Is breast pumping that painful?

[Redheadmummy3]

Hi everyone! I'm 34 weeks and had just gotten my Nuby electric breast pump and I was super curious so decided to give it a wee go and see what it felt like. I used the stimulation then it went onto expression and it felt horrible! Pretty painful! I continued for about a minute and it never got any better. Will it feel better when there's milk? A tiny bit of yellow stuff came out but not enough to get into the bottle should I be worried about that? My breast have not leaked before and it hasn't since.

Shouldn't hurt, just takes ages to get not much! Can you control the frequency and level of suction? I think you're supposed start off with gentle quick suction, then when the milk starts to flow (this won't happen until about day 4ish after birth btw) increase the suction so it's long, strong sucks. Or something like that from memory.

Don't be worried. The yellow stuff is just colostrum. Others with more pumping experience will no doubt write soon, but I found pumping uncomfortable rather than painful. However my babies didn't like bottles so didn't pump much except for comfort if I had to be away from them.

It was years ago I expressed but it wasn't painful at all
I used a hand pump and it was easy. Are you trying too soon after feeding?

@SomeKnobend Yes there's a speed and suction setting and I had it on lowest suction and highest speed. My breasts are very tender and the moment though so that might be why it was painful. I never realised it took so long after birth for it to flow properly l. I just want to be able to pump as my boyfriend is really looking forward to feeding baby as well

It doesn’t hurt. Just is long and boring to get not very much. For me anyway! You can adjust the settings so the suction isn’t so strong.

Oh, this is it: "To get the milk to start to flow, set the cycles high and the suction low. When the milk starts to flow, set the suction high and the cycles low". But don't expect to actually get any milk until a few days after birth, at most you'll get a tiny bit of colostrum - the yellow stuff. Baby will take about a teaspoon or half a teaspoon of it every 2 hours or so (however often you can latch it on really).

It's not painful once your milk has come in. I waited until baby was 4 weeks before expressing as it can confuse your supply otherwise. First few times feel a bit odd but not painful

I never really liked pumping, but I had a massive let down reflex so I could just feed dd off one breast and hold a cup under the other breast and get over 50ml a feed so never really needed to pump properly

@CorporeSarnie Yeah I thought it might be I just had no idea it was yellow haha! Hopefully the pain goes away. I'm planning on breastfeeding it's just cause my boyfriend wants to feed the baby and he's looking forward to it

It wasn’t painful for me, slightly uncomfortable if I left it on too long and my boob ended up stretched half way down the tube! Maybe it’s because you haven’t had the baby yet? Also just beware that nipple stimulation can trigger contractions (I think you have to be ‘ready’ to go into labour but as someone who delivered at 35 weeks I know it’s possible). Maybe best to leave it till after birth?!

Yikes, don’t use an electric breast pump at 34 weeks! You could stimulate contractions!!!

And no, it doesn’t hurt once your milk has come in (day 5 onwards) but it is best to establish feeding first before trying to pump.

I'd put the pump away for a bit tbh, boobs can be pretty sensitive in pregnancy! Once your milk has come in and you've got bf going yourself then get the pump out and have another go then, it'll be much easier.

I'm really hoping the pain is just cause my breasts aren't ready for it yet! Yes I heard that it can start labour that's why I only done it for about a minute just to see I'm just so curious🙈 From what I've read it will only trigger labour if you do it for a while or regularly i think!