Hit and miss expressing

[MissVic101]

Hello!
Was wondering if you may have some advice for me. I have an avent electric pump which I want to use to expess for my 8 week old daughter. It's just that I am finding the results completely variable and with no rhyme or reason. I find it impossible to express at the same time as feeding , not enough hands to hold machine, baby and to help her relatch when she (frequently! ) looses my nipple. In the early days 4- 5 weeks I was expressing after her early morning feed about 5 am with good results, but at that point my breasts felt so full and leaky anyway. But for the past couple of weeks I can try to expess at this time and get nothing. I have tried in the afternoon and evening too with about a 50/50 success rate, some times getting 4oz in total and sometimes getting not a drop. I always have the baby nearby and will try looking at her and thinking mushy thoughts but nothing. Is this just standard? Could it be the machine? I know its the cheaper end of the market. Any ideas? I have Christmas parties to attend and willing babysitters please help!! Thanks

i am not an expert, and think maybe worth you contacting la leche league or a nct breastfeeding counsellor.
my experience of expressing was very mixed, i read babies are much more efficient at getting milk out so not to use the amount you express as an indication of how much baby is getting. i realise if you are expressing to replace a feed this won't help.
a lovely hv said that it was best i did all the feeds direct as got a sit down whilst the baby fed and to delegate other tasks like dishwasher loading to dh.

I used the avent pump with my first then switched to hand pump and i just use that with DC2. I only seem to get about 3-4 oz per boob. I think kellymom website has some good tips on pumping and expected volumes. Its only around growth spurts when I get more milk (engorgement).

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the responses. Its nice to know there are people out there at this hour! I have had a look at kelly mom as you advised and it seensbto be just to preserve. It says the best time is am an hour after feeding and sure enough I tried again after my initial post and have just got a couple of ounces. Baby watching in disgust as I squirrel her milk away for later

As regards hand pump one did come with my electric one but I have never tried it as I thought it might be a bit of a pain having to sit there squeezing away. But might be worth a go of others have found it more efficient.

I'm having exactly same prob but i have hand pump.

Sometimes i get 4oz in 3 minutes, sometimes not a drop.

No rhyme or reason to the timing or where i pump

so yr not alone!