[James98]

Thank you for that. What thicker oil would you suggest for lubrication?

[DustBunny]

Glad to see things are going well for you.
Just a reminder, you need to drink lots of water before/during pumping to get swelling. Also it helps to warm your breasts. Apply generous layer of thicker oil (like corn oil) for good lubrication/sealing during pumping. The thinner oils like almond or aloe vera oil is used for massage, not pumping.

yes i absolutely try to drink enough water, even in general. I have 1 gallon bottle I take with me everywhere. I also lay a heating pad on my chest for 1-20 mins before pumping always.

[DustBunny]

Apply generous layer of thicker oil (like corn oil) for good lubrication/sealing during pumping. The thinner oils like almond or aloe vera oil is used for massage, not pumping.

Corn oil?, I'd never apply a highly refined oil on my breast… ever. Corn oil (and others like it) can oxidize and breakdown (aka- oxidative stress) molecules and cause ROS (reactive oxygen species) or produce “free radicals”. Stick with aloe vera, the science behind aloe vera is amazing, I'll have to repost a lengthy post I shared some time ago. Here's some important information below concerning the above mentioned.  It's worth noting that vitamin E helps ERβ (estrogen receptor beta) modulation, but not ERa (estrogen receptor alpha… which is the pro-breast growth receptor).

Vitamin E increase the ERβ translocation into the nucleus, which in turn activates estrogen-responsive genes (MIC-1, EGR-1 and cathepsin D)
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full...00187.2009

Reactive oxygen species
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_oxygen_species

Important downsides of corn oil
Highly refined:
Corn oil is a highly refined product. It must go through an extensive process to be extracted from corn and made edible.
This process causes corn oil to be more likely to become oxidized — meaning that at a molecular level it begins to lose electrons, becoming unstable (4)
High levels of oxidized compounds in your body can increase your risk of certain diseases (3)
In fact, the beta-sitosterol in corn oil becomes oxidized as it’s heated over long periods, such as in a deep fryer. However, the antioxidant vitamin E helps slow this process down (46) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/corn-oil#downsides

Antioxidants in the Practice of Medicine; What Should the Clinician Know?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27296476/

Thanks Lotus, I appreciate all of the sources. I looked into corn oil and it seemed a bit unsafe to use topically...probably to even eat tbh lol. So I'm glad you can confirm that. 

Is there any specific aloe vera you recommend? Should I use straight gel or something else? 

I currently use my homemade mixture of Vitamin E oil, evening primrose oil, fennel, lavender, fenugreek and cinnamon essential oils. 
Also using the 1% FG and 99% Aloe Vera Oil James provided me with specifically for massage. 

I'm more than happy to get something that's thick and will help with suction though.