expressing doesn’t work
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Topic: expressing doesn’t work
Posted By: mummymonster
Subject: expressing doesn’t work
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 3:32pm
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Expressing doesn't seem to work any more.
DS is exclusively BF and he seems happy enough with what he gets. Good weight gain (after the first week loss), lots of wet & dirty nappies. But when I express I get very little 
I've got an Avent manual breast pump, when I first started using it (about 4 wks) I could get 100+ mls in a sitting. Then a couple of weeks later I could only get about 40mls at a time. Now (9wks) I'm only getting about 10mls. I don't understand! It's like I've become immune to expressing. Hand expressing yields very little either. I'd really like to be able to express a bottle feed a day so that DH can do his last feed at night. I've tried relaxing, looking at a picture of DS, even tried expressing next to him while he's sleeping. Nothing seems to help. I'm wondering if I should buy an electric pump, but they're so expensive and I have my doubts that it'd improve the situation. |
Replies:
Posted By: SpecialK
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 3:58pm
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I've only ever expressed with an electric pump, and that worked really well. Sometimes I did it while watching TV, I'd relax and not be so focused on the expressing and get heaps.
Also, doing it after a hot shower worked wonders. Good luck. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 4:21pm
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I think what may have happened is that your supply has regulated, so when baby was young you had oodles of milk and it was easy to get extra out, now that baby is older your boobs have adjusted and so are only making what baby requires so to get extra out you will need to keep expressing to build your supply up for that extra amount, same as baby feeds more at a growth spurt.
I hope that makes sense. If baby only takes one side at a feed you could try expressing the other side whilst feeding as a way to get more out as you will get the letdown easier than with just the pump. I had the avent manual pump, and have used two electic pumps as well (1 blew up) and I got just as much out with the manual one as I have with the electric ones. I only got an electric one cos I was pumping full time for a while. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 4:23pm
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you could hire an electric one to see if you liked it or not! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: FionaO
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 4:55pm
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I would hire one before buying - some people just don't get on with expressing for whatever reason.
I was better with an electric pump but only very slightly. ------------- 
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 5:12pm
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I absolutely sucked at expressing first time around. So I didn't bother.
This time I've been better but usually only when "full" The other easy way is to express the other side while bubs feeds. I use an Aventi Isis as well. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 5:49pm
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Ive borrowed an Avent Isis as I had a manual Avent with Isabelle and couldnt get any milk out (even though I had plenty).
Im not getting as much as I used too .. but thats because my milk has regulated so I have to pump some "extra feeds" so that my body thinks im feeding him. I find the easiest way to get a got load of milk is to pump one side while he drinks the other (great for night as he only ever has one side) ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: MrsH
Date Posted: 02 October 2009 at 10:05pm
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I'm glad you asked this question Isaacsmum - I have the same problem (Kind of). In the morning I can get off about 75ml but then during the day I get 3/5ths of bugger all.
It can get kind of stressful when you think about having to express and then when there's not enough for a bottle for DH to feed baby, you feel guilty that you're taking away their bonding time. 
Sorry, nothing in the way of advice but just thought I'd let you know you're not alone. ETA: I feel like I've become immune to having a let-down especially on my right breast. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: bun_in_the_oven
Date Posted: 03 October 2009 at 9:31pm
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my supply was getting low after the 6 week growth spurt...
i brought Natures own FENUGREEK capsules and they have helped enormously.. i am almost always full and can pump all throughout the day again Good Luck |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 03 October 2009 at 10:50pm
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I've used manual and 2 electric and it didn't make any difference. I completely agree with what cuppatea said. What I do is express a couple of hours after she is in bed, and she has that feed as her last feed the next night. ie: she has expressed milk about 7/7.30pm and I express about 9.30pm. With Jake I expressed about 9.30 and he had it as a dream feed at 10.30ish. I also try/tried to express one boob in the morning (my kids are both one boob feeders). But if they had both early in the morning, I would just express whatever was left in the least full, so there is still lots left for the next feed in the most full boob. During the day I wouldn't get much now either tho, as my boobs make what she drinks. ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 05 October 2009 at 10:59am
Funny, even if I can get some out of my right, I very seldom get more than a trickle out of the left. But when DS is on, I can hear him swallowing so it seems to work for him. Also, how do I figure out how much/ how many mls of EBM makes a feed? As I have no idea how much he's getting out at any time. |
MrsH wrote:Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 05 October 2009 at 1:34pm
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I always use to pump each side after DD had finished feeding. At first I wouldn't be able to get much but it would build up as I stimulated more milk production. I use to express enough to feed my sisters baby as well so I was getting a decent amount just using the avent manual pump. I did find if I tried expressing when I was in a hurry or stressing I couldn't get much. I eventually also added an extra "feed" which was solely expressed and given away... but I had to get up at 3 in the morning to fit it in so wouldn't reccommend that unless necessary.
------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 05 October 2009 at 2:02pm
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I would start by offering a 100ml and then adjust from there. -------------
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Posted By: Stogglebox
Date Posted: 05 October 2009 at 9:06pm
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I think I have become almost immune to expressing as well.... I have been back at work for 16 weeks and have been expressing the whole time - but the past two weeks haven't been great, so I am going to start giving formula to my 8&1/2 month old while she is at creche. I have an electric pump and think it is great because then you can concentrate on other stuff rather than physically pumping, AND, you can actually see and hear really clearly when you get a letdown - then you'll know whether it is a letdown problem or a supply problem. In my experience I have found that sitting down, doing a bit of breast massage and reading a magazine to relax, THEN starting to pump worked best. Also pumping one side while feeding is really good, like someone else said. ------------- Mother of Natsumi Sarah born on 23 January 2009 |