Where are your hands when you're pumping?

[McQ]

Because mine are holding the parts to my boobs. Now that I'm back at work there are all these magazines in the pump room. And I'm like how can you read magazines, where are your hands?

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[tarahsolazy]

Well, at least one of mine was usually on my computer mouse or keyboard! I use a PIS, and am sort of average breasted for a nursing mom, large C small D, something like that. I rest the bottles, the Medela ones, on my thighs, and hunch slightly. Then, I stabilize both horns with my L forearm and hand. It never bothered my back or anything.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

My hands were usually typing responses to posts in this forum. :)

Early on, I would do breast massage to get more milk out.

I used my Bravado bra to rig up a handsfree solution by bringing the elastic part of the strap over the horn and bottle to hold it in place. There are all sorts of devices you can buy to be handsfree.

You have to find a way to be handsfree! It's so . . . freeing!

Sometimes I would even forget that I was pumping and start to stand up and walk away.

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/superpower.gif http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/borntobebreastfed2.gif

[tny915]

I'm small up top, and the table in my pumping room is the right height for me to position the horns and lean forward against the table edge to get them to stay in place. Voila, hands-free! Gives me a chance to catch up on my magazines! :)

[sntm]

LOL, well right now, I have my L forearm under the L horn, so that it rests on my wrist and my L hand is holding the R horn.

I can do hands-free with the Bravados like Karen described. When I could pump at my desk, I used the taller cheap Gerber baby bottles as collection bottles which were tall enough that I could sit up straight and rest them on my lap.

One caveat about hands-free -- you still gotta pay attention. It was always when i was wearing my favorite dry clean only skirts that I would become absorbed on the internet and overflow a bottle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]
Breastfeeding 16 months and counting

[missmelis01]

It depends where I am. If I am at home, I can rest the horns against the edge of my kitchen table which frees up my hands. If I am at work, I can use my left arm to steady both horns and read with my right. Or, I just lay my newspaper/magazine across my lap, hold both horns with both hands and turn the page as needed!

I'm getting a visual of all us nursing mom's in various positions while pumping - LOL!!! :-)

[Judegirl]

I can use my regular bras (crossover-style) to hold the horns, and I'm hands-free, if I'm realtively still (typing, reading, etc.) For more stability - while driving or eating, etc, I use a Leading Lady pumping bra - holds everything in place, and doubles as a nursing bra also.

Jude

[hellosmiletoday]

Am I doing something wrong? I'm a B cup and I have to press firmly to get the appropriate suction to express milk. I can do it one handed, but honestly I find it more comfortable with two hands. Maybe the suction is not working well...although it has been like this since the beginning. If I try to experiment and pump either one handed, or hands free by attaching them within my bra, I get less force and can leak milk during the "out" cycle of the pump.



Mommy to baby girl 5.8.04

[Marisa6826]

OK, I'm getting the funniest visuals reading all these responses.

I have gianormo boobs (40G when not preggo) and I had to hold both horns firmly in place while hunching over to get the milk into the bottles for fear of it dripping out of the horns otherwise.

I tip my hat to you ladies!

-m

[mudder17]

Hee, hee, all of these responses made me smile, too! I don't have anything useful to add because I still hand pump and I have teeny boobs. Well, I think it's probably a B on the left and C on the right when completely full. When I pump, I have the book or magazine (or newspaper comics) propped open and I'll read while the left hand holds the cups in place and the right hand pumps. I'll pause to turn the page, but otherwise, it actually works to read this way. And yes, I do have to do it at the table.


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_garnet_6m.gif Breastfed 8 months and counting

[Elilly]

Ha! This reminds me of the time that I noticed a warm, wet feeling in my lap while pumping at work. Needless to say, I forgot to attach the bottles and was pumping into my lap! It was a good excuse to go home for the day though!

[octmom]

This thread is too funny! I sprung for the Made by Moms pumping band (hands-free thingy) when my maternity leave ended and it is great. If I was handy, I could have made something similar on my own, but this was a great solution for me. And I spend much of my pumping time online too. :)

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[mudder17]

Doh! :)

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_garnet_6m.gif Breastfed 8 months and counting

[Judegirl]

You might need new membranes, or smaller horns. Make sure you're pressing all of the components together tightly enough, and inspect your tubing for tiny holes. You shouldn't have to do that to get the suction you need; I think something's amiss.

Good luck!
Jude

[McQ]

I'm with you. I need to hold and press for good suction. And all my parts are tight and membranes good. I'm a very big B right now and using the standard horns that came with my PIS.

You should have seen me this morning trying out all the examples in this thread. There's no way I could balance the ladies with the bottles just sitting on the table!

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[hellosmiletoday]

The suction on my pump really hasn't changed much since I first purchased it (new). I will try to replace the membranes just in case the first ones were defective. Although I have never seen (paid) for an LC, when I purchased my nursing bra at a LC office, I noticed they sold Medela horns and asked about possibly getting a smaller one, but the LC did not recommend them and told me they may cause pumping to be painful.

Are you all with C+ cups using the standard medela horns?


Mommy to baby girl 5.8.04

p.s. The low suction never really bothered me since 1) I pump occasionally, at home, in private and 2) I thought it was normal.
Now that I KNOW BETTER, I'd like to resolve the problem :) !

[Judegirl]

The issue with horn size is the size of the nipples, not the breast. I'm a B and need the extra-large. The suction should pull your nipple halfway down the cylindrical part of the horn. If it's not pulling that much, it may not be a tight enough seal (or another suction problem, as mentioned before.) Also check your tubing - maybe there's a tiny tear that's barely visible.

Here's another test: When you're pumping, hold one tube in your hand (not connected to the horn) and press your thumb over it to seal it tightly. If this does not increase your suction, it's the motor or the tube. If it does, it's the valve, mebrane, or the way you're putting it all together. Try with both tubes.

One last thing - the suction I get when I pump in the car (using the car adaptor) is MUCH MUCH stronger than when I pump elsewhere. You might try that, if all else fails.

Good luck!
Jude

[tarahsolazy]

I use the Soft-fit sheilds, which are flexible silicone, not the standard hard stuff. They seem to pull my nipple into the horn better. But, they are the same circumference, 27mm, I think, as the medium size that come with the PIS.

[tarahsolazy]

I use the Soft-fit sheilds, which are flexible silicone, not the standard hard stuff. They seem to pull my nipple into the horn better. But, they are the same circumference, 27mm, I think, as the medium size that come with the PIS.

[papal]

ROTFL. Nothing useful to add, my Isis was used like twice because i hated it so much..lol. Just imagining all of you in your various hands-free positions, replying to posts, reading magazines, spilling milk on drycleaned shirts and laps, using large size bottles... hysterical!!! :)
Seriously, can they not come up with a contraption that has a tube from the horn area to the bottle? Or does such a beast exist. So you can recline and pump away without a care in the world.

Oh, you know how you can abbreviate to NAK. There should be a PAK. heehee.

[audys]

Hi Allison,

I initially used a hands-free pumping halter that I could just zip on and off over my nursing bra quickly at work. I then had free hands for massage, typing on my computer, reading, lunch, etc. I used the Easy Expression Bustier ($38)(http://www.maternityandnursing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=642)

Nowadays I just tuck my breast shields into my Blue Canoe Jane's Plus nursing Bra (love it) and pump away(http://www.bluecanoe.com/store/viewItem.php?itemnum=A161).

BTW, I use the Medela PIS Traveler but these would work with any shield, I think.

Audrey, mother to Graham

http://lilypie.com/baby1/050210/3/15/1/+10/.png (http://lilypie.com)