Just had twins, NICU...pumping help needed!

TwinMama08 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-27-2008, 02:29 PM

I just had twins at 32 weeks along. Graham and Parker.....They will be 1 week old tomorrow. I started pumping with the medela symphony on the night they were born. I had a c-section with them because Parker's heart rate kept dropping down. They were born around 8:30 pm. Anyhow..my milk came in yesterday morning...I had just been getting tiny bits of colostrum out before. However I can not even get much at all into the bottles when I pump. I am pumping regularly, drinking lots of water, massaging my breasts around the pump to try to stimulate the milk to come out. I stop pumping after 10 minutes and massage around my breasts then try to pump again. and still barely anything comes out. I can not even fill half of each of those little sterilized nurser bottles they give you from the NICU. The pump we rented is the one they put in my room at the hospital. I can tell my breasts are filled with milk but it WON'T COME OUT!! Help!!!!!!
I am baffled on how to make this work. I feel like I am doing something wrong but not sure what. I keep my nipple centered in the shield...While I was in the hospital the nurses decided I needed the extra large sized shield so they got me to switch from standard to extra large and it seems to help some.
I get to a point where nothing is coming out of the pump after 15-20 minutes and I just turn the pump off and stop til 2-3 hours later. However my breasts are DEFINATELY NOT EMPTYING! I can tell there is still milk in there and I can hand express very very small amounts.
Is there some trick to make it all come out? I am so afraid I will dry up before my twins are released from the NICU.

MommyandIsaiah · #2 (**permalink**) 04-28-2008, 07:10 PM

ok Have you tryd pumping one Brest at time and Start at the arm pit Rub From the Arm pit along the side of your Brest try that and it could help you get more out at time all so if are aloud to hold The twins yet it all so help if you hold them then go pump you can all so Try putting warm hot Towls on your Breasts well pumping i had the Same Pump well my Son was in the NICU i had a vary hard time getting all the Milk i know was in there out with that pump some times it took up to a half hour i ended up turning it up all most as high as it would go and pumping Every hour and pumping for 30 minuets at time to get it all out Hang in there it will be ok i manged to Keep from Drying up for 4 months cause i Was never abbel to breast feed my son cause he still to this day is on a feeding tube And if you can i would talk to a lactation nurse they Usely Have a lot of advice and a lot of times it helps.And you May have all ready had people tell you every thing i have just tolled you So sorry if i m not any help. Hope some thing i tell you help some times it all so helps to have some thing that Smells like one of the baby s a blanket our some thing that s been close to them all so helps.

meagan3586 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-30-2008, 08:09 PM

might try buying a pump that is not hospital grade? my sister used the medela pump in style and did great though it ran her almost 300.00... HTH