Expressing Help

[kkibble]

I have a three week old baby boy who I am breast feeding with the help of breast shields, I wouldn't be able to do it other wise. I have been advised by my Health Visitor to wait until he is four weeks old until I can express milk? and need some advice.

I have no storage bags to freeze the milk into, can I use Avent or Tommee Tippee bottles?

Also, how much milk from each breast should I expect to get on my first attempt? I have visions of filling the bottle and don't want to be disappointed.

Many thanks.

 

[Marijana FC]

Hi there! I couldn't breastfeed and started expressing very early in the process - can't remember exactly when but it was probably when Danica was 2 weeks old. Different people gave me different advice re expressing (including not to do it before 4 weeks) but I ignored most of them and stuck to it - it was either expressing or giving Danica formula!. I expressed 8 times a day (at least once in the night). I don't know how much milk you have but I wouldn't expect to fill the bottle straight away . Anyway, express as long as milk is coming out from a breast. I can't really quantify it: it will depend on time of the day, how much water you had, stress levels...
As for freezing: I've only recently started freezing my milk and I am using the bags. I am really not sure if you could freeze in a bottle. Sorry - no help from me there!
Good luck with expressing!

 

[cloud9]

i am not sure how much milk you would get as i was expressing striaght away as my son had jaundice and needed the extra milk and only got a small amount but then my milk was just coming in.

IF you are planning to freeze milk i would get some bags...you can store milk for 24hours i think it is in the fridge in bottles

hope this helps

 

[erin]

They usually say 4 weeks or until breastfeeding is well established (never happened to me even up until now!). I've been expressing since the 4th week, I wouldn't expect to fill a bottle (i was the same and got really disappointed when I only managed to express 2 1/2 oz!) on your first attempt. But don't give up if you do express only a little, keep going and your supply may increase + you will be more experienced in expressing + your body would be used to the pumping and then you will be able to get more milk. I would buy milk bags if you are planning to freeze milk, they are very easy to use, they are already sterilised and they don't take much space in the freezer. Otherwise, as cloud9 said, you can store your milk in the fridge for 24 hours in a bottle no problem.

Good luck with it!