Pump Advice

[Assisi]

Girls, perhaps you can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I tried to use a manual breast pump for the first time this morning. I've decided to make a store of milk so that my dad can feed my baby occasionally while I am working on an assignment this week. But when I tried to use it it just hurt my nipple and barely squeezed any milk out. What am I doing wrong?

I ended up expressing by hand because it was quicker and less painful, but my husband bought me this pump so I want to use it if I can.

 

[bliz]

Manual pumps aren't the greatest...

Try the "juice jar" method. Warm a medium mouthed jar up with boiling hot water - pour it in, wait a bit, then pour it out... When the lip of the jar in comfortable to the touch (but sill warm) insert your breast, including aerola and as much breast as you can. Then, apply a cool, damp cloth to the outside of the jar. This will produce a suction that will cause your milk ducts to open up and spray forth. It looks, well, humorous, to be sure, but it doesn't take very long and most women find it very efficient. It is also a lot less likely that you will do damage to breast tissue this way.

This method can also help if baby ever sleeps through a feeding and you become engorged.

 

[lin1235]

It took me a while to figure out the pump - and I had an electric one. Make sure your nipples are wet (hand-express a few drops and rub it on) and that you're not using too much suction. A warm wet cloth on your breast beforehand can also help encourage let-down.

 

[Linnis]

Manual pumps are harder to use but I had to live with one. What kind do you have, does it have a let down feature?

My DS nursed off one side, so I'd let him nurse on the pump side just long enough to triggger my let down, then I'd switch and pump. A warm wet wash cloth wrapped around the breast being pumped.

Slow down and speed up a couple times during the feed like a baby does.

It takes practice but I got up to getting 4-5 oz each time.

 

[jgonz]

Another thing to watch out for is the size of the "horn" (the part of the pump that actually is on your breast). The typical breastpump uses a standard size (24 mm), but some women need a bigger size~ there should be no rubbing of the nipples on the sides of the horn. My LC gave me size 30 mm ones to use and told me that it's better to have a bigger size than a smaller size. You can find the bigger sizes online and usually wherever sells breastpumps.

 

[greenie]

Have you checked out the Australian Breastfeeding Association website? They have heaps of helpful info...
Also, I think babycenter.com has helpful info on expressing..I was reading about it this morning

 

[TCat]

I gave up my manuel pump and rented a really great hospital quality electric pump for $12 a month. It worked great. It also was really helpful when I made myself relax, drank some water, smelled my babies blanket, put warm compressed on my breasts...find the method that works best for you. My biggest advice, relax, relax, relax.

 

[Assisi]

Thanks for the advice. I sure will read about it at the ABA website. and I think I'll give the jar a go too, it sounds like it'd be a fun experiment.

bliz, when you say damage to the breast, do you mean damage caused by a manual pump that isn't working right? Or damage caused by expressing by hand?

My issue doesn't seem to be a let down issue to me, more of a stimulation issue perhaps. I get a let down immediately when I try by hand. I think perhaps the suction cup is too small.

My baby skipped a feed last night and I expressed by hand again. It is so convenient to express by hand, nothing to carry around! But then..it took a while and I only got about 2 fluid ounces.