Help pumping for a toddler please

[Pumpkin_Pie]

Hi there mamas, my DS is 21 months old, and I haven't pumped for him for nearly a year now, but I am in need of some milk right now to help him with his sinus infection that I am pretty sure he has. I want to pump a bit to put up his nose but I can't seem to get anything with the hand pump that I have. I used to pump 8 ounces within about 10 minutes when he was an infant. I realize I am not making nearly as much milk now, but even with him latching on and popping off as soon as I have a let down and then pumping, I only have maybe an eighth of an ounce in the bottle. It literally just barely covers the bottom of the bottle. I would like to use some BM a few times a day for a couple of days, but this just isn't going to work without being able to pump at least a bit.

Any ideas on how to get more milk flowing for the pump??

[rparker]

Have you tried pumping one side while he nurses the other? I've heard of that helping pump output with younger babies. Have you tried pumping at different times of the day? Evenings are worse for me, mornings better. During nap time, especially toward the end of the nap, often works best.

[crescentmoonmama]

I EP'ed for eighteen months and boosted my supply during growth spurts by power pumping. In your situation, I would try pumping one side while your baby nurses the other. Then, I would switch. Pumping about 10 minutes after a nursing session for 10 minutes, followed by a 10 minute break and repeat..... A little fenugreek may give you an initial boost. Oatmeal, lots of greens, flax, and brewer's yeast are helpful. And rest!

[Carita]

can you try directly hand expressing/squirting into his nose?

[Pumpkin_Pie]

So, I didn't end up being able to get much milk at all. I did try pumping one side while he nursed on the other side, but I really only have much supply on one side. I tried to get him to nurse on my low production side while I pumped my high production side, but once he realized what I was doing, he just wanted to nurse on that side.

I might be able to get some milk into his nose if I can make a game out of it. He gets a kick out of my squirting his face occasionally. Maybe I can "accidentally" get some up his nose tonight. His snottiness seems to be getting better on its own, thankfully though. Hopefully I won't need to pump for real any time soon! I am missing the days when I was pumping nearly a gallon a week for a friend's baby!