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Infant feeding

Breast pumps

11 replies

ohthegoats · 07/11/2014 10:02

I want to express enough milk for one feed so that I can have a break in the evening - so about 90ml.

Initially I had a manual pump that easily got 60ml in about 5 - 10 min. Then went and spent 100 quid on an electric pump. Have tried different times of day, each boob etc, and have failed to get any more than about 40ml in half an hour or more.

Why would that be? Quite disappointing!

OP posts:
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DownstairsMixUp · 07/11/2014 10:04

How old is baby? the pump is never as good at removing milk from the boob as a baby. I always found pumping in the middle of the night got the most milk (apparentely tha hormone is at the highest level between 1am and 5am) it's not abnormal to expect to do 2 or 3 pumps to get enough for one feed (read kelllymom.com) you could try fenugreek and power pumping? google them both and give it a go, see if it helps.

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squizita · 07/11/2014 20:54

I found hand expressing as good as a pump. It's a bit messy (so I have a hand pump) but worked better than my first pump and as well as my current one. I do it into a sterile jug then pour into a sterile storage bag or pot.

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mouselittle · 07/11/2014 21:05

It used to take me up to 5 pumping sessions to get enough for one feed. more bother than it was worth looking back!
have you tried feeding your baby while pumping from the other side at the same time. It's a bit awkward but I found that helped get more out.

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DownstairsMixUp · 08/11/2014 10:24

Also some women generally just are better at pumping milk than others. I can now pump out 7oz out of the right breast and 4oz off the left but it's taken double pumping, fenugreek and regular pumping to get them amounts. I used to pump every few hours now I just do every 6 hours and get 37oz of breast milk a day so I donate some and freeze some as have left overs. I found looking at photos of baby stimulated let down and that helped with pumping, being relaxed also helped. If I'm stressed I really notice a huge dip in how much I pump.

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Artistic · 08/11/2014 13:42

Can I jump in and ask a question? Am planning to do the same as OP but am anxious that if I skip one feed at night (because I have pumped & given the bottle to hubby) then wont I be engorged by morning coz of skipping a big feed? Am already getting painfully full by the 4am feed as its 5 hours since the late evening feed of 11pm.

Am so much looking forward to one night of 8 hours sleep in the night but don't know how?!

I have used the Mandela mini electric for previous DC & it pumped ok!

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Artistic · 08/11/2014 13:43

Madela not Mandela!! Shock

Just coz I watched 'long walk..' Last night is no excuse!

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DownstairsMixUp · 11/11/2014 20:20

artistic every woman has a different storage capacity so you might get engorged but I'd say your body would soon adjust and it would be ok? i used to go four five hours between pumps and feel lumpy and sore but over time it's stopped. Now go overnight (8 hours without a pump) and i feel fine i just seem to pump a lot more when i wake up.

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Noodledoodledoo · 12/11/2014 08:41

artistic from personal experience I wouldn't recommend missing the last feed of the day but the 7-8pm ish one. I am trying to do the same thing so I can return to an evening activity once a week and it caused a lot of overnight leakage I do have an oversupply issue but it was also very painful and baby struggled with the let down the next morning (she sleeps 6 hours)

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Artistic · 19/11/2014 00:49

Thank you downstairs & noodles. I'll give it a go & hope the supply adjusts..

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TeenageMutantNinjaTurtle · 19/11/2014 01:04

try pumping first thing in the morning whilst baby is feeding from the other side. you need about six hands to make it work but that's always how I got the most milk.

for only one feed a day, I'd seriously consider using formula, pumping is hard work.

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squizita · 19/11/2014 02:21

I pump in the morning (get 60-90 ml in 15 min or so) - dh gives it about 7pm as PP have said. I then do another feed before sleeping (until the 2 am feed).

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