Expressing

[abcd1234]

I'm clueless!!!

Whens the best time?
Should i be aiming to express off one breast only?
How much should i be giving her in each bottle?

I really feel like i havnt a clue, it's so easy to just plonk a boob in her mouth and let her take what she wants, but i dont want to over feed her on a bottle or not being giving her enough of the hind milk.

I've got 2oz's of booby milk which i expressed earlier and intend to try her with later, i need to know she'll actually take the bottle before i go expressing lots of milk. I've got some "booby bottles" which are meant to be good for swaping between the two as i only intend to bottle feed when i have to leave her or am in a public place and feeding is inappropriate.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[purple13]

i only intend to bottle feed when i have to leave her or am in a public place and feeding is inappropriate.

as mid says, feeding in a public place is never inappropriate i was a bit nervous about public feeding at first but will feed wherever and whenever now - i've fed on a plane, on a train, on murrary mound at wimbledon, in the supermarket, in restaurants, in pubs - its never been a problem and its much easier than expressing (no faffing, no sterilising etc - just wop a boob out and away you go )

you are best to leave it a few weeks before you start introducing bottles. it is a bit limiting when you want to go and do something without LO, especially when they seem to be feeding constantly, but better that than give yourself potential problems with your LO preferring bottle to boob and refusing to swap between the two. also, the feed that you're giving from the bottle is a feed that isn't telling your body how much milk to produce, and it can affect your flow. IMO the potential problems aren't worth the risk.

i get frustrated that i can't leave connor for more than 1.5/2 hours (at least not without a great deal of foreplanning - i did it once and it just wasn't worth it ) but i also know that i'm giving him such a good start. and reading valentines post about her LO self-weaning, makes me realise that i really do want to treasure this time with him cos it will be over all too soon...

 

[abcd1234]

The problem i have is i HAVE to leave her in a few weeks for a few hours so ultimately there must be some sort of food there for her, I'll leave it a bit longer to try her on bottles but i'm slightly concerned that if she wont take the expressed milk i wont be able to take my exams It's a pain really but i need to take them now whilst she's little rather then when she needs more interactive attention during the day, i know i'm gonna worry about leaving her cos i think she'll only be 5 weeks old.

If i didnt have to leave her i'd continue exclusively on my boob, i'm not shy but sometimes i wanna be walking along feeding her and it's a little difficult i thought maybe a bottle might make that easier.

I might make baby daddies mum bring her up to uni just in case she wont take milk so boobie is available it's a re-take exam so there should only be a few people in there, i really really dont want to have to offer her formula and as uni is out for summer she should be able to find somewhere to sit with her. God i hope she just sleeps through the whole thing!

 

[kalia]

Just like when they are drinking from the breast, you give them as much as they want. 2oz may or may not be enough for your LO at this point. The amount they drink varies from baby to baby. By 4 weeks my LO was taking 150ml (about 5.5 oz) per feed of expressed milk and that continues to be the amount she prefers.

Babies can drink from a cup, preferably with a lip on it (that's not a typo, I mean lip, not lid). They sort or lap or suck the milk. In hospital here that is how they get mothers to feed their babies while establishing breastfeeding if they are not latching on well so there is no nipple confusion. Why not give it a go rather than a bottle? I wonder if this would work
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doidy-Cup-D-Red ... B000RBE6Q6

 

[beanie]

If you have to express then try and do so at the same time each day. Your body responds to stimulation and respnds by producing more milk.The problem with expressig in the early days is that it can lead to an oversupply which can cause you discomfort. So express at the same time and freeze - you will have a good supply in a few weeks time (they only take a few ounces at a few weeks old anyway). Also if giving a bottle feed her before and after so your body is still being told it needs to produce milk. Seren took great to a bottle and had no probs going back on the boob, however Cally started to show a preference for a bottle and we had to start again with the latch - so keep an eye out for this.

Good luck with your exams ((hugs))

 

[Tiggy26]

Where ever you go in a public place they cant stop you from feeding! I breastfed in public and I had no problems at all. As all the others have said, its wayyyyy to early to be expressing! It will mess around with your milk supply becuase it hasnt fully established yet.

Wait a bit longer first, otherwise you will drain all hope of getting any expressed milk at all. Is it really worth going on a slippery slope down hill for the sake of a few more weeks?

Once you have got to at least a couple of months the best time to express is early morning (well it was for me) Only do one breast so that your baby can feed off the other full breast at the next feed.

xx

 

[abcd1234]

Is it really worth going on a slippery slope down hill for the sake of a few more weeks?

I dont have those weeks thats the problem, i'll have to express for her when i leave her, she'll only be left for 3 hours at a time and for 2 days but unfortunately i dont have a choice, the uni are very understanding but i cant see them letting me bf her if she gets hungry. After these two days i probably wont express for a while cos she'll be with me all the time until she's 3 months and even then she'll only be left for a few hours whilst i attend lectures.

She took the "boobie bottle" (not a clue what they're called) really well so i'll leave it now until just before i have to leave her and then i'll express some for when she's left. She's taken to BFing so well and i'd hate to mess it up by expressing too much or confusing her with bottles.

 

[kalia]

Wait a bit longer first, otherwise you will drain all hope of getting any expressed milk at all. Is it really worth going on a slippery slope down hill for the sake of a few more weeks?

Once you have got to at least a couple of months the best time to express is early morning (well it was for me) Only do one breast so that your baby can feed off the other full breast at the next feed.

xx

I've been expressing every day since day 3 and the problem has not been not getting any milk, the problem is that your body supplies what is demanded of it so for a while I had wayyyy too much milk

Early morning is definitely when I have most milk too. Or after a really good long afternoon nap.

 

[lfc_sarah]

Yeah definately early morning...
After i feed Callum i express...
My boobs are full and quite sore at that point and after feed on the other breast Callum has been feeding off throught a day if i need to

Your boobs make as much milk as you need really.
The more you breastfeed or express the more milk your boobs will make

Callum hasnt had any problem with doing both either so...

 

[Lola's Mummy]

I haven't expressed for ages (Lola got a bit too keen on the bottle so i stopped for a while then she wouldn't take a bottle so i gave up)
When i used to express I'm sure i could only ever get about 4oz but this was always enough for 1 feed and Lola would have been older than your LO.
I wouldn't advise to start expressing so early but if you have to i would express after she has had her first morning feed from the boob she had the least milk from.
I would say leave maybe 8oz in two 4oz bottles. If your only going to be away for a couple of hours it should be more than enough. If your worried about her running out you could always have spare in the freezer as i think it lasts for up to 3 months