Calling all expert Avent Isis breastpump users!

[barefeete]

How do you get the most out of your handpump?

I know that i need to relax and with DS1 was an amazing electric pumper and would watch TV to relax and found that i could pump about 12floz / session. I would get the let down almost immeadiatly but with the handpump I can pump for 5 mins and get no let down and pump just dribbles!

I have started to get about an oz at a time if i feed off 1 boob and express of the other.

I need to be able to pump about 8 fl oz a day and am just not managing it.

[motherinferior]

Sweetie, if it's not working switch back to electric. Seriously. Some people just don't get on with a handpump, and if you're not getting the let-down you're not getting it.

Must dash but I'm thinking of you. (I did use a handpump but KNOW that awful wait and wait for the letdown!)

[madness]

I used to feed ds+dds on one side and express on the other, never able to do it otherwise

[massivebigpantsface]

sorry no advice really but just to say that my let down comes almost straight away and I still only ever get about 2oz at a time! its very frustrating as I can't seem to get any more for at least 3 hours afterwoods.

[muppetgirl]

Make sure the cup is fitted over your breast properly as if air gets in I found let down took longer. I did a few small little pumps first as that was what my son did, he didn't latch on immediately.

[amidaiwish]

are you 100% sure you have assembled it correctly?
i had a problem with my avent isis pump and the white plug thing which looks like a star on one side was the wrong way up

just a thought!

[amidaiwish]

how old is DS2?
and what time of day are you expressing? i found at first until i had got into the swing of it (after i had assembled it correctly) the best time was v early morning (like 5am)

[terramum]

Have you tried it without the soft insert? (what avent call the "petal massage cushion"). I found that I got more out without it....

[muppetgirl]

yep! the white plug thing got me too!!
loads of air escaping and not airtight.

[barefeete]

Can't switch back the dam this if F*ing broken and I live on a small island where electric (or breast pumps for that matter) don't exist!

[barefeete]

have to feed now but will read all this tonight, thanks so much for help, please look back tomrrow in case i am still stuck!!

[barefeete]

DS2 is 4 months and i have been expressing after 2nd feed of the day (1st feed is too early!) and which is what i did with DS1. I have been trying to express a few other times during the day and do find that the 7am one is the best. i must admit though that my milkl supply is getting much better now since i have been tunggin on my boobies with the blasted thing so at it has done something.

DS2 seems to be so much more hungrier at the 7pm feed than i have milk for. That is why i am having to express to top her up. DS1 was similar but could go though till 10:30 and have a feed then and then sleep through till 8am the next day, but DS2 cleans me out and screams for more so after a month of this am my supply is still crap in the evening i thought i better get back to expressing. (AND she wakes me up at 3:30-4am and then 6am and then has a feed at 8:30am!!!) Anyone had similar issues?

[barefeete]

The white plug thisng is this the same as the like round disk with the bobbles on the back or is it the triangluar like(ish!) white teet thing that squeezes together whn you pump? I haven't used the round thing as i didn't know what it was for!

[amidaiwish]

it is like a disc which fits at the bottom of the attachment which screws onto the bottle.

not the actual lever you squeeze to make the milk come out.

don't underestimate how much more you are probably doing in the day with ds2 than you did with ds1 when you only had him to look after and feed. i found i had less milk in the evening with dd2 than with dd1 too. do make sure you are resting enough, eating, drinking enough etc. i know many people say it doesn't make a difference but i really felt that it did.

[amidaiwish]

right, if you're not using it then put it in the bottom of the attachment with the flat side down and the spokes pointing up away from the bottle.

i had it in the wrong way round, with the flat bit facing up.

anyone out there - it's been a year since i bf so do tell me if i have got that the wrong way round again!

[GrimoireThief]

Yes, the spokes need to be facing up. Definitely ditch the so-called massage cushion, I got much better suction without.

Have you tried hand expressing for a few seconds just to get the milk going? I also started off with shorter pumps. I think the leaflet suggests you do a rhythm of 4 short pumps and then a long one. I would do that until things were going more quickly and then switch to longer ones.

Sometimes though I'd just find it difficult to get suction or wouldn't be able to get much from one or both sides, and it wasn't because there was nothing there. There seemed to be no rhyme nor reason to this.

[terramum]

All babies are different so it is normal for 2nd babies to have different feeding patterns. Doesn't necessarily mean you don't have enough milk....are there any other signs that your supply may be low? This link is really useful for checking to see if your baby is getting enough: www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html

Evening cluster feeding is very normal as well. DS fed pretty much non stop from early evening until we went to bed at 11-12. It doesn't usually mean your supply is lacking. These links might interest you:
www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html#supply
www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html

[LexB]

Can't offer advice but just to say that I've been having expressing problems too with DD2. This took me by complete surprise as I had expressed for 11 weeks constantly with DS1 who I couldn't get to establish bf. I expected it to be easy but sat there for ages the other night and it took 20 mins to get the let down!! So guess it can be different with different babies? (DD was 7.5 months before I tried to do any expressing at all as she has been bf.)

[theUmbridgeDryad]

i used an Avent Isis pump, also found the massage cushion a bit pointless, and had to get dh to assemble it! i could get 5oz max a time though...i'd painstakingly express it out into a bottle, only for ds to turn his nose up at it, but that's another story.

how are you getting on?

[BillWeasleyBeast]

short rapid pumps to start with to get the milk flowing then longer slower ones once it starts

[barefeete]

Thanks for the links terramum. She def has enough supply as good nappies, good weight gain and generally very content during the day. She does feed generally every 2.5 hours though and sometimes gets through till 3 hours.

I got 1.5 oz out this afternoon while DS was feeding on the other side. I found this much better and will try tomorrow without the cushion thing.

[terramum]

TBH if you are happy about her getting enough then I really wouldn't bother with the expressing unless you need/want to leave her...its' just far too much work imo when you have a far easier way of getting milk into her direct from source. If she looks for more milk after you have fed her then just offer the breast again - much easier than having to heat a bottle up

[barefeete]

I have to be able to leave her for a few feeds during the day and also at night soon so need to get this sorted as i REALLY don't want to do formula here as too expensive and also don't trust the stuff here for some reason!

[madness]

I found I was able to express more if ds/dd had "skipped" a few feeds, I would be "bursting" and once they would start bf on one side it would just spurt out the other side at the same time. But when I tried during days (non-working days) they would feed a lot themselves so there wasn't much "spare" milk to express.

[madness]

I also found it easier with ds when I worked full time, had plenty to express and had a good routine. With dd I only worked 2 days and found it more of a struggle to get enough.

[terramum]

Fair enough barefeete....just wanted to make sure your weren't giving yourself unecessary work....

Are you going to be able to pump when you are away from your DD? You might find that you are able to get more out then as your boobs will be expecting a feed.....