Hi Everyone!

I wanted to write this out here to see if anyone else has run into this issue. I'm certain I can't be the only one.

I started pumping on July 23 and have been doing everything "right". I mainly use a Medela Freestyle Pump.

My supply hasn't really built up at all. Once the milk started dripping into the bottle I started to collect it and after the first 4 days I had collected 5 mL - so I froze (hey - every bit helps!). The next 4 days I collected the same although I had expected there to be a change.

However, the following 4 days the little bit of milk that I did have started to disappear. I panicked and decided to rent the Medela Symphony - it could be the pump right? Nope! It got worse! It damn near disappeared entirely!

So then I REALLY panicked and started using the symphony followed by the Freestyle. The Freestyle would get milk after the Symphony hadn't but not vice versa. So for me, the Symphony was a no go. But the Freestyle wasn't working so well either.

So I went back to my lactation doc (who is an IBCLC trained LC as well) in tears not knowing what to do. During the physical examination of my breasts she squeezed them and one squirted clear across the room and hit the wall!

There's milk!

I laughed, then cried, then cried harder because I didn't understand what I was doing wrong.

The running theory is that the pumps just won't work for me. Or, at least, the Medela pumps won't but around here that's all you can rent so it's those or nothing because it's not in the budget to buy another type of pump "just in case."

So my doc wants me to hand express instead. Apparently I gave her quite the look of disbelief because she laughed at me and told me she had the same problem and assured me that some women do just that - and that I'll be fine until the baby comes along.

So I've been working at it, but wow my breasts are sore! To be more specific - my milk ducts are sore! At first I thought it was let down pain but I'm not so sure. I think the ducts are just getting used to being used (is that possible?).

I called in some reinforcements today with another LC (that my doc works with) for a formal lesson and she was great - she worked with me until we found my "sweet spot" that makes my breasts spray but that is super hard to collect so I'm using a slightly less messy technique.

Since I started hand expressing (on Thursday, August 14th) I've already improved my output so this is obviously better. Not by much (getting about 0.8 mL from 2 breasts per session right now, but it's better than what I was getting before, as pathetic and minuscule as that sounds).

I'm also continuing to pump a couple times per day for adding stimulation, but my doc said to focus on breast emptying as best I can more than the pumping.

Anyway, this is obviously NOT what I bargained for or had in mind and further complicates an already complicated process. Not to mention it's so much more time consuming! (Why can't things just be easy for once?)

But I thought that others may have the same troubles and that this may help someone, and surely someone else can commiserate with me?

Jalara
aka - super tired hands girl