breast pumps - a 'health warning'

[auntynon]

I have been bf dd who is 7 mths. I have always expressed as dh gives her bottles and since weaning I have used the milk in her meals. Over the past month I have experienced severe pain and stiffness in my right hand, particularly the first 2 finger joints. First I got worried and thought I may have arthritis as lots in family but it turns out to be repetitive strain injury (RSI). I haven't always expressed every day and it is never more than 30 minutes max, often less. My advice, swap hands or maybe use and electric pump. If dd ever gets a sibling that's what I'll do. Angry this has happened and wish I'd known this could be a hazzard, it could have been avoided. You have been warned!!!

Auntynon - tell the manufacturers! They should know about it, and include it in their instructions at least.

i got that too auntynon! but in my thumb....
out of interest, which breast pump do you use?

popsycal, it was the one everyone seemed to reccommend, Avent. Tiktok, I will get in touch with them, including a warning in the instructions may help others.

yup - mine was avent too

Popsycal, is your thumb ok now? at the moment I can't even peel vegetables, I've only been 'resting' it for 2 days though.

ds is now 19 and i only used the breast pump for afew months after the birth.....also the tendons in my inside of my forearm hurt too - took afew weeks after stopping using itfor it to get better

he is not 19!!! lol
he is 19 months!!!!!

I had been warned of this by a midwife as I was exclusivlely expressing for 4 weeks. Luckily a support group was able to lend me an electric pump. Now I am just expressing a little for comfort and I use the Avent but it is a maximum of 10-15 minutes a day.

My sister developed arthritis in her forefinger (she's 19) from expressing with an Avent too! We thought that it was due to the prolonged period she'd had to exclusively express for......but having read this it looks as though it's not necessarily the case.

I exclusively expressed for ds for 10 months without any problems

I believe Gina F does make a suggestion on these lines. For some reason I managed OK with the Avent - even though I have small hands (or maybe because, who knows?) although I have to say the Lactaline I've now managed to acquire through work is just bliss...pump and go....

I also got rsi from using the avent pump too enthusiastically - very painful where my thumb met my wrist for months.

auntynon - do you express all feeds? Just re-read this thread. Do you breastfeed directly? If so, I would pack in expressing for a while.