I've been experimenting with hand expressing recently due to DS (10m) going through a patch of not wanting to bf while we were travelling. I've found I can get comprable amounts to using my pump but not by doing the Marmet technique (c shape round areola, pressing in to chest and the rolling fingers). I need to press much harder than that and get the most if I squash each breast quite hard between my two fists. The trouble is it sometimes feels a bit sore afterwards and I worry that I'm damaging the breast tissue!
I think I'm doing all the obvious things to help let-down - relaxing, massaging all round first, drinking water, being warm, thinking of baby/looking at him. I only do it when my breasts are quite full so it's not a problem of low supply.
Any tips or ideas about whether I should stop pressing so hard? Any soreness goes away quite quickly and it is satisfying to see a constant squirt of milk for about 30 seconds, which is what I get with the squashing technique. And I'm only doing this every now and then, not even once a week. But obviously I don't want to damage anything!