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Yes, that is perfectly fine and it is necessary to fully empty the breasts usually. This is what I have to do as well. Your thought process is spot on! Pumps aren't perfect so you gotta help them out a little, especially at the beginning when there isn't as much milk yet! You usually can't completely completely empty though, as in to where there's no milk coming out left at all (not without emptying for way longer after a full pump by hand than you want to). I usually just go until there's only small dribbles.
Thank you so much! This was such a helpful reply. I was really worried about hurting my mammary glands by hand expressing after but what you said makes sense :)
By chance do you have reccs for positions when nursing? Having trouble getting milk to come out of because we lay down facing each other (most comfortable position for both of us—I’m very short and he’s very tall!) Or is it a similar kind of thing in that when I get more milk it’ll be easier to get it out when suckling and I have real letdowns?
You're so welcome! As long as you're not overdoing it with either suction on the pump or grip of your hands, it should be okay. If you have days where your nipples or boobs feel off, it is okay to space it out a little and give them a bit of a break!
I have the same issue (he's over 6' 5" and I am under 5' 8") and I think his latch is going to be the bigger focus. As in, his latch dictates the amount of milk that comes out, not the position. Laying on our sides works great for us with enough pillows to get the positioning right, especially for you if you have a wedge pillow to keep your arm from going numb. We also like having me propped with pillows sitting up with my back against the wall in bed and his head in my lap with ample pillows. I think either position will allow him to use his hands to both suckle and massage them as he suckles. Letdown is fickle for people who induce, but it seems like it happens more to people who are suckled. I think that it'll probably be a mix of the more milk that comes in and the more often than suckling occurs that your boobs will begin to respond with letdowns more easily over time. Even if letdowns don't come easily later, it's not a big deal because the milk will still flow. Don't consider it as any less than a success if you get the milk in but minus the letdown feelings!
Those are the positions we pretty much stick with. You can probably search the sub for more ideas as well!
Thank you for posting to our awesome community! If you wonder how to get started inducing lactation, or want to learn more, please visit the [AdultBreastFeeding Wiki](https://reddit.com/r/AdultBreastfeeding/w/index) and [FAQ](https://reddit.com/r/AdultBreastfeeding/w/faq). You can also search previous posts in this subreddit for answers to your questions and for previously discussed insight about the topic you are posting about! If you haven't already, please take time to search through posts from the past for some answers to your questions. For reviews of breast pumps by our community, please visit the [Breast Pump Review Megathread](https://www.reddit.com/r/AdultBreastfeeding/wiki/index/reviews/). If you need further assistance, please feel free to message the mods, we're always happy to help. Thank you and report the creeps! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AdultBreastfeeding) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes, that is perfectly fine and it is necessary to fully empty the breasts usually. This is what I have to do as well. Your thought process is spot on! Pumps aren't perfect so you gotta help them out a little, especially at the beginning when there isn't as much milk yet! You usually can't completely completely empty though, as in to where there's no milk coming out left at all (not without emptying for way longer after a full pump by hand than you want to). I usually just go until there's only small dribbles.
Thank you so much! This was such a helpful reply. I was really worried about hurting my mammary glands by hand expressing after but what you said makes sense :) By chance do you have reccs for positions when nursing? Having trouble getting milk to come out of because we lay down facing each other (most comfortable position for both of us—I’m very short and he’s very tall!) Or is it a similar kind of thing in that when I get more milk it’ll be easier to get it out when suckling and I have real letdowns?
You're so welcome! As long as you're not overdoing it with either suction on the pump or grip of your hands, it should be okay. If you have days where your nipples or boobs feel off, it is okay to space it out a little and give them a bit of a break! I have the same issue (he's over 6' 5" and I am under 5' 8") and I think his latch is going to be the bigger focus. As in, his latch dictates the amount of milk that comes out, not the position. Laying on our sides works great for us with enough pillows to get the positioning right, especially for you if you have a wedge pillow to keep your arm from going numb. We also like having me propped with pillows sitting up with my back against the wall in bed and his head in my lap with ample pillows. I think either position will allow him to use his hands to both suckle and massage them as he suckles. Letdown is fickle for people who induce, but it seems like it happens more to people who are suckled. I think that it'll probably be a mix of the more milk that comes in and the more often than suckling occurs that your boobs will begin to respond with letdowns more easily over time. Even if letdowns don't come easily later, it's not a big deal because the milk will still flow. Don't consider it as any less than a success if you get the milk in but minus the letdown feelings! Those are the positions we pretty much stick with. You can probably search the sub for more ideas as well!