hand pumps - tips? suggestions?

[Sarahstw]

I just got an Avent hand pump and in theory I've figured out how to work it. However, I've managed to get about 12 drops out of me so far. I normally express by hand and I'm pretty good at it, but find it kind of annoying. I thought the pump would be more effective...

Is there a special technique? Does anyone have any tips or tricks for me?

[lisalu100]

Do you have the Isis? We did really well the first time, and I couldn't figure out the problem after that... We put it together wrong... Now we're doing well though - I can get 4 oz in about 15 minutes. Double check the diagram, make sure the massaging petal in on all the way round, pump very fast for a couple minutes to create a vacuum and initiate letdown. That helps me. GL.

[savithny]

The Isis was the only pump that ever really worked well for me. I pumped daily with it (working 4 hours a day) and got enough for each baby to never need supplementation

1) check to make sure the little white valve is facing the right way. If its not, you won't be getting enough suction.

2) the daisy massager was a must for me, but some women do better without it.

3) The big thing for the ISis for me was that I could pump it to mimic my baby's latch-on pattern -- the more irregular sucking he used to get a letdown.

4) With my first, I also had to do some breast massage to get a good letdown.

[woodensandals]

I have a different pump, but i know with all of them you have to make sure the valves are just right. otherwise no suction.

[EMS]

I have the Isis, too, and it works much better for me than any electric pump that I've tried.
It took me a few days of pumping at the same time before I could express a decent amount.
Thinking about the baby also helps with letdown. (You probably know that already.)
Once a day, I pump on one side while he nurses on the other, and this is when I can express the most milk.

[cdmommie]

I prefer to hand express over the hand pump.... I have an electric pump too, but even that's not as easy as hand expressing sometimes.

[veedeepee]

The Medela hand pump I have has a function where you can make it do short, quick, low-suction sucks at the beginning. This is supposed to mimic what the baby does to trigger let down. Maybe you could try to do this short, quick, light type of pumping for the first several seconds, then switch to longer pumps with more suction?

[detroitgirl77]

I've tried quite a few hand pumps and the one that worked best for me is the Ameda one hand pump~~ http://www.ameda.com/products/manual.aspx#12