whittlestone users (& other pump owners) -- HELP! i am about to throw it out the window. need general pumping support.... many questions about your experiences...

[zen_bliss]

even after i get things started with the avent isis hand pump, i can't get anything in an hour! to compare, i can get 1.5 - 2 oz out of each side with the isis in 20 minutes total for both sides. i thought, ok, there is an adjustment period with any electric pump. each time i have tried i've gone 1 hour. once i got 1 oz left, a few drops right. there definitely is suction, as my very sore nips can attest, so the pump technically "works" in the sense that it is functioning...


today, i started the slower right breast with the isis until i had a fast milk-squirt action. DD was crying and the easygoing left breast was dripping. so i fast switch to the whittlestone, lean forward and... nothing. for 15 minutes. i stopped after that because of the fruitless hours i have already spent. adjusting the suction to high, then lower. nothing. the horns got a few drops of milk on them, but nothing in the bottles. i am on the verge of tears. this is what has happened everytime with this pump.

when my ped said 'see how much you get in 10 min to get an idea of your milk production, i almost fell over -- just 10 minutes??? i thought i was starving her based on my inability to get anything with this pump, which was just needless stress. thank heavens for the isis!

questions:
is it normal to have an easy flow breast and one that requires more effort?

did anyone have this kind of experience with other brands of pumps? did it turn out ok?or does it mean the pump just isn't 'compatible' for you? did you find one that worked?

do you have to lean forward to get milk from a pump? the whittlestone video shows a mom chilling out in her glider. shaaa!

does anyone have a happy whittlestone story to post? if anyone has used a whittlestone, isis, and PIS or purely yours -- how are they different in feel and in results?

based on tammy's post, if i cannot make any progress over the long weekend, i will email them tuesday to see if they will send a replacement and see if i have any better results with a different machine...

thank you all in advance!

[etwahl]

I so feel for you! My suggestion, if you can somehow get them to send you a whole new "in the box" pump, return it for a refund and get a pump that works. They did send me a new one, but I was stupid and tried it to see if it would work. It did not, so now I'm stuck with a brand new pump that doesn't work!

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[BeverlyJ]

I would call Whittlestone right away. As I have posted before, I LOVE my Whittlestone. I did try an ISIS once for about 2 minutes and did not like the feel of having my nipples yanked on. Add to that I wasn't seeing any milk, so I stopped.

My cousin used a Medela Mini-Electric with her DD 3 years ago and thought it was OK. She recently had her second and got a Whittlestone and says its great.

Believe me, I feel terrible for you. I hope everything turns out OK. Whittlestone's Customer Service has always been super nice to me.

Hugs,

BeverlyJ

[C99]

Zen,

I don't have the Whittlestone, so I can't answer any of your questions spec. about that pump. I do have the Avent Isis, the Medela PIS Traveler and have used the Medela Lactina. Since Nate was in the NICU for 8 days, I used the Medela Lactina to establish my supply, so I became intimately familiar with pumping!

1. It's normal to have one breast that flows easier than the other. I prefer to have Nate nurse on my left breast partially b/c I am right-handed and partially b/c I've had mastitis in my right breast twice and I can feel it a lot more when he sucks on that side.

2. When I first starting pumping, I would pump for 45 minutes and get out maybe 20ml. Then I was able to pump 2-3 oz/breast in about 15 minutes. Now when I use the PIS, I pump about 4-5 oz out of both breasts combined and pump for about 30 minutes (but one breast at a time). With the Isis, it depends on how "full" I am -- tend to get only 3 oz or so in a session. At first, I had a hard time w/ the Isis, but the pump parts have to be good and wet to have it work well. Also, I find it helps to break suction a few times during the pumping session.

3. No. I find that I have to lean forward with both pumps sometimes to get the milk to flow into the collection device, but not to get it out of my breast.

4. As I said, I don't have a Whittlestone. The Isis and PIS differ a bit. Obviously, electric suction requires less effort on my part. Also, the regular pumping motion of the PIS stimulates my let-downs -- I will often have 2 or 3 let-downs in a pumping session whereas I only use the Isis to relieve pressure and then stop pumping. Finally, I find that I have to break suction less often on the PIS than I do with the Isis.

HTH

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Pumping will not tell you anything about your milk supply. Baby is always more efficient at getting milk from your breast than any pump. Your ped was wrong about that.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel 2/27/91
Logan Elizabeth 3/25/03

[josephsmom]

Zen, I think it's normal to get greater flow from one breast from the other. I used a rental Medela Lactina and did very well with it. I could get a total of six ounces or so (usually 4 on one side and 2 on the other) in 10-15 minutes without much discomfort at all. I don't think I had to lean forward, either. I sat at my desk at work with a beach towel over my lap, or sat on a comfy chair at home. I'm sorry to hear that you (and others) are having a tough time with the Whittlestone. Perhaps you could try a short-term rental of a Lactina to see if it works better for you. Good luck.

Helene
mommy to Joseph 12/29/01

[Rachels]

Agreed!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[Denyse]

I don't have any experience with the whittlestone or the avent isis but I do use the Medela PIS so I'll do my best to answer your questions from my experiences...

1. Yes. Very normal to have different flow in each breast. As an example, I go through about 3 or 4 disposable breast pads on one breast each day! The other doesn't even NEED a pad except for when I have a letdown.

2. The PIS works well for me but I had to tinker around some to find a pattern that worked and to get used to pumping. The first time I pumped it took me an hour to get a total of 1 oz! Something you could try...Pump in the morning when you are more likely to be well rested. Also pumping after a warm shower or applying a warm cloth to your breasts before pumping helped. And try to pump at the same time every day. I developed a routine of waking up, nursing Brett, taking a shower and pumping and my production got pretty good. Then I was able to pump with or without the shower. Make sure you are drinking LOTS of water, too.

3. I don't have to lean forward at all.

Good luck. I know how frustrating it can be because I had a rough start as well!

[zen_bliss]

thank you thank you thank you for sharing your experiences and maybe i told you more about me than you wanted to know :) it has helped me to stop stressing about this!