thanks
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Mother of Natsumi Sarah born on 23 January 2009
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jano1
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Joined: 27 December 2008
Location: Auckland
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Posted: 27 June 2009 at 1:11pm |
A MW at Greenlane hospital told me if I had any trouble with let down to put pressure on the middle of your shoulder blade (using an elbow if there is someone with you or maybe your finger tips if you are alone. She was trained in acupuncture. I haven't had to try yet but you could give that a go. Good luck 
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noodle
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Joined: 01 January 1900
Location: Auckland
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Posted: 27 June 2009 at 1:35pm |
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apparantly a warm cloth placed on the top part of your boob can help, havn't tried it myself tho...
Edited by noodle
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FreeSpirit
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Posted: 27 June 2009 at 1:49pm |
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It's a bit TMI, but if I need a letdown quickly I play with/ squeeze my other boob. And visualising the nourishment my milk gives my child. The warm flannel or shower works well but needs to be applied a minute or two before you start pumping.
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weegee
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Posted: 27 June 2009 at 5:40pm |
When I was having issues I found that concentrating on my baby just got me worked up and didn't help. Visualising waterfalls helped me
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Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010
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Stogglebox
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Posted: 01 July 2009 at 9:33pm |
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Thanks all for your advice. Hot flannel seemed to help a bit, as did massaging and kind of doing a hand-expressing motion. Also listening to some nice music too and drinking hot water as well. Still seems to take a while but I have started to think that I shouldn't stress too much - if it happens it happens, and if it doesn't, maybe it will the following day (we still have some milk in the freezer). I use a double pump so the shoulder blade pressure thing might be difficult!
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Mother of Natsumi Sarah born on 23 January 2009
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Encouraging a letdown - advice please!
