I personally am of the opinion that given a basic standard of competence
that different pumps will suit different women. You only have to listen to
women who have used pumps of different types a lot to hear very different
opinions of the same pump. I also agree on the usefulness of hand
expression. However, I do wonder whether the situation in which differen
pumps/hand expression is used might be another factor to figure into the
equation. I say this because of my own experience of relactating last year.
At the time I shared on Lactnet how once I had reached a level of milk
production I was satisfied with and had maintained that level for a couple
of weeks I stopped pumping and just hand expressed. I removed the same
amount of milk with hand expression every day as I had when I was using an
electric pump. To my surprise after what was about a week (I think) it
started getting harder and harder to get the same amount of milk out. It was
as if my milk supply was down sizing because I was not supplying my breasts
with the same amount of stimulation as I had when I was pumping (hand
expressing was quicker and was single breast at a time as opposed to double
with the pump). I then resumed pumping and it became easier to get the same
volume of milk out.
I remain quite puzzled by how this worked especially given the most current
research on prolactin and milk production and would still appreciate any
opinions on the subject. A year ago when I posted no one responded.
I am posting now though because I wonder under what other circumstances
there might be similar interactions with pumps that are not related to the
efficiency in milk removal.

Karleen Gribble
Australia

> I know the discussion is one of comparing various pumps to a battery
> operated one ... but please don't forget the very efficient, very
> effective, very cheap, always with us ones that the majority of the
world's
> population uses.  Our hands.
> Denise

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