Expressing Support Thread

[Nicky_Jones]

When I have tried expressing on evenings I couldn't even manage half an ounce. That is fantastic amount. I used to find that after Ellies breakfast was a good time to express. However when ever you do it, keep to the same time everyday and you will get off more each day as your body gets used to it and increases your supply then.

I would also say make sure you keep up a bottle of EBM reguarly. I

 

[Nicky_Jones]

When I have tried expressing on evenings I couldn't even manage half an ounce. That is fantastic amount. I used to find that after Ellies breakfast was a good time to express. However when ever you do it, keep to the same time everyday and you will get off more each day as your body gets used to it and increases your supply then.

I would also say make sure you keep up a bottle of EBM reguarly. Ellie used to happily switch between breast and bottle in the first few months. However I got lazy and stopped giving her any of the expressed milk (I was building up a stock in the freezer) then when it came to time for her to go to nursery she kept refusing the bottle.

 

[valentine]

Hi everyone,

My daughter is 3 1/2 weeks old and I started expressing milk to build up a supply in the freezer on Sunday. I managed 5oz on Sunday and another 6oz on Tuesday and am hoping to do it every couple of days (time permitting) to build up a supply and start to introduce a dreamfeed EBM bottle from 5-7 weeks.

How much should I be looking to express in one sitting? I thought 5/6oz was plenty for a feed (no clue really) but reading above, you are all expressing 8+oz at a time. What I don't want to do is freeze big amounts (8-10oz) and then have to waste most of it as she'll only take a tiny bit. I've tried to look here - but I'm still none the wiser.

Any expressing help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. If it helps, I'm using a Tommee Tippee Freedom/Closer to Nature pump and I have no problems expressing from either breast - 5oz comes off in no time at all. I have expressed at 9.30am both times.

Thanks very much

Valentine xxx

 

[Nicky_Jones]

You are expressing a lot at the moment. When Ellie was that age, she was taking between 2-3oz in a bottle of EBM. It was only when she was 5 months, that she was taking 6-7oz in a feed. You are doing really well. One tip is to keep expressing at the same time each day that way you body gets uesd to producing the extra at that time. I bought some freezer bags for expressed milk and froze down in 2, 3, or 4oz bag sizes. You can always split it up.

 

[Riley's Mommy]

A tip for those who express several times a day - rather than cleaning and sterilising inbetween pumping sessions. Just keep the breast pump in the fridge. It just has fresh milk on it so as long as it is refridgerated it will be fine just as the expressed milk is fine kept in the fridge. I just pop it into the sterlising tub to make sure nothing contaminates it.

GENIOUS!! i was getting so fed up on constant sterilising the pump

 

[valentine]

You are expressing a lot at the moment. When Ellie was that age, she was taking between 2-3oz in a bottle of EBM. It was only when she was 5 months, that she was taking 6-7oz in a feed. You are doing really well. One tip is to keep expressing at the same time each day that way you body gets uesd to producing the extra at that time. I bought some freezer bags for expressed milk and froze down in 2, 3, or 4oz bag sizes. You can always split it up.

Thanks so much for this Nicky - much appreciated

Valentine xxx

 

[Sherlock]

LO is now 2 weeks old and feeding like I don't know what Big baby, big appetite and luckily for me I have lots of milk. Just it means for very little sleep for me and while he feeds more often than not inside of half an hour now, sometimes it can go on as he comfort feeds, especially at night. I only had 2 hours sleep last night due to his waking and feeding etc (as yet not a chance of any routine for feeds etc so just going with the flow

As he is so demanding for my boob, has no problems latching, feeding etc my HV suggested I start expressing a couple of feeds a day in the not too distant future. Starting this coming week. She feels there is no need to wait till he is 6 weeks as she is confident expressing for hubby to help with night time feeds will work fine. Plus of course as hubby isn't me he settles a lot better back in his crib. If I try I get a lot of noise and fussing.

I'm happy to do this but am trying to work out how much might be good to start him off on expressing. He is 10lb plus weihgt wise. I hope to hand express but shall also invest in this electric breast pump next week. Anyone used this one? MW said to not spend £80 on one and that the £30 one would be fine. Shall freeze into icecube tray and also leave a bottle for OH fresh each day.

I seem to have plenty of milk so was planning on just expressing at random times, probably when LO goes down for a sleep. Sound ok? My boobs often feel overfull and a bit sore so whenever I can releive the pressure seems to make sense to me. Also LO has no routine whatsoever atm so I can never predict when he'll feed etc.

