What Are the Reasons a Breast Pump Fails to Express Milk?
Disease description:
I woke up this morning with a mild cold. After taking some medication, I didn’t want to breastfeed my baby, so I tried expressing the excess milk. However, I couldn’t express any milk using the breast pump. Could you please explain why this might be happening?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lv Aiming
If the breast pump fails to express milk, first check whether the pump itself is functioning properly. Second, assess whether there is milk present in the breasts; if no milk is available, the pump will naturally fail to extract any. Additionally, breast engorgement or milk stasis can also impede milk expression. Prior to using the breast pump, apply a warm (not hot) compress to the breasts with a warm towel, and gently massage from the base of the breast toward the nipple. Then proceed with pumping.
