Breast pumps

Owl

Thanks again to you all

jackyann, thanks for your words of wisdom!! We are six weeks old, and breast feeding is very well established, hence our venture just this week into expressing.......... He has taken to the switch from nipple to bottle really well, just my trouble with the pump that is causing us difficulty!!!!

Xaniwoop

Being really relaxed will help your letdown too. I've seen it recommended that Dad gives you a shoulder massage or a foot rub while you express (it's certainly a great excuse!) You could try after a nice bath perhaps. Are you able to be with your baby while you express as that will encourage the milk to flow, or look at a picture of him or sniff his blanket.

amyloofoo

We use various Medela pumps on the ward and I have to say they're all fab. Our local breast-feeding cafe will also do long-term rentals on them so it may be worth seeing if there's a similar scheme in your area. How do you get along with hand expressing? Would it be an adequate alternative until you have a pump that works better for you?

brazilianwax

jackyann wrote: »

Just to add: you don't say what age your baby is - breast feeding needs to be really well established & boobs / nipples settled down before you will manage much in the way of pumping.
Consider hand expressing - a bit more fiddly, but some women find it works much better.
Also consider pumping from one breast whilst feeding at the other (again, only when feeding is well established)

My daughter never managed to feed the conventional way. I exclusively expressed her milk from day 3 to 7 months. A few weeks in I got the Medela Pump in Style pump - double pump. I could get 12-14oz easily every time, often more. It did get harder after about 3 months and I ended up on a handful of fenugreek a day to keep the supply up towards the end, but I never did establish breastfeeding.

jackyann

brazilianwax wrote: »

My daughter never managed to feed the conventional way. I exclusively expressed her milk from day 3 to 7 months. A few weeks in I got the Medela Pump in Style pump - double pump. I could get 12-14oz easily every time, often more. It did get harder after about 3 months and I ended up on a handful of fenugreek a day to keep the supply up towards the end, but I never did establish breastfeeding.

That is real dedication! Lucky baby.

Owl

Well ladies, I took the plunge, got a Medela swing and wow!!!!! Thanks all for advice.......

Princess_nola1

http://www.nctshop.co.uk/Breast-Pumps-Milk-Storage/products/50/

Might be worth a look... Might have spotted this too late :-/