The first time I started using a pump, I seriously felt like a COW… I tried both manual and electric pump. To be honest, it felt weird and quite painful at the start, but then you will eventually get the hang of it. It’s one of those things that get better once you keep doing it.

Expressing milk became my saving grace when I was still using nipple shields. Although my baby initially rejected my nipples (coz she got so used to the nipple shields and since my nipples sadly went flat), I just kept trying and trying, and one day it just worked! It kind of elongated my nipples again which made so much it better for my baby. My nipples no longer felt rejected!

There will also be times when your baby will prefer small feeds which will obviously not drain your breasts of milk. This will HURT! Pumping milk will help ensure that you keep your supply and it will relieve you of the pain. I noticed that I also got more milk when my breasts were engorged. Just be sure to store and label your expressed milk right away in the freezer.

Again, the more you feed and express milk, the more you will not have to worry about having low milk supply. If you have any comments, please feel free to share. It will be great to hear what worked well for you!