Jay,

Congratulations!

I think that pumping is a very individual thing.  Some mothers pump ample
quantities with no difficulty, others have trouble letting down for a piece
of machinery.  I have noticed that many mothers are very concerned about
taking milk that the baby will need and consequently pump after nursing.
 This can make it difficult to express a large volume.  I often suggest to
mothers that they pump when they feel their fullest - either towards the end
of a long nap or first thing in the morning if the baby sleeps for a longer
period at night, ie. BEFORE the baby nurses.  The baby is so much more
efficient than the pump, that he/she can get all he/she needs anyway.  I
often use a borrowed analogy (Norma Ritter told me this) - think of the breat
as a dripping faucet.  Between feedings the plug is in and the sink fills up.
 When the baby nurses, it's as if the plug is pulled and the milk comes
whooshing out, but it still goes on drip, drip, dripping and the breast is
never empty.  (Thank you Norma.)  Another suggestion that many mothers find
useful is to pump on one side while the baby nurses on the other, thus
stimulating the let down and doing some of the work for the pump.  I think
another helpful thing for mothers to know is that it is good to freeze milk
in small quantities, so that there is little waste.  A mother may be
envisaging full eight-ounce bottles and wondering what is "wrong" with her if
she can only pump a few ounces at a time.

I hope some of this is helpful.

Lesley Robinson, IBCLC, LLL Leader
Corning, NY