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February 2012 Moms
Nate&Teren
member
Medela pump question
Nate&Teren
member
So... I had posted the other day about my pump breaking. Long story short, I ended up replacing my broken pump with a Medela PISA.
My old pump wasn't very high end and was actually kind of uncomfortable (although I had gotten used to it after 9 months).
This weekend using the Medela pump I only pumped about 2-3 ounces over the course of 3 pumping sessions. I can't tell if I feel like the suction is strong or not because I'm partially thinking it's just the fact that my old pump was uncomfortable and therefore this one feels "weak."
I'm driving myself crazy with a million what if's. My supply has been dropping anyway, and then Thursday and Friday I basically got no milk because of the broken pump, finally replaced it yesterday, but I've been home nursing all weekend so anything I'm pumping is extra.
I'm worried that my pump might have low suction, but then I tell myself that I'm just being silly because my supply hasn't been great and I'm pumping on top of full time nursing anyway.
I plan on calling Medela's customer service number tomorrow.
What do you guys think? Am I just being crazy? Or does it sound like my 1 day old pump isn't working correctly?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Medela pump question
I have a bunch of questions:
Are you using it plugged in or the battery pack?
Are you sure you have the right size flange?
What was your output on your other pump?
How high up are you turning the pump?
Do you use the letdown function?
FACEBOOK FEB 12 BUMPIES ADMIN - POST & PM ME TO JOIN
This!
I'm using it plugged in, I think the flange is right (it's the same as the other pump and feels comfortable), with the other pump when I pumped after bedtime I could get between 2-4 oz in one sitting (about 20-30 minutes). I've tried a couple settings ranging from half way to all the way up, and I do use the letdown function.
The first time I used it I got nothing for a long while then very quickly got an ounce, then nothing.
I used the same pump for EPing (just stopped at 9 months). A couple things that I found: using the letdown button again mid-pumping definitely helped my output. It would seem like nothing else was coming out, I'd hit the button again, and I might get another couple ounces. I adjusted my flange size and did find a difference in output when I had a better fit. Medela has a pretty good description of how to know if your flange is too small (and likely impacting your output): https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/13/choosing-a-correctly-fitted-breastshield
I would give yourself a day or two to see how your body adjust to the pump. You might be so stressed about your supply that you are effecting your output (evil catch-22 that one!). If you need to boost your supply, you can try power pump sessions: you can do 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off for an hour. They also recommend spending a weekend nursing as much as possible (or pumping frequently) to signal your body to up your supply.
Good luck! If things don't improve after a couple of days, you could try a replacement pump. Medela is supposed to be pretty good with customer service stuff like this.
FACEBOOK FEB 12 BUMPIES ADMIN - POST & PM ME TO JOIN
Things are looking up today
I think I was just freaked out by how much more "gentle" the medela pump seemed. Today I pumped a comparable amount of milk to normal in half the amount of time as with my old pump.
Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions, everyone!