[anabellee]

how can i pump more effectively? i have to due to my ds (see my failure to thrive post). and no matter what i do i never get more than an oz or 2. i'm trying to get enough to only use bm in the SNS but i just can't get enough out. plus, he won't always take the breast and we have to use the bottle to force him to drink. yes, i know it sounds awful but our alt. is an NG tube. i don't want to go there. i've got an Ameda Purely Yours, it's got all the nifty cycles and suctions, double pump, etc... our hospital rents Medela PIS. would that work any better? i've read they're pretty comparable. i'm taking domperidone so i know my milk is increasing, i can feel it i just can't get it out of my boobs! it's so annoying because i'm "full" but no amount of pumping will totally empty them. ds will not nurse enough/well enough to empty them. no type of nursing holiday nest nursing, etc will fix this because he has GERD and is in pain. we're working on getting him new/better meds asap but until then he pretty much has to be forced to eat. even getting him to take a bottle is a struggle. i don't want to lose my supply and if he does end up with a tube i'd like to put bm in it. anyone have any suggestions? my LC tried but nothing has worked yet.

 

[Caneel]

Have you tried massaging with downward strokes towards your nipples?

I pump three to four times a day when I went back to work and I could get an extra ounce when manually massaging while pumping. It required some contortion to keep the pump attached. I would sit cross-legged on the floor, lean forward so I could sort of rest the pump in the bend of my leg.

I used the Pump in Style and liked it. A friend had much better luck with an Isis.

 

[clogmama]

I thought the Pump In Style was a consumer model and not one that hospitals rent out. I ep'd for 7 months and used a Medela Symphony--an excellent model which can only be rented. My body became very used to the rhythm of the Symphony. I tried a PIS but found that I couldn't get a let down at all, and I was able to keep my dd on almost all bm with the Symphony. I just tried to feel very relaxed and comfortable while pumping, and visualized nursing my baby. If I felt stressed, getting a let down was much more difficult.

 

[MelW]

I'm not very familiar with the Ameda pump, but check all of your connections to make sure that you are getting adequate suction. I'm not sure if it has valves/membranes like the Medela pumps do- but if it does you might try replacing them, since that can totally affect the suction.

It's time consuming, but for me hand expressing after pumping really helps. I can get my foremilk out pretty well with the pump, but often can hand express another ounce or two afterwards.

Strangely for me, thinking of baby made pumping harder (I think somehow it reminds me that I'm at work and she's not, so a different situation from yours). I use distraction to get the best letdown- talk to a friend, watch tv, read, etc.- my body seems to work best when I'm unstressed and not thinking about it to let down

:

Good luck!

 

[quirkylayne]

How is the pump fit on your nipples? They should fit all the way in the flange tunnel and have a little room on the sides.

 

[CallMeKelly]

I'm another who sometimes has a harder time pumping when I'm thinking of baby. I pump at work and if I'm at all stressed I cna't get much out. I sit with a book and have noticed that the milk doesn't come out until I'm totally into the book and relaxed.

But in the past I have also had the opposite, no milk until I had a good mental pic of baby hungry in my mind.

I think trying any types of pumps available is a good call. They may be similar but the small diff.'s could mean a huge diff. to you.

Hand massaging while pumping was effective for me.

Good luck... my friend just had similar problems and it was soooo hard on her. Take care of yourself!

 

[Khourtniey]

I would try a different pump... I fully believe that you should be able to pump just as much as if a baby was nursing... Otherwise I would not still have a decent supply at 25 months EPing

 

[iris777888]

If you're not finding a pump that works for you I'd also consider expressing by hand. If you get the technique down it can be very productive - though IME nowhere near as fast as using a pump. http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBMarApr96p51.html

 

[letniaLynne]

I went through 6 pumps before I found the one that comfortable and increased my supply. I would say first check the fit of the breast shield, be sure the pump is working well and finally make sure you are pumping long enough, then change pumps if nothing else works.

My left breast acts totally different than my right, it takes twice as long to empty as my right. the letdowns are not as strong so I have to pump 30min to empty even though my right one is done basically by 15min. I always get the final letdown I need right before 30mins of pumping else my left breast never drains and my supply suffers. Also I use compressions constantly, basically I hold the horn on to my breast with my pointer finger and middle finger and I cup my breast with the rest of my hand. I use one hand per breast and rotate it around squeasing the milk out with my free fingers.

Try just experimenting for a few days with your pumping time try relaxing and pumping past your normal shut off time until you get another letdown. you may be surprised.

 

[anabellee]

thank you for all the suggestions! i'm going to rent a Lactina pump tomorrow and will request the large size horns. i have a feeling that mine are just too small because since pumping i've been rather sore. i've tired hand expressing but it's rather difficult since i'm big boobed

i know i'm just not getting a letdown at all. my LC says that the pump i have is good (it's jut like the PIS) but i think the horns are just too small. so we'll see if that in combination with a better pump will help me out.

 

[RootSnort]

I would also get a hands-free bustier so you can focus on something other than holding horns into place while you pump. Either surf the Internet or watch something good on TV, so that you aren't stressing about how much milk is in the bottle.

 

[momma_monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by quirkylayne How is the pump fit on your nipples? They should fit all the way in the flange tunnel and have a little room on the sides.

: I had 2 different sizes of nipple attachments. When I used the larger one I got 1-2 ounces of milk and ended up with a plugged duct. I changed to the smaller attachment and now consistently get 3-4 oz. each side. I also move around in different positions to have gravity help the pump

hehe.