ds2 is 7 months and i have only just started trying to express. i didn't feed off one side for a good few hours and used a mini elecric pump. after 20 mins had about quarter of a teaspoon.

so, here's my thinking - after 7 months my breast have adjusted to ds's v strong suck and the pump just can't replicate that. does that make any kind of sense? if it does then it doesn't look like i'll be able to express at all then? <watches fantasy of 'me time' evaporate for forseeable future>

I had real trouble with a mini-electric pump for first baby. No trouble with Avent hand pump for second baby. I'm not sure if it was the pump or different baby or the fact that I was more relaxed about everthing with no.2.

Any chance you can borrow a different pump?

Get your baby to give a couple of sucks first to get your flow going. It may help!

I find I have to look at a picture of dd and imagine her feeding, then it starts flowing

I have bf 3 dc's and could never express a drop. I looked at pics,fed and expressed at the same time etc and it just never happened. I just waited till they were a year and gave cows milk in a cup.

thanks for those answers. yes i suppose i could wait for that 'let down' feeling i sometimes get.pracising with a cup now a good idea too, cheers

It works much better when you have 'let down', - practise making it happen. I found that looking at or being near my baby actually inhibited it, - instead I had to imagine eating a big slice of carrot cake, - or sliding in between clean silk sheets!

"i didn't feed off one side for a good few hours"

There is no benefit in leaving a breast full for a good few hours before expressing. Contrary to what seems to make sense. A full breast sets off a feedback inhibitor telling the breast to slow milk production as the breast is remaining full.

I found I could express best in the morning when I was relaxed and not rushed. I would nurse DD on one side and pump on the other. DD would trigger the milk letdown much easier than the pump alone. When the milk slowed down I swapped both baby and pump and continued to nurse/pump.

I had more success with a mannual pump, other mums swear by an electric pump or even hand expressing.

HTH

Try this:

Have a hot bath / shower, while DC are asleep or otherwise occupied. Relax for a bit, then experiment with gently sort of squeezing in different places around your breast and see if you can get milk out. Try different techniques - close to the nipple, far back, different areas - and different degrees of pressure and see what actions produce milk. Once you've messed about a bit in a relaxed environment you can apply what you've worked out to actual expressing, whether its by hand or using a pump (just because you're electric pumping doesnt mean you cant help it along by hand expressing iyswim).

I tried for weeks. would get 1 oz despite trying 6 hours a day with an electric pump. Evenetually gave up.

my friend who has breastfed for about the last 4 years literally has always found it extremely difficult to express, so I would agree that it's not always possible. hopefully some the tips from the ladies on here will help though.

I have this one, and its great. Its meant to work just as well as electric ones.

Try expressing the other breast, in the morning, as its very common for one breast to produce more milk than the other one.
I also second doing it when your baby is feeding off the other breast as it will stimulate the let-down reflex.

Dont expect ounces and ounces of milk, its normal to only get small amounts.

I only get 1.5 - 2.5 oz off both sides in around 15 mins to half an hour but that's enough as 2 sessions does a feed.

I second the plan of getting DC to feed off one side while expressing from the other. It really helped when I struggled more in the early days.

Good Luck!

I struggle too with electric pumps. For me, a long warm bath and I can hand express a couple of ounces. Or with ds's help, I get him to get things going on one side, then switch him to the other while I plug the first into an electric pump. Takes some effort to manage this with just the two hands , and I still only get a couple of ounces, but much more quickly than hand expressing in the bath.

thanks you folks. that does make sesne babieseverywhere, particularly as i never get that full feeling naymore really - thionk it has just become a supply and demand thing now.

long, hot bath sounds idylli. mmmm, now how can i factor that in

vito, I would second 9 or is it third!) the Avent Manual pump, the 2 reasons being :
1/ the Mini-electric ( Is it the Medela one?) only has one speed. This may not be the speed at which your baby sucks. With the hand pump you can vary the speed to mimic the baby
2/ The soft petal massage thingy does help to stimulate let-down.
Having said that, different pumps work better for different Mums so it might be better to borrow one or get it cheap on ebay to make sure it works for you.

i have found it was easier when the baby was v young but has got almost impossible as he has got odler. He is 8 months now and I have given up trying to express altogether

I think some people can & some cannot, I did try but not a drop!

I had real problems breastfeeding for lots of different reasons, however I did feed my son exclusively on expressed breast milk for six months (also donated to the milk bank at the hospital), so it is possible to express in volume. I used the Avent Isis (ended up calling it Daisy!) and it worked fine for me. I think the more you do, the more you can do if you know what I mean.

I got fek all with a pump. Hand expressing was v. successful. Mears recommends hands - don't know if she a has a link

Hand expression video

i never managed with a manual or electric pump.