Expressing - harder with big breasts?

[DeeBeee]

My DS is 3 weeks old, but still has not regained his birth weight so I am having to express after every single feed and give him a top up. I am a size 34GG and it takes me absolute ages to get the milk out - I also have to squeeze my breast to get the milk to flow after a while, the pump alone does not do a good job. This leaves my breasts battered! Even after expressing for 30 mins per breast I still don't feel the pump gets all the milk out. I use a Medela Swing pump and have now got the right size funnel (after buying 3).

Are some pumps better than others for big breasts? I wish I had a pump that would just run and get the milk out without all the squeezing I have to do. Any advise?

You can hire a hospital grade double electric pump from the Ardo Medical website [www.ardomedical.co.uk here] but it's expensive especially if you have already invested in a Medela Swing!

Hyperlink mistake. Try again. Here

I expressed (didn't ever manage to BF). I had a Tommee Tippy electric pump. I'm a 34G.

I exclusively expressed for 10 months and I am a 30G. I used a medela harmony hospital grade double pump on loan from the NCT. Never had to squeeze breasts or anything, but I think my let down is pretty rapid. I now BF my DD and she is swallowing after a couple of sucks. I think it depends on the person too.

I was a 34J when breast feeding and expressing- main thing I found was how cumbersome it all was- very tricky to get into a comfy, supported position that I could stay in- there was lots of propping and squishing but in hindsight I would have asked for some one to one support at a breastfeeding drop in sessions. Good luck OP it's still early days.

I am a 36 G at the moment and I am getting on OK with the Avent Via manual pump although am thinking of upgrading to an electric soon.

TBH I suspect boob size has nothing to do with it. My tits peaked (pardon the pun) at a monstrous 38I and my pump worked ok. I agree a hospital grade one on hire might be good if you can afford it though to get yourself going in the early weeks.
It seems as though you're pumping loads though- an hour after every feed? You must feel like you're doing nothing else! Personally I'd be inclined to hole up with baby to nap, hug, feed, lots of skin to skin and relaxing together... Try to get milk flowing that way. Not to stop pumping of course, especially if that's what a MW has recommended , but also to look at other ways of increasing your milk production. I also took fenugreek, which is not ideal if you are diabetic (see kellymom) but which worked brilliantly for me to get my milk production up.
Good luck OP and congratulations on your new baby!

Thanks for all your responses, so it seems size doesn't have much to do with it. I am very tempted to hire a hospital grade pump.
helium - I do feel like I do nothing else! my baby has tongue tie which is getting sorted tomorrow, and now he is finally at birth weight. So I am planning to slowly reduce the expressing and just bf. Hope it works!