medela breast pump?

Question

I had originally bought $50 pump from walmart but when the lady at hospital found out i was going to be going back to work full-time she said she highly recommended getting a medela so i did the pump in style used it for the first time this morning and only got 1 ounce! (on left side) and i could tell my breast was full? what gives when i used my other pump before i always got more than that ..anyone else had this problem..it worries me because i go back to work on the 20th and im worried i wont be able to pump enough milk for him he's 8 weeks old and likes to eat alot!

Answer 1

pumps don't work like baby so you won't get as much pumping as baby might eat nursing but babies seem to adjust. I learned fast not to buy the pumps from the store because they don't really work at first but once i got my milk supply going with the medela double pump i was able to get 4-6 oz (sometimes more) at a time then the hand pump worked ok once i had the milk supply in. It is hard to get the pumps to latch on properly to get the milk supply out. I would feel so full and pump and get only 1 oz at first and was so worried and upset but the Dr said that I may just need to adjust how the pump is suctioning and massage my breasts before and during the pumping. It seemed to really help when i did the preparation before hand. I always had extra milk in the freezer when using the medela double pump. They are so expensive though that I know most woman can't afford the good ones (I couldn't have it if wasn't for family donations to get it).

Answer 2

If you are only pumping one breast make sure you unhooked the tube from the pump for the other side and covered it with the little cap. You may be releasing the air for the other tube and it isn't pumping anything but air so it's not working properly. Also, I would recommend pumping both at the same time every time. It will help your milk supply increase and will give you more milk to store for baby. If you've checked the tube issue, make sure your settings are set for harder suction and maybe longer cycling. If all of that fails, call your hospital and get a lactation consultant to come over and help you out, they will be able to make sure you are using the pump properly.

Answer 3

I got a medela pump rental from the hospital and have found that now that my son is 5 months and can really suck hard, the pump seems too weak! It used to work a lot easier, but it seems as though my breasts are more accustomed to a stronger suction. I've gone back to using an avent hand pump, and I love it.

You might also want to check that the pieces that go over your nipple are the right size for your nipples. That makes a big difference!

Answer 4

Medela is usually the best brand to get for full time moms, however sometimes it doesnt work well. If i were you, I would call the hospital and ask them how to make the pump work well..otherwise, you should use what is best for you.

Answer 5

Same here! and I was also told that Medela was the best. But it just hasn't worked for me. So you are not alone. Its so frustrating. Because my son is a poor feeder I have to bottle feed him - so I have to express - and it just doesn't work!

Answer 6

Do both sides at the same time. Also try again, may just be something that needs practice and repetition. The other thing you may need to do at first is really try to relax and think about your baby. I always found I got less when trying to read or watch tv at the same time.

Heres another site too
http://www.pumpingmoms.org/
for info

Answer 7

make sure you use the "let-down" button on the medela pump.Also its probably because your breast are use to the other pump.

Answer 8

try to sort of squeeze your boobs,. i found it makes most of the milk come out but i also have it on max so suction is even higher. use both sides so you are not wasting the let down on the other boob.