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My midwife prescribed something called All Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO) back when I had my son in November. I was in serious pain from breastfeeding and it made a huge difference within days. I asked about it on here first and many others said it really helped them, too.

I work full time and have nursed and pumped for three kids.

I have always lubricated the flanges with olive oil.

I also cannot use the standard flanges and always used Pumpin' Pals. They are so much more comfortable. Worth every penny.

I have a singleton and a set of twins. (I did not EP though.) I just forced my twins to wean a few weeks ago, a week before they turned 18mo. (I was SO DONE!) Feel free to ping me if you have any questions or issues with twins!

Congratulations on your babies!

@Jessiemuller88: My twins were too sleepy to get enough milk via nursing when they were newborns, so I had to triple feed (nurse, then top off with a bottle, then pump to maintain my supply).

We used formula for the top offs for about 4-5 days and then I had enough pumped milk. After a few weeks they no longer needed to be topped off.

During the rest of my maternity leave I generally nursed most of the time (since I hate pumping) and pumped once per day to build a stash for my return to work. I also sometimes spent time alone with my oldest and therefore needed to leave milk for the babies to stay with another family member or a sitter.

Then of course when I returned to work I had to pump while I was at the office.

I wound up freezing 500 x 6oz bags of milk across the first year. I stopped pumping at around 9.5 months and had enough freezer stash to get them through the transition to cow's milk.

I eventually got them down to twice per day, and then once per day. My daughters never self-weaned, and I finally cut them off a few weeks ago, just before they turned 18mo. I was SO DONE. I wanted my mornings back. They still ask to nurse sometimes but they don't get upset when I say no. I felt a little guilty but my life has been too crazy and I couldn't handle it anymore.

I really hoped to get my twins to 12mo but I found it very daunting so I tried to take it one day / week / month at a time. And here we are!

@Jessiemuller88: yes or as @meadow: suggested see if you can get an LC to make a home visit! I can't imagine trying to get out of the house with two tiny little ones!! also my peds office LC was willing to talk things out with me over the phone.

@Jessiemuller88: I EP for my son, and I've found that there are times when it can be more painful than others. During those times, I start at a low setting and very gradually work myself up. I also found that, for me, massaging (really more like what I picture you do when you milk a cow! Squeezing...) is KEY. I get a lot more milk when I do that the entire time I pump. I'm an under-producer and pump every day for what I give the next day (never been able to make enough for a freezer stash), so I do anything I can to get more in the time I have to pump.

@Jessiemuller88: I totally get it about changing pumps, just wanted to throw it out there. Otherwise, I second what @foodiebee: said. Start low and move up with with time if you can. I usually start at a 4, but am up to 10 or 11 by the end. I find it's the only way I get a second let down. And definitely yes to breast compressions to get more with each let down.

@Jessiemuller88: Yes, I had an awful time with clogs, especially at the beginning. I had to really focus on taking all the time I needed to drain both sides thoroughly. My first morning pump was always very long—an hour! But it was necessary and I worked with DH to make sure I had the time to devote to it that I needed.

I also used Legendairy Milk's Liquid Gold supplement. This turned out to be a big game changer for me. I found that things seemed to flow better for me (so, drained better), and I got a bump in my supply. I highly recommend it.

I found that the sore/pain came and went. If I was feeling under the weather/rundown/etc., it seemed to be more uncomfortable. When I felt better, things were more comfortable. During peak winter in Nov and Dec, when we were sick all the time, it was a real struggle to be comfortable while pumping. I started slow, built to more suction over the course of the pumping session, and just worked through it until things finally improved. I hope you start getting relief soon!

@Jessiemuller88: Yay! Glad to hear I could help a little bit.

With respect to time and being available, I've found the Freemie cups + my Spectra S1 (carabinered onto the belt that I use to take my dog running when I need to be TRULY hands free) work pretty well. The freemie pump is a viable alternative, but it's a little noisy and mine needs to charge after every session (one pump at a relatively high suction for 20-30 minutes uses ~60% of the battery), so I tend to use the Spectra more. Holding the baby is a little awkward, but works and playing with her on the floor is easy. I imagine you could get snacks, etc. for a 3yo with them, too.

I bought an Elvie, but only used it 3 times before giving up. The suction was definitely gentler, but I got less milk and I had issues with milk backing up and leaking out into my bra at the beginning of a let down. The other issue I found was that when I played with my daughter on the floor the milk would slosh forward and the automatic shut off would kick in even if there was only an ounce or two of milk in the cups. Overall my Elvie was a total waste of money. I do have a friend who loves hers, though, so my experience might not be typical.

@Jessiemuller88: yay!!!! They are the only way I could pump! I’m glad it helped

@Jessiemuller88: Glad to hear the pumping pals helped!