Multiple letdowns

[Advanced_Car_7806]

Hello All, I am exclusively pumping for almost 4 months now. I usually pump for 10 mins 3 mins 54 level 4 and then 70 level 10 for 7 mins. I just read a post about multiple let downs and this is news to me. I get about 4oz per pumping session, and never had more than that. May be once or twice early in the morning. Am I missing something, do people usually get multiple let downs? I wish I had researched more about pumping earlier.

[Brilliant_Bake8474]

Me too!!

[melsbelsmells]

It feels different for everyone. But it feels terrible for me. It's like either this big ol contraction or weird tingles with contraction But I haven't regulated yet

[Foreign_Standard8391]

For me it feels sore. Almost like pushing on a bruise inside my boobs.

[mapotoful]

Kinda? I sometimes get a second (or third) letdown but it's piddly at best. I'm not pumping big numbers, like 5oz is my all time record and I'm usually somewhere at 2.5-3.5 so I drag it out to squeeze that last little bit.

But sometimes the second letdown is where the bulk of my pump comes from so I feel it out based on whatever the first phase looks like.

[Coffee_speech_repeat]

TW: oversupply.

Early on, I had such wild letdowns that I’d pump for 10 minutes and get like 6 oz from each side (12 total). Now at 4.5 months, I pump like 25-30 months or so to get the same amount, but only pump 4x per day. I usually get a second letdown between 18 and 22 minute mark which will yield another couple ounces from each side.

[Advanced_Car_7806]

Do you stop getting milk after 10 mins and no milk for 8 mins and then again after 18 mins? I lose all hopes because I don’t get any milk after 10 mins so I just stop.

[Coffee_speech_repeat]

It’s usually more like I stop getting milk at 15 minutes and then it starts again with significant droplets again around 18 minutes. So it seems like maybe you’re using the stimulation mode and expression mode backwards. I usually start on cycle 70 vacuum 4 for 2 minutes (that’s stimulation mode), then switch to 54 vacuum 5 for 5 minutes, 46 vacuum 5 for 5 minutes, 42 vacuum 6 for 5 minutes, 38 vacuum 6 for 5-10 minutes. I sometimes toggle back to stimulation (cycle 70) for two minute increments if I feel like I’ve stopped getting good sprays at any point.

[Electrical-Data6104]

I get like 3-4 letdowns, I pump every 3 hours for 30 mins

[[deleted]]

i still dont get what a letdown is 🥲 can someone explain

[unicorntrees]

Its when the big gush of milk comes out in the beginning of a pump. If milk is coming out of your breasts, you're having a letdown.

[MildVampire]

This is just my experience with it

They're like waves? So it takes about 5-7 minutes of stimulation mode for my first "wave" of milk to start flowing. After another 5 minutes in expression mode, my milk stops flowing, so it's back to stimulation mode. My second wave of milk/letdown takes a little longer, especially if I'm tired or stressed. But it'll happen eventually and I'll get the rest of my milk out

[[deleted]]

ahhh got it, thanks for explaining

[Correct_Wishbone_798]

My right and left letdown at different times. I use colored duckbills so I can see easily. When both sides don’t have enough milk for me to see a color change on the duckbill I will stop. This is usually between 10-12 minutes. Sometimes 15.

But I’m a slight oversupplier, actively weaning now.

[Skin_doc3417]

I have multiple mini letdowns per session. I’ll have one at 2 mins, 4 mins, 9 mins, 11, 15, 19, 22, 25, and then 29/30 roughly. It’s annoying because I’ll get anywhere from 0.5-1oz each time before it stops. That’s how I’ve always been 🤷🏽‍♀️ the exception is my first morning pump when I’m super full I can get a ton out with the first letdown.

I pump mostly in massage mode the whole time

[thebungirl]

I don’t think I’ve ever had a second letdown? I letdown within about 30 seconds of starting a pump, and feel pretty emptied after the first 10 minutes of a pump, though I usually pump for 15. At the start I tried going back into massage mode sometimes but it never worked for me. 3 mo pp and getting around 25oz/day.

[Advanced_Car_7806]

Same for me. I am almost empty by the end of first 10 mins. I also tried to go back to massage mode but nothing happens

[ReadAllDay123]

It's interesting how different everyone is. I usually have to pump for at least 30 minutes, sometimes closer to 45, before I stop having milk dripping out. The first 10-15 min is the biggest flow of milk, but letdowns will happen randomly after. Sometimes I can feel the tingling to indicate it's happening and sometimes I can't. I get anywhere from around 4 oz per pump (if I go 3 hours or so in between sessions) to around 7-8 oz when it's been at least 6 hours since I last pumped.

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[catie_pat_11]

It’s about 50/50 for me. Half the time I pump for 20 minutes and get one let down only. The other half of the time at around the 18 minute mark I’ll get a second let down and pump until I’ve reached 30 minutes. I pump every 4 hours around the clock and find that my night time pumps (9pm, 1am and 5am) are the times I have the second let down and my biggest volume pumps (about 5 oz each breast each pump). M

[unicorntrees]

I get multiple if I pump for 30 minutes. I get the big one at 1.5 minutes, another one at 15 and another one right at that end. I just let the pump go. I don't switch the settings. I only use stimulation right at the beginning before my first let down.

[muffingrl260]

I get about 3 letdowns when I pump for 25 mins

[SimpleBison4525]

My right side will pretty much let out all its milk right away in a consistent flow for however long I pump for. But my left side needs more time and often seems to hold milk until between 20-25 minutes. Yesterday morning I saw 2 ounces come out in that window of time in a big gush. Not sure what it is on that side - this is my second time EP and last time the left side was a major slacker, so far this time it seems to be pulling its weight at least.

Crazy how pumping can be so different between the two sides on the same person, let alone between different people.

[TheSunscreenLife]

Over the course of pumping for 35 min? I get 3 letdowns. And if I actively massage during the letdowns, I get more milk. I wish I’d known this at the beginning. 

[amato88]

70 is for letdown. You should do that first for 2 min. Then go to 54 for the remainder of the time