Hello everyone! Just wanted to do a quick response about using manual expression over pumping. With my fist child(she was 4 weeks early and very tired) I was sent home with a hand pump and told to feed the baby, pump and bottle her until she woke up. Well I ended up with cracked, bleeding nipples, and mastitis(my doctor said on a scale of 1-10 I was a 8). I ended up quitting out of shear(sp) exhaustion. I didn't know about LLL, and there wasn't anyone else I could talk to. When my second daughter was born(10 weeks early) I had nothing to do but pump. Thankfully there was an excellent LC on staff-Jan Tolley in Springfield, IL(they never get enough credit) who set me up with a double pump set and I was on my way. When my daughter was finally able to latch on at 4 weeks old I was ready and had plenty of help in the NICU!! Abby is now 2 1/2 yrs. old and still nursing!! I don't think I could have done it by hand expression in the beginning. Hand expression is a wonderful technique to teach women, but I never got the hang of it. One weekend when we went to visit family, Abby was too busy to nurse and I hadn't taken my hand pump with me. Finally after about 12 hours of no relief I tried hand expression. I was really proud that I could do enough to relieve myself, but it took about 30 minutes on one side and I only got maybe a half ounce and a sore neck-thank goodness she decided to nurse a few hours later. So to all those women who have the gift of being able to hone that skill I applaud you, but for me the easiest was a pump. I understand about making a buck off of breastfeeding to-I have a rental station but believe me I'm too much into helping mothers and haven't made much of a profit I'm afraid, but that's not why I started my business-I wanted to help moms like I was helped. Anyway, I'd better climb down before I fall. Julie Miller, BC [log in to unmask]