I have a medela pump in style - similar to hospital grade. Works great, DD is still exclusively breastfed at 6 months and I have been working full time since she was 12 weeks old.

My experience of expressing is that it is more about building up your supply and getting your body used to expressing than what pump you use. I was lent an Avent one and this didn't work well as first - so I hired a hospital grade one from NCT and tried this as well as the Avent to see which worked better. The milk supply improved using both pumps - there was no difference between them - as my body got used to expressing. I also found that my milk didn't want to 'letdown' to a machine initially! I now just use the Avent hand pump and use this to express at work too.

The key is to drink lots of water (I found Mother's Helper tea good too) and try expressing regularly to get your body used to it. Apparently mornings are better than evenings - but I just do once in the afternoon and once before bed now.

And as others had advised - do call breastfeeding helplines - La Leche or NCT are great.

good luck and keep trying.

I've been pumping with an Ameda Lactaline for 8 months now. It's definitely up to the job, given we couldn't bf and he was exclusively ebm fed till 6 months, is still primarily ebm fed at 8, and is huuuuuge.

You can buy the bits and pieces directly from the supplier, Ardo Medical. I found that a lot cheaper than the usual bf sites, as they send tiny components out overnight when you need replacements, and just charge the cost of a stamp instead of the usual flat p&p. Do check the breast shield sizing though, seriously. It makes a life-altering difference if you need to pump a lot.

It was worth it for me but I was exclusively expressing for a month due to breast refusal. A local breastfeeding organisation got me one for free though due to my circumstances.

Thanks everyone. Been checking out prices, seems v expensive - £65 for the Medela one for 2 weeks! Is it really better than the Ameda Lactaline pump? Just checking cos that would only be £85 to buy....

WPR - I can't tell you the difference it made. Made pumping very slightly uncomfortable, as opposed to genuinely painful.

I rented the hospital grade pump, sadly was unable to use it when I got home. Long story, but when I was using the hospital one, I was producing enough milk to flood a small village.

I never knew that, Qally! Will definitely make a note of this for next time!!

It's worth mentioning that the pump equipment varies by size. Big boobs need bigger "flanges". I was pumping for months before I discovered this and it was incredibly unpleasant - bigger nipple coverage has made things much easier. Medela have the very largest ones down to smallest, Ameda medium and standard and small (using insert).

I rented the Medela hospital grade ( you can get it on the website just type medela into google) and I loved it, so quick and easy, just send it back when youre done, worth every penny. Hope this helps