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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

using a breast pump for the first time

13 replies

csemum · 12/02/2011 21:32

My daughter is one week old today. A couple of days ago, my husband and I tried to use our avert breast pump. This was after a fraught night where she slept very little. After 'Ikea' style distress at assembling the thing, I tried to use it and the amount of milk that came out was pitiful!

I would really welcome any words of wisdom/advice about how to use a breast pump effectively. I want to do it sooner rather than later as my husband is off work for another two weeks so we can have some 'trial and error' sessions and the midwife has recommended that we embed it in her feeds soon so she doesn't get too much of a shock later on.

Mine field. Any advice?

OP posts:

lurcherlover · 12/02/2011 21:39

Firstly, don't worry about hardly getting any at first - in the early days of expressing it took me all day to get a dribble of milk, but now I can get 5oz in 20 mins. Your breasts will get used to it and the flow rate will improve.

You can do other things though: experiment with different times in the day - I can only get my 5oz in the morning, after the first feed. Trying any later in the day is useless for me. Other people have different experiences though so it's trial and error. Try expressing after a warm bath/shower. Have your DD in the room with you, or sniff a babygro or something that smells of her - these things help with your let-down. Try to relax as much as you can while doing it (easier said than done!) If you still have no joy, try a manual pump - personally I don't get anything out with one, but I have bf friends who get more with a manual than an electric. If you have a bf support group near you you might be able to borrow one - I did, which saved me buying one.

ethelina · 12/02/2011 21:40

Pump in the morning, preferably around the same time each day as your boobs will be fuller.

Dont be despondent. Everybody starts off only pumping a few ml at first. It took me a good couple of weeks to build up even to about 30ml over 20mins. After a few more weeks I was up to about 150ml (6oz) in one session.

ethelina · 12/02/2011 21:42

Definitely try straight after you feed her, or even at the same time (I could never get the hang of that though).

hellymelly · 12/02/2011 21:47

Not quite sure why you need to pump at all? But anyway,it is tricky,yes.I only used a pump a couple of times,once for a blocked duct and once when my dd went on a nursing strike.After a while I did manage to get a smallish bottle full but it took ages to get the flow going and I did find it hard.I think looking at your baby while pumping helps,and it does get easier as you get used to it.

lurcherlover · 12/02/2011 21:54

hellymelly - you need to pump if you want to be able to leave your baby at all in the first six months! I didn't express straight away and wish I had now as DS was a bottle refuser until this week (now 15 weeks old) when he has had a couple...I'm not saying I wanted to go out clubbing the week after he was born, but I would have liked to have been able to go and get my hair cut or (heaven forbid) go to the cinema with my husband once in a while...no good if baby refuses to take a bottle though. I think the OP is being very sensible getting it established early on, I certainly intend to with my next DC.

hellymelly · 12/02/2011 22:17

Haha,so that's where I went wrong (dd1 is six and DH and I haven't been out alone together since I had her) I must be a half wit as that didn't occur to me, I genuinely didn't want to leave mine when they were tiny.I was too knackered anyway to even think about an evening out.

lurcherlover · 12/02/2011 22:26

Totally agree with you, I couldn't have gone out at all at first - but now DS sleeps through the night (please, please don't get 4-month sleep regression is my nightly prayer!) I feel a lot more energetic and quite ready to have a nice walk with the dog over fields where a buggy won't go (and DS hates slings, so that's not an option) or as noted, have a haircut without a feeding baby under the towel! I don't intend to leave him very often, but it would be nice to know I have the option to go out without him and let Grandma babysit on occasion...

vezzie · 12/02/2011 22:27

keep trying

as you keep trying, get someone else do all the sterilising / assembling faff if you are knackered - only you can make milk but that doesn't mean you can't outsource peripherals (a key fact about anything to do with bfing which took me a while to cotton on to).

making this into a routine might make it easier / more likely to happen

put the baby on one breast and the pump on the other. If you can get organised to do this every morning for the first feed then before you know it you will be awash with little plastic bags of milk

get an alcohol pen to label the little bags and guard its secret location with your life.

Store even tiny amounts of milk - they can be useful

theyoungvisiter · 12/02/2011 22:56

Have you tried pumping while you feed the baby? It's tricky to do but you tend to get more at first.

I'm another one though that doesn't really see the point. I had a breast pump but my baby never took a bottle and I couldn't have left him anyway, my heart just wasn't in it in the early days. And later on (after 6 months) they can manage for quite a while on just food and water.

I thought the usual advice was not to start pumping until 6 weeks - to give your supply a chance to settle. Is there a particular reason you need to pump now?

theyoungvisiter · 12/02/2011 23:01

Also, you need to let down, just like when you feed the baby.

So you need similar conditions - you need to be comfortable, not stressed, and not under pressure. You may find it easier alone and tucked up in bed or somewhere cosy.

You can also try breast massage before pumping.

AliceDSouza871 · 22/04/2019 11:52

Can someone recommend the best electric breast pumps to buy in the UK? As per this blog thebabycatalogue.com/best-electric-breast-pumps/, Bellababy seems good and cheap as well. Has anybody using it? Please share your thoughts. It would be really helpful

redbedheadd · 22/04/2019 21:09

In the early days you will only pump small amounts as the baby's tummies are just tiny. I expressed from birth as my supply didn't immediately come through so I kept pumping to stimulate - the advice I had from BF experts was to offer baby boob and then pump when they are finished, aiming for 20/30ml each time. It looks like a small amount but it soon adds up.

You might want to make sure you feel really confident feeding before offering a bottle in case your baby gets confused though. I use nipple shields as my nips are flat so it's easier for me as my DS is used to the plastic test.

snoopy18 · 23/04/2019 08:52

@AliceDSouza871 I have the bella but I’m sending it back for an exchange - I don’t have anything to compare it to though & I’m a first time mum so not enough experience to say its the product or me not use to it. I’m getting milk but not all that much considering I’ve been using it for a good few weeks. But I understand every body is different! You can always return it if you don’t like it etc. Build quality is good & suction.

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