Breast Pump Question

K.,
I go to Riverview every Thur. for breastfeeding support group. There's a lactation consultant there every time. I was having problems with a little pain and not getting a good supply when I pumped. She recommended a bigger size cup... I bought the 27 size and it has made a world of difference. Better supply and fit. They sell the cups in the Women's Boutique at Riverview and they just recently ordered size 30 cups. Try this and see how you feel.

Do you have a medela pump? If so, they make different sizes of breast shields. I wear a 38D, and the ones that came with the pump were too small. My nipples rubbed on the sides. They have what they call a "personal fit" system. The ones that come with the pump are 24mm. I bought the 27mm flanges at Babies R Us. They also make them in 30mm, but I couldn't find them. You can order them directly online from Medela. This helped a lot.

If you have a hospital pump, the highest suction is really high. I run my pump-in-style at the highest possible setting with no problem, but the hospital grade pump felt like it was going to suck me in. I wound up with some damage.

If your nipples bright red, you could have a yeast infection. These are quite painful too.

Hi K.! I also used the Medela pump - glad your friend had one. Try some Lansinoh cream on your nipples, it's really gooey but made a huge difference for me! There are also different size cups for the pump. Good luck, hope it's going better for you.

The pump shoudn't hurt. I had 38f bra right after my baby was born and pumping actually felt better than nursing. You may need a bigger cup for the pump. I have a medela electric pump and it works great!

I didn't breastfeed, but I know sometimes you can get a condition called mastitis, where a kernal sized blockage gets in the milk duct and is very painful. Talk to your OB about it, they would know, and can help you find a lactation consultant! I did have a friend who ended up having to get a hospital style pump as a rental because of how much milk she was producing.

K.,
Something else that no one ever tells you,
pumping hurts for like 2-3 weeks, then subsides!!!! if you see bleeding or oozing stop, but try and bear it for 2 weeks, you'll probably feel better!

Is it possible for you to turn the suction down? That was my main problem when I was pumping. If the suction is too strong it can cause soreness and you may actually get less milk.

I know when you are at work it is hard to arrange pumping time, but you may need to have shorter pumping sessions that are closer together.

I agree with Anna, if you have a Medela pump, the horns could be too small. Its less about the size of your breasts though and more about the size of the nipple/areola area (I cant remember how they measure it). I also am a 36DD and when I was nursing I tried using the horns that came with the pump and I was red, raw, and bleeding from the process. I went to my lactation consultant and she measured me and said I needed the XL horns (basically 2 sizes larger than the ones that come with the pump). This helped TREMENDOUSLY. The other thing that really helped was making sure there was no lanolin on my breasts before pumping (causes friction with the pump) and applying olive oil to the horn/breasts before pumping to decrease the friction. Doing these things definitely saved my breastfeeding/pumping experience so I was able to do both for 13 mo.

Hey K.!

I have breastfed two babies myself, so my hat goes off to you for being a breastfeeding Mom. I recall my breasts hurting a little when I first started pumping too due to the harsh pull of the automatic pump. I was lucky that my automatic pump had a feature that adjusts the suction. I was sore for about 3-4 days, but then I got used to it. Also, your breasts may be producing more milk with the introduction of the pump, which may also lead to the ache. One last thing that should be considered is the possiblity of a breast infection. I developed one shortly after I returned to work since I got off of my normal feeding/pumping schedule and became too engorged. I hurt for a couple of days in one area and then developed a low-grade fever and flu-like symptoms, plus the area that was originally sore was red. A breast infection requires medical attention and treatments can be warm compresses, antibiotics, and to continue to breastfeed. Believe it or not, breastfeeding is better than pumping when you have an infection. Hope this helps and good luck! :) J.

Yes K., Your breast is not to small for the pump. But yet due to you breast feed often your nipples might be dry. Try putting lanolin on them after bathing and after feeding Or just put a liitle on the breast pads to keed moist. Its also something called Utter cream to keep breast moist.

I had the same problem and bought the extra large attachment for my medela pump instyle advanced. I haven't had a problem since. i believe they were 12 dollars each. babies r us and target only had the medium size. I bought it at the lactation center at the hospital.

