Avent Isis Brestpump-need help

[tahm563]

Hi ladies,

I bought an Aven Isis breastpump after reading excellent recommendation. I can hardly get any milk out, after 30 minutes of pumping, i only get 10 mls. What's wrong???

By the way, bub is just 1 week old. Is it too early to start pumping? Is that why it doesn't work? Anyone hired an electric pump from Australian Breastfeeding Association in their first few weeks? How much does it cost? What's a good brand to use in the first few weeks?
Please help me....I can't keep bub on breast anymore. Her attachment isn't too good, my nipples are killng me.

[babycoolz]

There could be so many reasons why you produced only 10 mLs:
- some women find they have ample milk when bf-ing, but so little when expressing
- stress, sometimes being anxious to produce milk can affect supply
- low supply altogether
- long periods between expressing...
and the list goes on depending on your circumstances

I am expressing for the same reason as you and I too have a bub that is 1 week old and I'm expressing 180mLs, pumping every two hours. In the first few days, it can seem disheartening to produce only 5-10mLs. Generally, milk comes in around day 5 and even then its only an average.

I encourage you to keep trying! Try relaxing before expressing, or maybe even using natural remedies to increase your supply such as fennugreek, brewers yeast or making those yummy lactatuon cookies.

In the past, I have also used nipple shields and many women swear by this to protect nipples. I found my eldest was able to attach well to them, however my newborn isn't as capable yet.

I found that the electric breast pumps that are for hire (the Medala ones) were good in the initial stage of breast feeding - they were excellent for getting the colostrum out and when I had so little milk. Once my supply was established, I found it didn't do as fantastic a job as the Avent pumps. I have gone from manual to electric and my supply is just flowing!

All this talk gives me the need to go and express so because I can feel my boobs tighening and filling up. Good luck with the expressing :)

[mumofKieran]

Before you do anything else, contact the ABA for attachment advice, and strongly consider seeing a Lactation Consultant. At 1 week it is way too early to throw the towel in, as it's still highly likely that your baby will learn to attach correctly with time and patience, and the right help. Lactation Consultants have saved many a situation just like yours.

Generally the first 6-8 weeks of breastfeeding is tough going and after that it becomes smooth sailing. If you do have to end up fulltime expressing then there are certainly things to consider like which pump is best to use and how to get a good milk letdown for the pump but honestly I would be seeking advice and perservering with feeding first.

Almost anyone you ask who has fed longer than 3 months will tell you how hard it is at first, and that it all gets easier and easier, I promise!:yes:

[Roxy]

I found that you need to make doubly sure that you have the little white valve in the bottom in right - I found it had a tendancy to pop out, and I;d get no suction what so ever.

With the valve in place, I could pump 150-180mls in under 10 mins....I loved my Isis!

[Tam-I-Am]

Some women just can't express - but it does seem to me that 1 week is a little early to begin trying...why is it that you're trying to express?

If its simply to build up a stash of milk in the freezer, for example, I'd give it away for now. It takes the first 6 - 8 weeks for your milk supply to really establish and settle, and after that might be a good time to start trying to express.

I also second an above suggestion - call the ABA (you don't have to be a member to call their breastfeeding counselling lines), to get some further advice.

[~Bec~]

Before you express put a hotish flannel on your breast for a few minutes - this was a tip from my LC and it helped me. I too spent ages expressing only to get a few drops - it can be really disheartening. I had an avent electric pump too. I liked my pump though - easy to use and clean etc.

Another thing I remember from the LC was to massage the breast a little from the outter area towards the nipple. If you can try to look at your baby when you're expresssing. It supposed to help but I don't think it did much for me. Never hurts to try though!

Definately invest in an LC asap.

I can soooooooo sympathise with you on the painful nipples. :( I ended up expressing blood one day they were that sore :gloomy: .

Hope things get better for you :hugs:

[veve]

simply- the more often you pump... the more you get .. but not too often .. if you know what I mean??? I guess what I'm saying .. is that it will get easier

I remember being frustrated in hospital - (Jack was in special care) I would pump for 20 mins .. and get all of 10 mls ..

by the time that JAck was home - I could pump one handed (while typing on bubhub) and get 100mls easy (then 180!!!) ..

Just make sure that if you are feeding - that you feed FIRST .. then pump, it will build up supply ... if you are pumping instead of feeding - relax more, think less, use the hot washer on your breast (really works!) or have a warm shower before pumping ... if you prefer

good luck

xx
Jen

[Lipsmacker01]

Look I'll be honest, all I ever had with one of these pumps was problems. I bought mine of ebay second hand and there was a hairline crack in it (as sometimes they can accidently be done up too tight and the plastic cracks) and maybe the valve needed replacing.

Anyways I was never good at using this pump so I threw it out and bought a Medela electric swing pump for $260 from chemist warehouse and I swear by it. It used to take me over an hour to pump a small bottle of milk with the avent whereas Id get the same quantity with the Medela swing in like less than 15 minutes. Its totally painless too and you can adjust the speed to your liking with plus and minus buttons.

I so wish I bought the Medela earlier as now my bubs has forgotton to drink out of a bottle and had to start all over again.

Different things can affect your supply too such as stress. If you are stressing while you are pumping then that can only make things worse. Some people suggest try having a shower first but who really has the time to do this as I never did! I know it sounds like a lot of money but for my own sanity I think it was money well spent. There was a chart that I used on the medela site that helped me determine which pump was suitable for me. So far so good and heaps of accessories available.

[benji's_mum]

In the beginning I had the same problem with the manual Advent breastpump but I think my milk had not 'come in' (I was induced early and had a c-section and believe that this affected my milk supply)

Keep at it - "if you keep pumping, your milk will come":laughing:

oh, I also tried an electric pump. Hated it - it was painful.

[tahm563]

thank you so much for you help. I figured out the problem. I wasn' getting enough milk, so midwife suggested i take the message cushion out. Now, i put it back on and i expressed while i was feeding bub on the other one. Got 60 mls. yeay!!!
I feel so relieved. And if i put bub on breast after expressing, it doesn't hurt to much. Again, thanks for all your suggestions and help.

[ikis84]

How are you going now? Hope it's sorted itself :hugs: