Re: the OBGYN who was having trouble pumping after a 2 week vacation: When I have a mom who is having trouble expressing milk with an electric pump, especially after having ben successful in the past, I check the pump operation first. Perhaps during the vacation, the mother washed the tubing and the gortex filters for the Universal kit are damp. In my experience, even a litle moisture can affect the suction levels. I have also had several moms have difficulty with the redesigned horizontal yellow valve. Especially after repeated use, I have found the valves can slowly loosen and decrease the suction. In this case, the valves can be replaced with the old vertical valves. In one case I had, a combination of both moisture and loose valves can caused the pump to loose all of its suction, even though it looked as though it is was operating well. . If the pump seems to operating well, I would suggest the mom try pumping on one side while nursing on the other for a few sessions to recondition her letdown reflex to the pump. Remind her that emotions can affect our hormones (and vice versa!) and that once she is resettled back at work, her pumping may improve. Ro K. Andersen, IBCLC Winchester, MA