10 Tips On How to Stimulate Let Down Reflex (Other Than Pump’s Let Down Button)

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This article is part of series titled ‘How to Pump Breast Milk Effectively’. To check other articles in this series, click here.

In the previous article, I have discussed how to choose correctly-fitted breast shield. Now you are one step ahead to pump more efficiently.

Now, let’s discuss about let down reflex. I believe right now you already know that milk flow depends on let down reflex. Only after achieving let down, milk will flow out of breast.

But how do you achieve let down reflex, or, more specifically, how to stimulate let down reflex QUICKLY?

Is the let down mode in some of the pump brand the only way to get this? Fortunately NO.

There are other ways to achieve let down other than relying on your breast pump’s let down function.

Here, I would like to share 10 tips to achieve let down reflex faster. Combining some of them may help you to achieve let down faster and finish your pumping session quicker.

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Tips #1: Nipple stimulation

Using your hand, you can do nipple stimulation by gentle pulling (tugging, stroking) and rolling your nipple. 

If you double pump, this may not be necessary if your pump has let down massage button. But I found that sometimes combining pump massage in one breast and doing nipple stimulation on the other helps me to achieve let down faster, especially in aiming for second or third let down.

Tips #2: thinking about your baby

This can be done by looking at your baby’s photos, recorded babbles, or videos. Some mothers also used their baby’s clothing or toys which smells like them.

For me personally, video is best, because you can see your baby’s movement and voice at the same time.

Tips #3: Imagine water body (waterfall, river streams, fountain)

Visualizing water flowing or spraying reminds you of milk spraying out from breast after let down. And a lot of moms say that this really help triggering the let down reflex.

Tips#4: Warm drink before pumping

If you never tried this before, you should. Having a warm beverage (like this nursing tea) before pumping helps you to relax and trigger the oxytocine hormone (or so called the ‘happy’ hormone) inside your body and stimulate faster let down.

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Are you struggling to pump enough milk?

This FREE pumping checklist summarizes my best pumping strategies that will help you pump effectively and get more milk!

Click here to download your pumping checklist

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Tips #5: Warm shower before pumping

Well, you can’t really have a warm shower before every pumping session. But if you could, it certainly help. I remember one night I was pumping after shower and without realising it, my bottle was already full of milk. You should try!

Tips #6: Warm compress and massage

Combining breast massage and warm compress right before you pump will help the milk ducts releasing milk faster. The warm sensation is relaxing and good for let down. You can use a reusable breast therapy pads to easily warm compress your breast before pumping.

Helpful Product:

A lot of moms report faster let-down when they use

Lavie Lactation Massager when they pump. This little massager vibrates and help to stimulate milk flow. Click here learn more how to use Lavie lactation massager to speed up your let-down and overall pumping time in my detailed article about Lavie Massager.

 

Tips #7: Enjoy yourself

When you feel nervous, tense or stressful, your let down may not come easily. This can occur because you are too concerned about your pumping output or you feel stressed for something else.

If you are pumping at work, you might experience this quite frequently. I used to be nervous before my weekly progress meeting, and as a result, it took me longer to achieve let down.

This advise may sound easy to say, but not so easy to do.

Try to think about something else, watch a short movie, browse your Pinterest or Facebook feed, or any other thing that may make you more relaxed.

Tips #8: Relaxation technique with deep breathing

There are a lot of ways to do relaxation. Deep breathing is one of them, which is part of progressive relaxation technique. To do this, find a quiet place free from distraction.

You can follow a step by step guide, such as outlined in here, or follow a video guide, like this one.

The book A Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk also consists a section which discuss about this relaxation technique in details.

Tips #9: Practice conditioned let down with ‘let down cues’

Do you always do something before pumping?

Perhaps drinking a cup of warm tea. Or always sit at the same place in certain room. Whatever it is, when you have a so-called ‘routine’ before doing pumping, it will help to train your body that it is time to pump, and thus you will achieve let-down easier. KellyMom has a great information of how to practice conditioned let-down and cues that you can practice to get let down faster.

Tips #10: Stop your pump, … then restart again..

It is so frustrating when you pump but not able to get let down.

Don’t let it continue. Stop your pump, take a deep breath, and restart again.

A lot of mothers claimed that this action helps them to achieve their let-down. Perhaps a short break is just what your breast need, and stopping the pump for a moment serve that purpose well.

 

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So, there you have it. Ten tips to achieve let down faster, other than relying on your pump’s let-down button.

What is your favorite trick to achieve let down?

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Are you struggling to pump enough milk?

This FREE pumping checklist summarizes my best pumping strategies that will help you pump effectively and get more milk!

Click here to download your pumping checklist

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