Exc expressers help please

[Melanie3103]

Is everyone sterilising their pumps after every use? I've got an Avent electric pump - i was using it twice a day to be able to have a bottle per day for hubby to share feeding. So it was fine to sterilise each time, now that we are expressing more - all feeds except 1-2 per day as we try introduce some formula (combi feeding)... i'm expressing/using pump every 2-3 hours now so do i really need to be sterilising as often as that ????

X

 

[T84]

I read that you don't have to, you can put it in fridge but I rinse and then boil mine Everytime cos I'm just not sure that I trust not doing it, it's very annoying when i pump 6/7 times a day! Im sure it would be fine tho x x

 

[Melanie3103]

Ok thanks. Also - are u exc expressing? How often ?

We have introduced 2 ff per day to start weaning off breastmilk, and planning to drop 1 bf per day each week (& increase ff bit at a time). Do u express through the night? It was my first day yesterday and expressed before bed. Gave him ff when woke at 3am then didnt express again til 7am. Breasts were tender/full but not as bad as i was expecting.

Am i risking engorgement by not exp at night ?

 

[T84]

Yeah I'm exclusively too, it's hard work!! Up until yest I was every feed she had and some extras too for storage. It was getting too much tho and I'm sick of the blocked ducts and pain. I'm now phasing it out too and introducing more formula. I am trying to go 5 hours between expressing today and so far so good. I also do the through the night cos you tend to get more milk, and also first thing in the morning. Afternoons tend to be worst x x

 

[Mummybexee]

I express but feed LO 2 formula bottles a day

I rinse and sterilise mine after every use just because I wouldn't drink out of a dirty glass so why express Into a dirty pump

I like to think logically haha

 

[Maud]

I tried exclusively expressing for a day (it didn't work as I couldn't pump enough milk to satisfy her) and washed and sterilised every time.

 

[MrsT2011]

Breast milk is sterile so you don't need to sterilise after each use. I used to put mine in a sandwich bag and then in the fridge x

 

[T84]

Meant to say too, with exclusively expressing, I couldn't go all the way through the night without waking up in pain, so do it once and then shower and do it again in the morning (shower gets milk flowing good) x x

 

[purpleslurple]

I used to put the white cap on the Phillips pump still attached to the bottle and use it again next time I pumped. I did this for 4 months for my LO without any bother. I have would been sterilising every couple of hours otherwise!

 

[Melanie3103]

Thanks all.
x

 

[Melanie3103]

Yeah I'm exclusively too, it's hard work!! Up until yest I was every feed she had and some extras too for storage. It was getting too much tho and I'm sick of the blocked ducts and pain. I'm now phasing it out too and introducing more formula. I am trying to go 5 hours between expressing today and so far so good. I also do the through the night cos you tend to get more milk, and also first thing in the morning. Afternoons tend to be worst x x

What causes blocked ducts and the pain ? Just going too long between feeds/expressing ?

I have been taking the odd paraceptamol too, to take the edge off the painful boobs - seems to help too. I am currently expressing every 3-4hours to keep up with his feeds (he is taking 4oz per feed, and I can express that in 10mins - 5mins each side). During a ff I just express enough to relief pressure - and so far so good... it's early days but hoping it will adjust. So we do 2 ff per day at the moment, and I make sure I express before bed (was ok last night NOT getting up to express in the night, but maybe that was a one off)...

x

 

[T84]

I've been the last 2 nights, 11-6 without expressing and it's working yay! I just persevered the first night and didn't get much milk in last night because of it. Mind you, I've sat and got 8 oz just now haha. It'll make such a difference to not sit in the night and do it I don't understand how people can do it so fast! That has taken me 40 mins!!
Blockages are caused when milk hasn't been emptied properly. I've just made a revelation yest tho, I normally stop once milk stops dripping but have found that if I tilt pump either side loads more comes out so that's probs my solution! x x

 

[CARNAT22]

Breast milk is sterile so you don't need to sterilise after each use. I used to put mine in a sandwich bag and then in the fridge x

I was an expresser too and this is what I used to do.

I would sterilise once a day though

X

 

[BevG]

Breast milk is sterile so you don't need to sterilise after each use. I used to put mine in a sandwich bag and then in the fridge x

echo this

 

[BevG]

I've been the last 2 nights, 11-6 without expressing and it's working yay! I just persevered the first night and didn't get much milk in last night because of it. Mind you, I've sat and got 8 oz just now haha. It'll make such a difference to not sit in the night and do it I don't understand how people can do it so fast! That has taken me 40 mins!!
Blockages are caused when milk hasn't been emptied properly. I've just made a revelation yest tho, I normally stop once milk stops dripping but have found that if I tilt pump either side loads more comes out so that's probs my solution! x x

if you dont express at least twice inthe night it supposedly has a bad impact on milk supply, dont know for certain but tweetyfoo expressed for nearly a year exclusively so id ask her in a pm

 

[buzz]

For those keeping it in the fridge between sessions, do you rinse it or wash it first or just put it straight in?