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There may be a thread about this alread and if so could someone please direct me to it?
I'm going to try using a breast pump in the next few days to try and bring on labour, but I'm not sure what to do exactly. I've got an electric one and I had a small "play" with it today. I don't know how much suction to use and I was scared of it hurting so I hardly used any suction at all, didn't really feel anything. Should I feel pressure? How much is too much?
can i ask.. why do you want to bring on labour -- i see you are due 11 March. you still have almost 2 wks. i dont mean to attack just trying to understand where you coming from.
Nipple stimulation is thought to only work if your body is ready to go into labour. At two weeks from your due date, you are only just entering your due period, so whether it is of any benefit is questionable.
That said, it also probably won't hurt. I've only really heard of using your fingers, though - just gentle pulling and rolling of the nipples. DW is in bed, so I can't ask her, but I'd be concerned that using a pump would pump out your colostrum, and I'm not sure whether that might deprive bubs later on, when he or she needs it.
I am far from being an expert at this, but I was under the impression that your body knows when bub is born, and therefore knows to produce colostrum. For example, women who BF during pg still produce colostrum when the new baby is born. Please correct me if I'm wrong though.
DB, I agree with the PP about the stimulation not working until your body is ready. And doing it manually is probably more effective. Michael is probably right though, it likely won't hurt, you just may not get alot of benefit. And it won't hurt to become familiar with your breastpump, and how it all works. And if you do manage to express anything, you can freeze it for when bub arrives :)
Manual stimulation is rolling the nipple between the fingers, you don't necessarily have to express milk.
I know you're feeling hot, heavy, ungainly ... and you want the bub out.
Bubs will come when s/he is ready, the NS may help when s/he's ready but prolly not before.
Also keep in mind ... most first pregnancies go "past dates" !!!
Good luck Danni - hang in there, you'll be wishing soon enough you still had time to yourself!
Fair question. I have a lot of relatives down this weekend and it'd be nice for them to meet bub as they probably wont get to meet him/her for at least a year or longer other wise.:
FYI it seems to have helped, Danni is in labour and has been all day. her waters broke at 2am this morning.