Expressing with an electric pump - is there a technique to it?
Hi there,
My son is 5 months old and is breastfed. Am going back to work in January and have been expressing milk to freeze for him.
I have been using a manual Tommee Tippee pump for a while and express twice a day at the same time, getting 3 or 4 oz in about 10 minutes each time, relatively easily.
Because I am going to have to express more when I get back to work I bought a Medela Mini Electric pump because I thought it would be more efficient than a manual. Tried it last night at the usual time I express. Half an hour later, absolutely nothing, no let down at all. Gave up and switched to my manual pump and got 4 oz within 10 minutes. Is there a technique to electric pumps. Any thoughts on why it didn't work for me when the manual one is dead easy.
Thanks x
Replies
Hiya
I think there may well be but I've never figured it out!!!
I had to express a l9ot for my daughter as had to stop feeding her for a week and needed to keep my milk going (she was later found to be b/milk intolerant so had to stop completely), obviously there was masses of milk, about 9ozs every few hours and yet i couldn't get a drop out with the electric pump, also a medala one but could fill a bottle in minutes with the avent manual pump!
You could try talking to your health visitor for more advice but in the end might have to stick with the manual one as it's obviously doing the trick!
Good luck with it, i think it's great you're preparing breastmilk for him to have while your at work. I hope you get on great
Tasha xx
Thanks Tasha. Glad it's not just me!
Have tried a few more times and the same thing again. Have pretty much decided to call it a day with the electric one and keep going with the manual. Like you say it seems to be doing the trick.
Fingers crossed it'll all go to plan when I get back to work. My only problem now is that he won't entertain a bottle. Screams blue murder whenever anyone tries to give him one.
I'm going to just have to persevere with that one I think! If it's not one thing it's another.