I tried.

[ishereal]

Ok. Pumping is not my friend : I get more milk using my darn hand but still my baby does it best, damn those bottles, school and work..... hell i'm taking my baby with me :

[~NewMa~]

Ick, I know, pumping sucks.
I don' have a problem getting the pump to express milk, but the cleanup is a pain in the *ss and who has the time to fuss with all those little pieces when you only have one hand (baby in the other).
Good luck figuring things out!

[pixiepunk]

i agree, pumping sux. i've only done it on rare occasion when i needed to be away from an older infant, and still it was an odeous chore.

what kind of pump do you have? some are more efficient than others. or sometimes you need a different size horn so the suction is better.

[ishereal]

Originally Posted by pixiepunk

i agree, pumping sux. i've only done it on rare occasion when i needed to be away from an older infant, and still it was an odeous chore.

what kind of pump do you have? some are more efficient than others. or sometimes you need a different size horn so the suction is better.

I use a medela pump in style.

[tinyshoes]

ITA that pumping can be a PITA...

I'm getting my hair done in a week, and dh is coming with me, to bring the baby (baby will be 7 wks old--my April babe came in May!)...because that's EASIER than trying to pump and do a bottle!

[oyinmama]

aww, mamas! i actually love pumping - when i get the time to do it. having those bottles or baggies is like having little pockets of free time stashed away in the freezer.

it IS really hard to get the time to do it, though, and when it's done, to get it stored, and then after everything, aw man, the pump can sit there rinsed and unsterilized for more than a week before i get it together to clean it properly.

in a perfect world, the pumps would be as easy to clean after a session as our babes - a quick wipe on the chin and done!

[treehuggermama]

I find the biggest pain is when a "good" time is to do it as my LO nurses usually every 2 hours when awake. I don't want to risk pumping myself dry and then having him wake up hungry and possibly not want the bottle. I do agree it is a PITA!

[Jennisee]

I seem to get the most milk when I have DS on one breast and the pump on the other breast. That way, DS can trigger multiple letdowns that the pump can catch.

Originally Posted by oyinmama

having those bottles or baggies is like having little pockets of free time stashed away in the freezer.

SO true. My DS is rejecting bottles right now, but I know it's common to do that between 2 and 4 months--DD did, too. I'm hoping he'll start taking them better this fall.

[GISDiva]

Ugh. Try pumping when it's the ONLY breastmilk your LO gets, every three hours - talk about pressure...

There are lots of women who just don't let down well for a pump or who find hand expressing works better. I'm sure you tried all of this, but have you massaged the girls before-hand, tried warm compresses to loosen things up, have a comforting drink (um, I mean hot tea or something!), anything to relax you.

I just shelled out another $200 to try another pump, the Avent Isis IQ - it lets you choose exactly what rhythm and amount of suction you want to pump with as opposed to just having one dial to choose from, which I thought was cool. I've only had it for a day, so far I'm not getting any more milk, but the silicone inserts in the horns are definitely more comfortable. It might take a few days to get used to it, I'm hoping it helps me get more milk, or at least get the same amount faster.

[Datura]

I can get like a few tablespoons of milk from a pump and that's about it. My body is just *not* convinced. Lots of sympathy from my end but unfortunately no advice.

[emcare]

I don't mind the pumping either, but I never get very much. I'm using a PIS, too. However, when Joseph was in the hospital I was using a Symphony and it was awesome! Loved it and got way more milk than I ever did with my PIS and I really liked the simplicity of it. Maybe giving another pump a try?

[KariM]

I only pump when I'm engorged and the babe decides to change her schedule.

I'm one of those mamas who doesn't let down to a pump very well and found my best results with a manual pump. The current one we have is the Avent Isis.