Help please with Boots electric expresser

[Mishee]

I've taken to breast feeding really well, but now want to express as well. I bought the Boots electric expresser, but am having limited succcess. Can anyone give me any ideas for how to improve my technique? Thanks.

I could only express if I was either looking at ds (this was the best way) or if he wasn't there, looking at photos of him. Sounds daft but it made all the difference for me.

I also found that the best time to express was when ds had only fed from one side, and I would immediately try to express from the other.

I started getting really tiny amounts, but it soon built up and it was really worth perservering with, as I felt much happier knowing that there was milk for him if I wasn't there (or was asleep).

The real trick is getting them to take a bottle once you've sweated blood expressing the stuff.

Loads of luck.

hot flannel on boob. Fed baby twice from one side then express off the full one. Think milk! Does it have a variable setting? I start off low and turn it up.

Also feeding on one side with babe on pillow and expressing off the other side is quite good.

Just used a combo of these and got 6 oz a personal best! dd2 is 10 weeks.

Found I didn't have much success with Boots Electric Pump - changed to Avent ISIS with much better results and found it a gentler pumping action.However I would agree if you persevere pumping quantities do improve with time.Found am after 1st morning feed the best time for myself.

i 'zone out', like meditate i suppose, and the milk flows. takes a bit of practice at first but comes easy real quick. i use a double electric pump so easier to do as don't have to concentrate on anything else.

Is this the one using Whittlestone technology? If so, I've got one and it's completely different from your average electric, or manual, pump which some of the other posters may be using. I have to admit I have not really got on with it. I have a manual Avent Isis as well, had that for ages before getting the Boots electric thing, and I get a lot more milk out with that. I decided to get the expresser because I was in a lot of pain which was being made worse by the Avent pump. They promote this one as being pain-free and gentle on the breasts.

I think, even more than with normal pumps, it is absolutely key to be able to relax and get your let-down working. I have found this very difficult as LO inevitably starts up within minutes of me sitting down! I phoned the Whittlestone helpline to complain it didn't work and I wanted my money back! They said I'd have to contact Boots but gave me the tip to put it on high almost straight away and then lower it to a comfortable setting once the milk starts to flow. I don't know about you but it takes me about half an hour, at least, to get an ounce of milk.

I have yet to hear of anyone who gets on with this pump (unfortunately though I heard all the bad stuff after buying it - typical!). Oh how I wish you could try these things out before spending a fortune on them! Good luck - will be interested to know how you get on.

I only used manual pumps when I expressed, but I did find that the only one I got on with was the Avent Isis. I could easily pump 4ozs in 10 mins with that. I then bought the tommee tippee pump which had me panicking that my milk had run out as I only managed 1oz in 20 mins! went back to the avent and had much more sucess, so maybe the pump isn't right for you? However as several people have said it takes time to build up the amount you express. I used to have a photo of my ds in front of me and imagine him crying - worked every time. Unfortunately most of the time I wasn't imagining him crying, he actually was!

Thanks for the advice. I have managed to express 30ml twice today, by placing a warm flannel on my breast, and then later using one of those microwave wheat 'hot water bottles' which was easier as it stayed warm and I could bend it into a good shape. It is the Whittlestone one. To be honest I only bought the Boots one because it was £30 cheaper than the Avent and then for some reason the cashier knocked another £20 off the price! I will persevere for a bit longer. I know I've got huge milk supplies because I leak all over the bedsheets at night and when I change DD's nappy in the middle of the night and she starts crying, I have milk flooding all over my feet!! If I wasn't so tired through the night, it would be the ideal time to express!