Re: Re: Hygeia with pumpin pals.

[Guest guest]

It would really be awful to have all flanges shaped like Pumpin' Pals. I know that in some parts of the country, the PPs work well for about 80% of the mothers who live there. But I try the different available sizes of the mother's pump brand plus the PPs on every mother who comes to rent a pump or wants her own pump checked out before going back to work, or already has a rental pump but is coming to me for a consultation that shows the need for the mother to pump to protect supply, etc. In other words, I do flange fits on almost every mother I see. And here, the PP only fits about 20% of the mothers comfortably. Even when I think it looks like a good fit, the mothers often complain of discomfort. Medela's and Ameda's own flanges are better for the vast majority of mothers here where I live. If all flanges were

shaped like PPs, most mothers here could not effectively pump.

I assume it has something to do with the genetics of the local folks in any given area.

Dee Kassing

I just can't figure out why all flanges aren't shaped like pumpin pals, it's just a way more ergonomic and comfortable shape.

[Guest guest]

Dee,

What do you do with the

pump flanges that the mother tests out but don’t fit?

Do you throw them away? Autoclave and put back in the inventory? Charge the

mother

for them?

Ellen Simpson

It would really be awful to have all flanges shaped

like Pumpin' Pals. I know

that in some parts of the country, the

PPs work well for about 80% of the

mothers

who live there. But I try the different available sizes of the mother's pump

brand plus the PPs on every mother

who comes to rent a pump or wants her own pump

checked out before going back to work, or already has a rental pump but is coming

to me for a consultation that

shows the need for the mother to pump

to protect supply, etc. In other

words, I do flange fits on almost

every mother

I see. And here, the PP only

fits about 20% of the mothers

comfortably. Even when I

think it looks like a good fit, the

mothers

often complain of discomfort. Medela's and Ameda's

own flanges are better for the

vast majority of mothers

here where I live. If all flanges were shaped like PPs, most mothers here could not effectively pump.

I assume

it has something to do with the genetics of the

local folks in any given area.

Dee Kassing

I just can't figure out

why all flanges aren't shaped like pumpin

pals, it's just a way more ergonomic and comfortable

shape.

[Guest guest]

Well, I do account for different possible flange positions for the Pumpin' Pal by having women try it in three positions before giving up on it when I am doing flange tests. I start by having the nipple centered (top to bottom). If not comfortable, I move it so the nipple is closer to the bottom of the nipple tunnel. If still not comfortable, I move the flange so the areolar tissue and nipple slide along the top of the nipple tunnel. (I am careful not to just lower the flange so that the top edge of the nipple face bangs into the nipple tunnel with each suck, because the mother might get a blister from that.) Even doing all three "position tests" with the PP flanges, only about 20% of mothers where I live will accept them. They just aren't comfortable for these women.

Dee Kassing

Subject: Re: Hygeia with pumpin pals.To: Date: Saturday, January 8, 2011, 6:58 AM

I'm actually suspecting it doesn't have to do with genetics, it has more to do with how women hold the shields to their breasts and how they sit while they pump. While I do find (in contrast to Jaye Simpson) that they work better for women that have larger softer breasts, I would hate to see one shield for all. Women's breasts react differently to rubbing against plastic. I've seen the Soft Shields rip the skin off AND I've seen the same shields really help milk release. Watching women pumping and listening to their comments is very important.Because Jaye says that women complain about the bottom part of the Pumpinpal shield, where the cone opens to the "shaft", I'm thinking that women might be trying to tilt the pumpinpal shields up higher -- thereby increasing the angle of pressure on the bottom edge -- rather than leaving the shields in a more downward position where that sharper angle on the bottom edge would no longer be applying

pressure. I think this definitely happens if women hold the bottles and jam the shields into their breasts. Or, use the straps. I either have mothers make hands free pumping bras or camisoles or buy the zip up kind. Some moms are really good at supporting the bottles with their knees which also works for short waisted women with larger, but relatively firmer breasts. Anyway -- with these differences --- makes me want to arrange some sort of online visual so we could all see the problems we have with some women and figure out what would really work best and why.Best regards, E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC

[Guest guest]

Hello, Ellen.

None of the above.

I tell the mother that I am wiping down all the sample flanges with an antibacterial wipe to protect her skin, because since they are sold as spare parts they don't come sterile wrapped. I also tell her that since they have not been sterilized yet, I don't allow her to keep any milk that might come out during the testing. Then I tell her to sterilize any parts she ends up buying before first use.

Any parts that didn't fit, I put through my dishwasher and return them to inventory. Then I wipe them down again before next flange test. And again I tell the mother to sterilize anything she buys before first use.

I figure that between running them through the dishwasher, wiping them down with antiseptic wipes and having the mother sterilize them, there is little chance that anything infective could survive. I have been doing it this way since extra flanges first came out years ago and no reports of problems.

Dee Dee,

What do you do with the pu m p flanges that the m o the r tests out but don’t fit?

Do you throw the m away? Autoclave and put back in the inventory? Charge the m o the r for the m ?

Ellen Simpson

[Guest guest]

I have used the pumpin pals sheilds and while I found them heaps more

comfortable, once I got the size I needed, I just didn't get as much

milk out. For me the pressure at the base of the nipple was essential

and with pumpin pals it was less there and more wide spread. So this

may be why some mums don't like it. Other than that, every time I got

mastitis I switched to the pumpin pals as they put pressure in

different spots and cleared it up like magic.

Doncon

Breastfeeding Counsellor, IBCLC, Australia

(read my expressing story here:

http://www.lrc.asn.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41257

and my weaning diary here http://www.lrc.asn.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40015)