Pumping Issues - Pompano Beach,FL

Hi A.. I don't know if we have the same pump (mine is Pump In Style), but when that happened to me I had to replace the valves. There were two little white valves that are kind of cone shaped, and then there were two cylindrical clear inserts. I had a lot of success with pumping but I could always tell when the valves needed replacement when the suction or amount of milk just couldn't be pumped. I ordered the parts on line (just do a search for breast pump parts) and I ordered some extra to have on hand.

Oh, and I completely agree with the recommendation to try the organic Mother's Milk tea from Traditional Medicinals. In addition to GNC or other health food stores, you can find it at Whole Foods.

Good luck! And it is great that you are committed to breastfeeding!

I had the same problem with a Medela and it was a super simple fix. The face plate where the tubing plugs in had come loose. I took the tubing off and then pulled the faceplate off and put it back on correctly and then the suction and pump were back to perfect working order. The the faceplate gets loose over time when you remove the tubing to pack everything up.

Nursing shouldn't be painful even with teething. Occasionally they will try to "bite" to help soothe their tooth pain but he should still be nursing ok. Try giving him some tylenol about a half hour before you know he'll nurse and see if that helps. (of course you can't do that each time but it could help him nurse better for some of the sessions while he's teething). Also, if he likes pressure on those teething gums I found the greatest teether. I think it's playtex. It looks like a paci but it's very firm silicone, flat and has ridges. It's nice because you can use a paci attacher thingy so baby can keep it with him.

And congratulations on being a breastfeeding mama! Best thing ever!

Try replacing the thin white membrane that is in the cup part. You should see it when you take it apart to wash it. You can find them in most stores that carry baby products and they aren't expensive at all.

Or try turning up the suction. Maybe you need a bit more pressure.

I agree that you might want to replace the white membranes (the white rubber things attached to the yellow valves). You can buy them at Target or Babies R Us. That's an inexpensive thing and if that's not the problem, you aren't out of much money. Taking off the face plate and reattaching it like a previous response said may help too.

You could also call Medela's customer service number. But do not tell them that you are using someone else's pump. Use by more than one user voids the warranty and they will not even give you advice over the phone.

Hi A.,

If you're still nursing your son, does he get plenty of milk during each session? If so, and if your pump is equipped to do it, you should try to chage the settings on the pump to mimic his suckling pattern. Our bodies are smarter than we think. And, as I found, our breasts are a whole bigger mystery than I ever expected when I was nursing my son (a total chub-a-lubs and frequent nurser). You might also try (if you're not already) looking at a picture of your son while you pump. Visualization really helps the let-down response. And, lastly, if none of that works or in addition, you could also add using a worn article of his clothes to smell him. It's another trick to elicit the hormones that trigger let-down. It all might sound like voodoo wierdo stuff, but it can help. A friend of mine hadn't nursed for a year or so when she was going through her son's baby things. She pulled a baby shirt of his that she had stored as a keepsake, smelled it, and actually started leaking!

I hope some of this helps. Hang in there!

Sincerely,
L.

Find a lactation consultant (my birthing hospital~Palms West) had one. They rented Medela's and if I had a problem with mine, I could take it there for suggestions. You could try calling the customer support line for Medela and see if there was any "trouble shooting" they could do for you.
When I was pumping, I'd often have to massage my breast a bit if I found the milk wasn't pumping well... Mother Nature seems to do better than a pump any day!
Good luck!

It sounds like you need a new pump. I used a Pump 'n Style after my first two kids were born. I liked it, but finally just wore out.

I purchased a Playtex Embrace with my third baby. I think it is great!

Hi A.,

You may want to take your pump to a local dealer to check it. They should check the settings for free. I noticed on the Medela website that a number of moms were complaining that their Freestyle model worked great at first and then they had problems so there may be a defect with it. As for breastfeeding a teething baby it really isn't that bad. Here is a link to a great article on tips to avoid biting. I nursed my daughter until she was just past 2 but I do remember vividly that one day when she was teething and bit me. I swear I saw stars but I very sternly reprimanded her. Babies understand more than they may appear to and it really was the last time she did that to me.

Good luck!

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/3...

Have you cleaned the pump and changed all the gaskets?

I'm curious why you say that nursing is painful. Nursing should never be painful so what is different? Is your son biting? Is that the problem? There is a way to stop biting. If your baby latches on and begins "nibbling" with his tooth, you immediately unlatch him and say in a firm voice, "that hurts mommy, NO BITING." Wait a few moments and re-latch him. IF he continues to bite or "nibble," again, immediately un-latch him and say, "No biting mommy, that hurts me." If he wants his milk, he WILL learn. It may take a few latching on and un-latching but he will get the message. If you don't correct this, he won't learn that it's not okay to bite. Good luck.

Hi A.:

First of all yes unfurnately your milk supply goes down when your baby is not being latched on. There is something about the baby's salibury glands on your breast that stimulates the milk. Drink plenty of water and go to a GNC store and ask for mothers milk tea. It is great. I drank it and I was proucing so much milk I could of breast fed twins.... and Iam NOT kidding =). Drink it before each pump (1/2 hour before). You may add honey or sugar if you do not like the taste. Keep up your nutrition and protein since you are breastfeeding. Make sure you are eating the right things for you and the baby. If its painful see a lactation specialist. Its free! Much success and dont give up.

P.S. There are this little things inside the pumps that works as little filters make sure they get changed from time to time cause they get dirty!