ameda lactaline loss of suction

[passthestuffing]

Hi, can anyone advise on how to improve suction on double ameda lactaline pump? Now and again it's good and my output improves but more often than not it's rubbish. I've tried turning on/off; taking lids off/on; mains rather than battery power,just using as single punp and no help.

I'm really frustrated as back at work and need to keep breast feeding going as baby has dairy allergy and won't take dairy free formula so don't even have that as top up. I used to use medela swing which was better but I got sick of mould growing in tubing and after incident when milk went back into motor unit and killed battery power option I sent it back and went for closed system. I can't use manual due to bilateral wrist tendonitis in wrists.

All ideas of help welcome!

I find mine only loses suction when the little silicone things are sealing properly. Maybe you have a minuscule hole in one if them?

Aren't sealing even

Hi Thanks, the silicone things are sucking up and down but I do get a transient improvement in suction when I take the plastic tops on and off. It's just so odd that suction comes and goes.

Anyone else with any suggestions? This is getting pretty desparate as I need to express for full days at work and have gone from expressing 3oz per express to

Split in one of the replaceable rubber valves? Thats what had happened to mine when it lost suction.

Those little white valves can split and then it doesn't work properly

Yep, definitely replace the valves. They may look ok but loss of suction is usually down to them.

how old is she OP?

agree with others, normally the valve

Machine is 2m baby 9m. One of valves os split.replaced that today but no improvement in suction.will try the other one .

There is another option. She is old enough that she can do without milk in the day. There will probably be some reverse cycling for feeds but you can cluster feed in mornings and evenings to help, say 6am, 8am, 6pm 8pm. During the day she can be offered water. By 7 months DD was on 1x3oz bottle and I stopped expressing around now.

Thanks penguin. I leave for work at 7.30 and return just before 7 in time for bed feed so on full days there's limited options for cluster feeding although I could try just water on my half days which would save what I express for the full days. He's a tricky customer as allergic to dairy egg and wheat and refusing dairy free formula so i'm trying to get breast milk in to help with nutrition.

to be honest I didn't cluster feed, as he fed 2 hourly in the night (this always was so I was used to it). There might be scope to reduce what she feeds in the day though. I used to feed at 6 and then at 7:15 just before I left. She was put to bed without milk and I'd feed between 7-8 when she woke after I was in or sometimes I just dream fed her. At weekends for a while she had free reign as well. We don't do dairy either, but she had/has oat milk on porridge/weetabix

We feed during the night as the princeling has decided he won't take a bottle any more. He goes 12 hours sometimes and is fine.

Thanks I feel better about it now. Seeing friends ff babies still on 7oz bottles had me worried I was starving him but he eats like a horse so I don't think he needs that much milk anymore. We had tried night weaning as he was feeding every 2 hrs and dh put his foot down on co sleeping anymore which was the only way I can stay sane and do night feeds. I still sneak him in if he wakes after 3am and wants feeding though! This working mum stuff is tough...need to start saving so I can take a year next time to help with bf.

but ff babies intakes do increase with time whereas bf babies don't (the milk is able to change) linky

Thanks penguin! Now just have to convince the nanny I'm not committing child abuse....she looks after ff baby on 4 7oz feeds too:)