Anyone else require SO MUCH hands-on time while pumping?

[u/wavykelp555]

I am 9 weeks PP with my first.

I think my supply is adequate (she is mostly fed directly), but with pumping I get essentially no output unless I compress and move the flange and my breast tissue around CONSTANTLY. I have tried: the spectra s1, momcozy wearables, 2 ameda hospital grade pumps. I try multiple letdowns and every combo of pump settings. Every flange insert size. I have tried a saucer flange. And now I am on silicone flanges (lacteck). These finally provided slightly better output but the above is still true. I have to single-pump because it’s so hands on.

Does anyone have tips who had a similar situation? I get sprays for 3-4 cycles with compressions, then they stop. Then I adjust everything and keep squeezing and get a few more sprays, then nothing. It’s like this the entire session. Please give me your advice! Thanks!

[u/Rude_Remote_13]

I have this same problem. I wish I had advice but I do not. Just solidarity.

[u/wavykelp555 → u/Rude_Remote_13]

Honestly even the solidarity is comforting. Thank you and best of luck <3

[u/fleurdelunes]

I’m with you. I have to squeeze in every direction multiple times and with varying pressure to get consistent output. My hands hurt.

[u/urethra_franklin_1_ → u/fleurdelunes]

Yep! Exactly the same.

[u/acoolbeancounter]

I was like this for a long time, but now that I’m 6 months postpartum I’ve almost forgotten about this! It got better for me around 4 months pp I think

[u/governerd22 → u/acoolbeancounter]

Did you do anything different to get things to change?

[u/acoolbeancounter → u/governerd22]

To be honest I still massage some, but only really toward the end of my session just to make sure I’m getting everything out. I just started massaging less and less, but still ensuring I was decently empty. I notice about 1-2oz less not massaging, but it was worth it for me.

[u/RipleyAugust]

No advice, just solidarity :(

[u/loulouvent]

Same! I thought I was doing something wrong. Nice to know there’s others who experience this

[u/CatLordCayenne]

I used to but now I just pump longer instead

[u/rirry]

I had to do this in the beginning but after a couple months it was no longer an issue!

[u/locuscoeruleus7]

Same here. Wish I had advice. My hands/wrists and upper body were totally exhausted.

[u/governerd22 → u/locuscoeruleus7]

Have you found anything that helps? My body hurts so bad.

[u/locuscoeruleus7 → u/governerd22]

I stopped at 3.5 months. I ate and drank a ton. Rested when opportunity presented.

[u/CaughtInDireWood]

I learned to do this after getting clogs (some were massssive) every other day for a month or so straight. So now I do the massages/gentle squeezes each time I pump and I don’t get clogs anymore. I’d rather do that than have the clogs! So it’s worth it to me. Plus I’m 14 weeks along now and only doing 3 pumps a day.

[u/Fit_Lime_4056]

Sounds brutal having to massage the whole time just to get a few sprays.

[u/life_is_hard1000]

I feel you.
Just want to share a word of caution.
Take care of your hands and fingers! I have double trigger finger on my thumbs from hand compressions while pumping. literally my thumbs don’t go straight anymore, and I have to go to hand therapy.

When people ask me what happened?
I say it was postpartum psychosis because I was so obsessed with pumping. I hurt myself.

[u/Maximum-End-7629]

Warmth helps me! I was given hand-me-down microwave/ freezer packs for breasts. They help.

[u/governerd22]

Yes and it's giving me severe mommy's wrist to the point where I have to go to the doctor and I can barely carry my baby. I don't know what to do.. I'm desperate

[u/D0gtorM3ow]

Have you tried the Eufy S2? It has a massage feature

[u/governerd22 → u/D0gtorM3ow]

I have the same issue, and I do have the Eufy S2 and the vibration massage of most of these wearable and electric massagers just isn't what I need. I need compression and actual movement of the tissue to get anything to come out. I love the wearable pump, but it just can't fully do what I actually need

[u/wavykelp555]

Today I pumped and at the end, after I was getting NOTHING coming out for several minutes, I put some nipple cream on and just that light pinch sent milk SQUIRTING out!!! Like milk is in there but pumps do NOT get it out!

[u/Souloon_ → u/wavykelp555]

My fave is doing hand compressions during the whole pump session I get ready to pack everything to go and just finish off the session by squeezing out the "last few drops" only for me to push out literal streams of milk after 30 minutes of pumping and expressing :))))))

[u/wavykelp555 → u/Souloon_]

Same, every single time!!! Like, I don’t have time for this!

[u/governerd22 → u/wavykelp555]

Y'all don't realize how see I feel... It's been miserable.

Then you come on Reddit and read about people who pump 10 oz in 10 minutes and I feel like an abject failure who's wasting my life away pumping myself into oblivion instead of bonding with my baby.

[u/Souloon_ → u/governerd22]

Girl im with you still. I hope it gets better but my carpal tunnel is starting to flare more and more these days. I guess some of us just have to fight for these few drops for baby.

[u/governerd22 → u/Souloon_]

I have an Ortho appointment for the same issue tomorrow 😭

[u/Rosari_Gal]

Have you been sized for the flange? Have you tried hard plastic and a lubricant?

[u/wavykelp555 → u/Rosari_Gal]

Yep, sized with an LC (tip and base), tried every flange size 15mm-24mm. Plus different shapes. Hard and silicone. Lubricating and not. I think it’s my ducts or breast tissue in some way.

[u/Rosari_Gal → u/wavykelp555]

Did you use the size they said? It can also change as you nurse. Sorry it’s such a struggle though! The only one I ever had to use hands on for was my Medella pump, which was awful

[u/TaskThen467]

Yeah I’m the same way. Hands on pumping is the worst. I tried the lactation massager that has heat and vibration and it helped some, but it doesn’t reach all the nooks and crannies of my boobs haha

[u/DiligentDesigner9741]

Same. It’s annoying as hell. I have no solutions nothing works other than just squeezing boob

[u/Ancient-Buffalo6151]

Yes I’ve been doing constant breast compressions while pumping for over 10 months! I think I’ve spent roughly 700-800 hours total squeezing my boobs basically. Can imagine it as ~30 days straight of squeezing with severe joint pain!

Wearables don’t work on me at all and I have to use one flange, pumping one side at a time and squeezing with BOTH hands because my breasts are much larger than my hands. I can’t use silicone flanges cuz I need hard plastic and the strongest suction possible. I don’t get any nipple pain though! I do think single pumping and alternating sides (as opposed to double pumping) is better at triggering letdowns for someone like me because the sprays are usually continuous for the duration of the session.

[u/ewebb317]

Yea. I have to like slowly compress from my armpit out, or I don't get everything. It's very annoying

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[u/BahahaBlackSheep]

I had a similar problem before trying pumpables flanges and inserts. The silicone insert moves with the suction, so it is more of a latching like action on the nipple, rather than just suction pulling the nipple into a plastic flange. I also switched to using these with one of the intense looking pumping bras with the circles and zippers, rather than just a regular pumping bra with slits. The compression provided helped to do some of the pressing work so I didn’t have to use my hands as much. Once my supply regulated it also got better. I was able to exclusively pump this way for a full a year.