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purpose of dual speeds/ let-down button on Medela PIS pump

jupiterthecatjupiterthecat member
in Breastfeeding
I've never understood it-- what is the function of the let-down button on the Medela Pump in Style? Obviously it changes the rhythm of the pumping, toggling between the slower and faster rhythms, but what is the purpose of having two speeds? I usually have more milk come out during the faster rhythm, so often I will press the button to bypass the slower speed. Is this a good idea? Does alternating between the slow and fast speed have some sort of benefit-- like, does it trigger second let-downs, so that I ultimately produce more per session? 
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Re: purpose of dual speeds/ let-down button on Medela PIS pump

  • kitkat145kitkat145

    It is supposed to mimic LOs sucking. They suck fast and short until you have a let down and then their sucking changes to longer and drawn out.

    I use the faster speed until I get a letdown and then change to the slow speed. Once there is no longer milk coming out (with compressions), I switch back to the fast speed to try and get a second letdown. 

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  • drcolleendrcolleen member
    I have a Freestyle and just like PP the first phase is supposed to stimulate a let down then I would repeat to get another let down once no more milk was coming.  If you dont' need it then it's fine to not use this feature.
    5/08- blighted ovum, spont ab; 2/20/09- epi, VAVD, Girl! breastfed 24mo; 10/10- blighted ovum, spon ab; 12/10- no fetal pole, Cytotec; 11/20/11- unmedicated SVD, Girl! breastfed 18mo; 11/7/13- unmedicated SVD, breastfed 18mo; 2/11/16- unmedicated SVD, exclusively pumping to at least a year.

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  • pitterpatter129pitterpatter129 member

    imagedrcolleen:
    I have a Freestyle and just like PP the first phase is supposed to stimulate a let down then I would repeat to get another let down once no more milk was coming.  If you dont' need it then it's fine to not use this feature.

    I never used it and got two letdowns.  I had a freestyle too. 

     

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  • AmyRIAmyRI member
    imagekitkat145:

    It is supposed to mimic LOs sucking. They suck fast and short until you have a let down and then their sucking changes to longer and drawn out.

    I use the faster speed until I get a letdown and then change to the slow speed. Once there is no longer milk coming out (with compressions), I switch back to the fast speed to try and get a second letdown. 

    This. I will sometimes get a 2nd letdown without switching back to the fast phase, but it usually happens faster if I switch back. Once you have a letdown, it is more effective at drawing the milk out to be in the slower phase, so if you can trigger the letdown with the fast setting and then switch, it might decrease your total pumping time.

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  • cottonlily84cottonlily84 member
    Babies suck shallow and fast to begin with to get the milk to come down.  Then they take long deep sucks.  The pump is designed to mimic that.  My LC recommended hitting the letdown button after the faster speed to see if more would come  but like most "normal" things it never worked for me. 
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