Expressing advice - how much?

[KJ]

Hi all,

I've just got an electric breast pump and want to start stockpiling breastmilk for when me and DH want to go out for some time to ourselves.

Last night I expressed from both sides as an experiment, and gave it to Asher in a bottle straight afterwards for his 7pm feed. I managed just over 4oz in total (about 130mls). He took all of it.

My question is, is this enough for one feed? How much does everyone else get out of each breast when expressing? Is 2oz per breast really pathetic? He seemed fairly content afterwards and lasted till his next feed time.

Having only breastfed his far, I have no idea how much babies drink at each feed. Asher is 8 weeks at the moment.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

K.xxx

 

[valentine]

Hi KJ,

I breastfeed as well so this is a confusing question for me too. I express about 5oz (as much as I can ever get) and this seems to be plenty and satisfy her.

I find the Kelly Mum website really helpful for breastfeeding questions - here's the link to the page about how much to express.

Have a lovely night out when it happens! My daughter has just learnt to take a bottle last night - finally (woo-hoo!) so I am hoping to get out soon myself!

Valentine Xxx

 

[leckershell]

Hiya The most I ever managed to express in one sitting was 160ml but mostly I manage to get out between 80 and 100ml. My Ryan tends to have 200ml of formula for one feed, so unless I have managed 2 sets of expressed milk, hence approx 200ml, I give him 100ml formula if I only have 100ml EBM.

Hope that makes sense. He's just 12 and a half weeks now, and up until about 8 or 9 weeks he was only on about 125ml, but he just boomed and now he's super hungry!

 

[zebrastripes]

I get about 4 oz usually,from each breast,on a really good day,but normally.it's about 6.The longest I've been away from Willow is 6 hours,and about 8 ounces did her the whole time-she was just getting hungry again as I got back home.However she doesn't feed as much during the day,but feeds loads at night so that's probably why

 

[KJ]

Hi ladies,

thanks for all you replies. It looks like my 2oz per breast last night is a little on the low side then. But since it came to 130ml that looks about right for one feed at 8 weeks of age.

I'm going to express off one side each morning, since he only takes one breast for his first feed cause they are so full after waiting all night!! I bought some milk freezing bags today, so will freeze each of these morning expressions.

Valentine - I think we'll try to go out maybe a week on friday for a meal or something. It's so exciting! When the pump arrived in teh post, I was like "freedom has just been delivered!!". Well done for getting your daughter to take a bottle, I read your thread and the bottle looks really interesting. Thankfully, Ash seems to take the Avent ones without much problem, so I'm relieved.

Any other tips from expressing mums are much appreciated.

K.xxx

 

[KJ]

forgot to ask, Leckershell - are your expressing amounts from one or both breasts?

K.x

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

Last night I expressed from both sides as an experiment, and gave it to Asher in a bottle straight afterwards for his 7pm feed. I managed just over 4oz in total (about 130mls).

If you've only just started expressing you won't get loads out to begin with, the amount you can express will build up over time. I found the best time for expressing is in the morning, it also seems harder to express large amounts later in the day so try after the morning feed if you want to get a bit more

 

[eightball]

Unless ione has gone a crazy long time without a feed I can only get between 4-5oz from both breasts when I express.
The first time she only woke up once in the night for a feed (instead of two) I was really engorged in the morning and expressed 6oz really easy! Usually the 4-5oz is enough for her and when she doesn't manage it all I am all offended, like, drink it lady! I worked hard pumping that out!

 

[leckershell]

forgot to ask, Leckershell - are your expressing amounts from one or both breasts?

K.x

both

he has both for a feed, and about 2 hours after he goes to bed at night, i express off them both.