Breast pump trial... Holy crap, meant to be that painful?

[LouM10]

Am 35+2 and was getting steriliser/breast pump etc in their rightful place in the kitchen today.
Just out of curiosity, I tried the breast pump. OH MY GOD. I pumped once and it felt like I was stabbed in the nipple with a hot pin.

Is breastfeeding anything like this?

Is the first pump always the most painful?

If I had perservered would it have been 'acceptable'?

Should I have waited till I was breastfeeding first so my nipples were less sensitive (not sure if this is how it works :/)?

no breastfeeding is not like this. the pump can only mimic the baby so much...
when dd feeds I can feel her "pull" a strong sucking but it doesn*t hurt at all, only in the beginning when we were getting used to each other.

no bf is not necessarily that painful

with my first, it was uncomfortable for a week or so, then fine

with my second, totally painless

otoh i have misplaced my breast in a pump and had it hurt like a mofo lol

NOTE pain while bf should always be checked out by someone who knows what they are doing - a proper bf counsellor

there is no need to pump before the baby is born, so stop freaking yourself out!

good luck with the birth

haha thanks. Think I'll try once more after breastfeeding, and if still painful, back of the cupboard it goes.

You were probably doing it too hard - when you actually pump once the baby is born, firstly your nipples will be less sensitive, yes, but mainly, your milk will have come in so you will have some feedback as to how hard you need to do it! If it's an electric pump you should always have it on the lowest setting which still makes milk come out. Don't whack it up to full straight away :)

Good luck! And yes, put that pump in the back of the cupboard and forget about it until you NEED it. Get the hang of breastfeeding first, don't stress yourself out about pumping :)

Ow! The idea of using a breast pump before the baby's born makes me cringe and cover my boobs up protectively! Actual breastfeeding was painful for me for the first two weeks with my DS, but was fine once I got the hang of it, as was using the breast pump. Once the milk's flowing, it's not uncomfortable at all.

As an aside, I remember being truly triumphant when I managed to express a few millilitres at first, but after a couple of months I was expressing loads and started competing against my own previous "best" expression amounts - really silly! I suppose we have to find some consolation in feeling like dairy cows at 6am...

I took mine out of the box, looked at it, started to cry.

Horrified by it. you are nuts to have put it on your boob! :)

Laddies, stimulation to the nipples during later phase of pregnancy can trigger labor. Unless, you are ready to give birth it is probably best not to use the breast pumps at this time :)

Good point babynelly

I don't remember the breast pump being painful at all (infact it says in instructions, it shouldn't be painful) and I used one A LOT. BF'ing was painful to begin with, then the pain was easing off after a couple of weeks. Unfortunately I got thrush due to taking antibiotics, which meant that BF'ing was then excruciating, hence the pumping, but if I hadn't had this, then it would have become painless. And when I say it BF'ing was initially painful, I don't recall it being that bad, only when I got the thrush.

Definitely do not try it again until there is actually milk in there! You'll be fine.

I'm not sure that you are supposed to use a breast pump before milk's 'come in'? My ds1 was premature and I wasn't allowed to use a breast pump until I'd hand expressed for a minimum of 48hrs every 2 hrs. When you start using the pump makesure you start it on the LOWEST setting and slowly work your way up if you need to. I also would suggest not pumping until lo is 6wks old once supply is established. The best time to express (I found) is first feed in morning whilst feeding baby on other breast - I used to get loads of milk to store this way

Oh yes and definately what babynelly said!!