struggling to express

[Lisa78]

I've been using an Avent manual breast pump and although I struggled a bit at first, I was managing to express about 4oz / 125ml in half an hour, from which ever side he hadn't just fed from. Now its taking me half an hour to get 1oz so its taking 4 or 5 goes during the day to get a full bottle
Any ideas?

Hallelujah, am getting somewhere now! It takes me about 20 minutes to express a bottleful but if I do it straight away after the morning feed and use the heatpack, it works! You're right that the fennel tea is an aquired taste - ugh! - but it seems to be helping so am sticking with it. We haven't tried the massage yet but one of the HV's came round to show us, but said not to do it till he has had his 6 week check - one week to go!

Does anyone know if expressing stimulates the milk production as much as suckling does? And why its easier to express from the left breast??? Am I weird??!!!!!

AFAIK, expressing does not stimulate the breast as much as suckling. I always got far more out of my right one!

pumping definitely is not as stimulating as a baby feeding, but it is better than nothing. Apparently it is important to continue pumping for a bit after the flow stops, to help stimulate the supply.

I also always got more from the right side than the left. I am right handed - are you left handed by any chance ? Wierd thought that milk production could be associated with handedness