Wierd pumping question

[MGardner]

I pump during the day at work, usually twice. I have a double pump (medela pump in style). I usualy pump 3 oz on one side and 2 on the other (my right breast is always weaker). I have noticed something very strange. The other day I had to leave work early to go to an appt. I was only able to pump once and was going to miss my second pumping opportunity. I have a long commute home, so on my drive to the appt. from work I pumped one side. I pumped for 15 minutes and got the normal 2 oz. Then I switched to the other side and I got NOTHING. Now I know I get 3oz from this breast when I pump them both at the same time. I know I had a letdown and it was leaking a bit while I was pumping the other side but when I put the pump on it not even a drop came down and i left the pump on it for the remainder of my ride - 30minutes! Is that normal? Where does the milk go if you do not pump both at once?

[Samuel's mum]

It sounds to me as though you weren't getting a letdown on that side rather than the milk has disappeared. Lots of people feed from different breasts as different times so you don't have to demand from breasts at the same time. It may interest you to know that only some milk is stored in your breasts between feeds (scientists have recently discovered it to be even less than we previously thought). Most milk is being actually made during the pumping/feeding.

Perhaps it's to do with pumping while you drive and not being able to relax in the same way. (I wonder if any of your fellow drivers had an interesting tale to tell on arriving home - "Well, There was this lady...")
 

[evelyn]

I have been pumping at work for 3 months now and i find if i miss my usual pumping time i can only ever get about 1/2oz from my left breast!!  When i started i was getting about 13oz between 2 pumpings, now i only get about 6oz total!  But if i pump at home i can get 6oz in one pump!  How weird is that?!  Also on my days off(4) i feed lily just fine .....so the milk is there, it just wont come out at work!!! 
It is all so weird and wonderful, i guess we will never understand it all!

[clh]

Me, too.  If I'm too far off my "usual" pumping time, I tend to not get as much, even if it's been longer than usual between feeds/pumping.  I have read (sorry...  can't remember where ) that even a not-very-productive pumping session is better than none to help maintain supply.  So I think you did right putting the demand on your breast, even though you didn't get your usual amount.

[Peek-a-boo]

This probably wouldn't work in a car  , but I find that when I'm not getting as much milk as normal when pumping it is very helpful to look at a picture of my baby.  I keep several with my pump and rotate through them.  It is amazing how it gets the milk gushing most of the time.