So i finally get dh happy about me going to the MN Xmas do and my norks decide that they don't want me to pump....HELLLP ME PLEASE!!!

[theUrbanDryad]

I've always managed to pump really successfully before, first thing in the morning is the best, i can usually get at least 3 oz in about 5 minutes. but today it's just not happening. any tips or tricks on getting this milk out of my boobs? my night out depends on it!!!

tried that. have tried starting ds off on one boob and pumping from the other. have tried hand expressing then getting the pump on.

i'm thinking og phoning the NCT and seeing if i can borrow an electric pump for the day. would that make a difference do you think?

hey urban, what kind of pump do you have? i have a mini electric meleda whatsit somewhere you can have. or a hand one i think...

personally reckon the nct's giant hospital grade ones are brilliant

it's just an Avent hand pump, but it's always worked well for me before...

HeyThere - where are you? i need to pump at least 10 oz before Saturday night!

what are the chances of the NCT letting me have a pump for two days though. i thought the minimum hire period was a week, and tis not cheap either....

Calm down and breathe! Because you are stressing about getting 10oz out your body probably isn't playing ball.

Relax and try again later!

they only charge you for the days you use it iirc, and they beleive you when you tell them.

i am in hampshire, where are you? i can do a courier whatsit maybe? or if youre even slightly close i can drive to you

look at a photo of your child (or actual child!)

sounds like bollocks but worked for me

maybe watch some crap on tv and then try later?

heythere - i'm in Northampton. my geography's crap - really not sure how far that is from Hampshire!!

Try hand expresing first to get the milk flowing. You don't need an electric pump. If you try too hard you get nothing. I found looking at a photo when DS was in SCBU made it worse. Read a magazine and listen to music.Aim for an ounce and try a few times in the day inbetween feeds. It soon mounts up.

Not sure how old your child is - but the middle of the night is incredibly productive. I got pints then. If you are not already using up your night supply, I'd suggest having a go at 3am....

Also, I drank litres of absolutely foul tea made out of fenugreek and cumin seeds. Truely disgusting.

Plus electric pumps are miles better. Can you borrow one from a friend (and ignore the stuff about not using second hand pumps which is made up by medela etc)

well in 1 hour i've managed to get 2 oz which is just rubbish. can i put it in the fridge and add to it later? or do i have to freeze/store it separately?

Also massage your breast first from armpit to nipple. Easiest way to do that is make a fist, place it just above your breast, with the circle of your thumb and first finger against your skin. Then gently roll your first down your breast by turning your wrist.

Do this round your whole breast, doing it in reverse underneath.

To hand express just put your thumb on the top slightly behind the edge of the areola and your first 2 fingers underneath then gently press your thumb and fingers towards each other. You might need to experiment where you feel little pea like ducts.

Once milk flows start using the pump or just continue hand expressing straight into a bottle. I always found hand expressing quicker TBH.

It is so frustrating isn't it - I remember sitting pumping furiously to leave enough milk for a baby sitter one night, made myself really sore so be careful.

Drink plenty of fluids and maybe up your calorie intake for the day, that might help. Just do little and often.

I used to put the whole pump still attached to bottle and top up over a few hours. Not sure if its ok but none of my boys suffered any ill effects.

Put whole pump still attached to bottle in fridge I meant to say.

you can put the current bottle in the fridge and just add to it over the first 24 hours (iirc) and then freeze the lot. also, when its frozen, you can tip more on top of that and freeze it too. i donated for a milk bank and the woman told me to do that. to fill the bottle even if it was in stages.

have you started the 'anyone in northants with a breast pump' thread? think mears's hand expressing instructions might be more productive anyway, and def worth a try in the meantime. the little and ften advice is v good too... dont pressurise yourself or the stress will slow you down anyway.

try sitting in the bath?

if no-one is forthcoming in your local area i could courier this to you (?) never booked a same day courier down here so maybe im wrong, am used to big city convenience!

upon investigation of the freezer, i've discovered that i do have 6oz left of my emergency stash, so if necessary i can leave that for dh! i'm coming back the same night (thanks to Quootie!!) so he shouldn't need more than 10oz...

I expressed for SCBU too but didn't add warm milk to cold milk in the fridge. I expressed into sterile container then combined the milk when cold. Froze it in 4oz batches.

HeyThere - if i use the rest of the freezer stash i only need to get another 2oz, so i'll try that later. thanks for the offer though!

no worries and yay for the secret frozen stash!

thanks for that mears, that sounds like sensible advice... i should be more wary of giving what amounts to medical adice really as im not trained!