K.,

The pump only has contact with the area directly around the nipple, so a different pump will not necessarily help you. It has been a long time since I nursed, so they may have different options these days. Try the Medela brand. Also, you might consider putting pressure on the pump, against the breast. I have found it very helpful to use the opposite hand in rolling the brest tissue, mid breast toward the nipple. This process really works the milk in the right direction as well as alieviate direct pressure on the nipple, which can cause soarness and not help pumping the milk. Also, relaxation is key. Another thing to try if you find you are not getting much milk out is to nurse the baby on one side, while pumping the other breast. The baby nursing automatically gets your milk glands ready. If you don't have any luck with my suggestions, contact a lactation consultant. Be careful not to get clogged milk ducts. It is extremely painful and seems at the time to be impossible to clear. You can avoid this by emptying the milk as often as the baby will take it. I found that this was especially common when weening the baby from breastfeeding (mine was 16 months when I experienced this at it's worst). Massaging the breast and a warm or hot shower really helped me with this problem.
Good luck!
A.

try a manual pump...sounds like it takes longer but i sware to you once the milk starts flowing and your breast arent so sore you will love it...you can pump more often and get more milk.....when my youngest was in born, she was in nicu so i had to pump and i tried one of the hospital pumps and i swore that thing was gonna remove my entire breast it hurt so bad. and dont forget before you start to pump massage your breast downward to get the flow going. and if you do get sore try some lanolin.....goodluck

no it isn't the pump being too small because your babies mouth is definitely not very large and he is able to eat just fine. It would depend on what type of pump you are using, it may be sucking too hard and forcing the milk out too fast and that could be causing the pain. I would definitely talk to your OB and see if she can make some suggestions, or even get you another pump to try. I know Medella makes some really nice ones that work great, but they tend to be a little pricey. I wish you luck with this, sore breasts are hard to deal with.

Maybe you are just engorged. I'm sure you know that that breastfeeding is a supply and demand system. Let's say you pump 3 times a day. If you don't pump the same amount the next day you will have an excess of milk.

It's hard to remain on a schedule for pumping, but I'm guessing if you do it at set times than you will find it more comfortable.

Also, could it be a breast infection or clogged duct? That's something to check out!

I hope everything works out for you! Good luck!

Some people suggested that it might be a clogged milk duct (also called mastitis) and I just wanted to add that if it is, you would also have other symptoms that feel very much like the flu (fever, chills, needing to sleep a lot, etc). It's very painful, but also very easy to remedy - you just call your OB and s/he can prescribe an antibiotic (Keflex) for you to take. I had mastitis once with each of my 2 children - it's not pleasant, but it's easy to remedy if you know what's going on.

Just wanted to set your mind at ease and help you self-diagnose a little one way or the other.

Good Luck!
L.

Hey there...I am a breast pump veteran...pumped until my daughter was 14 mo old. The first thing I would do, if you have access, is to call a breastfeeding hotline. The hospital where you delivered may have a support staff to answer your questions, or your insurance co may have nurses who can advise. If that is not an option, try expressing some milk before you start pumping to get the milk flowing. The pump works your nipples to get it started, and that can be hurtful. Also see if you can adjust the suction and work up to it. Good luck and God bless.

A lot of women seem to have better luck with manual pumps, because you control the suction, so try that. Also, like mentioned before, turn the suction to the lowest setting. You can start at the higher setting, but do not keep it there. Better to have a little less milk coming out than torn up nipples. Also try pumping during or immedietly after the baby has nursed, so that you aren't having to wait for the letdown, and therefore just pulling at your breasts. Since you already have milk right there during or after you've nursed, it may not cause as much soreness. It also may just take your breasts some time to get used to the pump, to be honest. The pump just simply pulls at your breasts, unlike a nursing baby, who massages it, so give it time and use lots of Lansinoh Lanolin to keep your nipples from getting too sore.

Hi K.,
I have a 9 weeks old and I experienced the same thing when he was 4 weeks old.

As their need of milk increases, so does our milk supply, especially if we pump very often (like every 3 hours or more often).

What happen to me was that i had the so-called "overactive let-down" for which my milk supply was so much and "flew" so fast into my son's little mouth, that he started to choke at every feeding and spit up a lot. I was quite concerned.

My breasts stared to feel very full and painful, I even had plugged ducts (ouch) a couple of time.

The only way to relieve the pain is to pump regularly and trying to space out the pumping sessions a little bit at the time. The body will adjust to the new request, it takes a while but not that long after all.

Let me know how it goes, good luck

S.