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Breastfeeding
Milk backed up in Medela PIS tubes! Help!
I don't know what's going wrong. The milk just started filling up the little yellow piece and not dripping through the membrane into the bottle. Then it backed up so far that a lot went into the tube. I didn't realize it was backing up until it went into the tube.
I have extra tubes so no worries, but why would it do this? Do I just need new membranes? Nothing seems wrong with any of the parts - they all look fine.
It kept doing this the whole time I was pumping and the only way to let the milk into the bottle was to keep turning off the pump or dropping the suction way down to give it enough slack to pour out.
Is this a sign that my pump is failing or something?
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Re: Milk backed up in Medela PIS tubes! Help!
I tried taking the membranes off and wiping them and the yellow piece and putting back together, but it was still doing it. The pump seemed to be pushing and pulling air - my nips were being pulled and released and I could see the milk going back in forth in the tube before I switched them. The hole did not look blocked either.
It definitely looked like the membranes were sticking to the yellow piece though and not releasing, but I couldn't get them to stop doing that. I would even shake the bottles a little and tilt them while I was pumping and it just wouldn't let the milk through!
I'm just so frustrated. I'm as work and have to pump again in an hour and not looking forward to a repeat of this issue.
I started googling and so far found one lady who said it happened to her and she realized the tubing was kinked right where it meets the piece that you stick into the flange. I'll keep searching and let you know if I find anything else! Good luck! That would make me crabby if I had to deal with that at work!
Edit: Also found a lady who said she had the suction up too high and it kept the membranes closed. If you find that is the cause I'd call Medela though because that just sounds dumb that you couldn't use the full sucking capability of the pump without it malfunctioning on you.
This makes the most sense for the problem you're describing, although I've never had it happen before. Especially if it stops when you turn it down, it sounds like the pump is holding suction when it shouldn't be. If the hole in the connector that goes directly to the bottle isn't plugged, and it keeps doing it, I would call Medela. I agree that it doesn't make any sense that you can't turn the pump all the way up and not have it work properly.
From time to time you need to replace the membranes.
I think it's either that, or... were you leaning over the pump, like hunched over it? You have to sit up straight and hold the pumping apparatus upright too.
BUT, now that you have moisture in your tubing, you need to get some new tubing, pronto. And make sure it hasn't gotten sucked into your motor, where it can form into mold.