I've also gotten the NUK bottles and teats for feeding. HV recommended them so thought I'd give them a whirl first. Anyone use these and if so how did you find them? We got the narrower ones to ensure LO still has to put some effort into sucking so he doesn't get too used to an easy bottle feed and then maybe get lazy on my boob.

 

[Nicky_Jones]

The problem with expressing too soon is that your milk supply won't settle down to what your baby actually needs (especially if you are freezing), saying that when my milk first came in I HAD to express of just to allow Ellie to latch on as they were so swollen she couldn't. However I was advised to make give Ellie the milk that I expressed later on.

I used the Tommee Tippee freedom breast pump to start with but then switched to the Avent one asit was less pumping to get the same amount of milkoff.

I found the Boots sterilised breast milk bags good for freezing down milk, as you can seal these and mark them up with the quantity and date for defrosting later.

 

[Lola's Mummy]

I used to express just after Lola had finished a feed as i knew i had plenty of time before she would want feeding again or on a night in the bath

I don't have any experience of that breast pump i used a TT manual one and also have a mam manual one although I've never used the mam one. Electric ones scare me a bit TBH

When i used to freeze my EBM i stored it in advent breast milk containers as i got loads of them on offer at asda (4 pack for £1) they are just like little bottles but you don't get teats
I still have 12 unopened pm if they are any use to you and you can have them as i'm not going to use them

 

[flowergirl]

I hand express 2oz every evening to keep a stock up for days away from LO that I know I have coming up. I did use the Tommee Tippee freedom manual pump but got very little off for lots of effort and leaks! I went to my local breast feeding network support group and the lady there showed me how to hand express by using a woolen boobie she told me to begin by just trying to get a drip and then to slowly day by day increase the quantity I was getting off. I find hand expressing faster and much easier and it feels less harsh on the boobs!

I had one away day on Sunday and only managed to express the equivalent of one feed which effectively meant that my boobs had missed 3 feeds. I found that my supply was fairly diminished the next day and LO was needing feeding from both breasts at every feed. She has always been satisfied with one up to then. I was surprised as I hadn't expected my supply to be affected so quickly

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

I express

Collier on averge feeds every 2 hours now so i dont get much milk inbetween to express anymore but if he sleeps through a feed then i express it and keep it in the fridge.
I use the manual pump and it works really well i love being able to see how much im making and i helps me to relise i am making plenty
My breast have settled down more now some days i used to gush like a geezer some days collier was in need of a top up

expressing is great this helps on days where i just dont seem to be making enough as it last 48 hours in the fridges it very handy stops the need for formula

Though the other night i expressed twice and my nipples hurt from it (though fine the next day) i did express quite a lot of milk im worried if i express to much it will damage the nipples is this possible

 

[muppetmummy]

I haven't really bothered with expressing up to now, but Logan isn't feeding as much now due to the formula top ups. I want to try and get into the habit of expressing regularly to keep my supply going (whats left of it!)

At the moment I can only express about 1 oz at a time. Is it safe to keep the pump in the fridge (with the bottle attached) throughout the day so I can express after each feed and gradually build up a bottle full by evening?

 

[kalia]

For a while I put the pump in the fridge between each express and only cleaned it once a day. I excusively express so I use it quite a bit. I'm not doing that at the moment as I have the impression that it reduces the amount I get a little bit.

To up your supply, express a bit every 2 or 3 hours. If I do that within a week or 2 I am gushing with milk. I have less at the moment because I have been leaving longer and longer between times and I had a few 12 hour gaps. It's annoying that supply can be hindered by one day of not milking enough but take a week to boost up!

 

[muppetmummy]

thanks kalia Logie's totally lost interest in breastfeeding this afternoon, he just comfort sucks, I think he prefers the bottle of formula. I'll try and express regularly

 

[charliebeth]

I found expressing to be great! I've had to do a couple of weeks back at work this month - a month before I officially go back - and Jack wouldn't drink his emergency formula but wolfed down the EBM. And when he was ill earlier this week and couldn't BF I was able to keep my supply up and still give him EBM with a syringe or spoon (the only way he'd have it when he was at his worst).

We've been weening him early (under advice) and I always express when he has a solids feed replacing a milk feed, I usually get 5 to 7 oz depending on how much he's fed from me and how much food/drink I've had. Then I use some of that milk to make up the next meal and freeze the rest.

I plan to express at work too, I have a cool bag and freezer blocks all ready for when I'm working out of the office