having trouble expressing!!

NICCI

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im using a manual tomee tipee pump, but can only get an ounce a time out both boobs!! is this normal! i tried this morning coz i was told this is when boobs r most full!!! but still only got half oune out of each boob!! i was planning on going to a family do on fri and wanted to have a couple of drinks!! not enough 2 get wasted just 2 or 3, so wanted 2 express enough to cover the night feeds!! somebody suggested giving formula for the night can i do this!! i havent given jack formula b4!! he is also putting weight on fine so my supply must b ok!!
 
Have you tried hand expressing, i found this a lot easier than the pumps and i got more out.
 
yea but i still dont get much how much do u normally get! x
 
I use an electric pump and i can get a full feed of 7oz in total from both boobs depending on what time of day it is and also how long since I last fed.

How old is your little one, it might be that you milk supply isn't yet established so it may be too early to start expressing?

Are you drinking enough liquid? I find that if I don't drink at least 8 glasses of water a day then my milk supply is quite low so I aim to drink 12 glasses in a day to ensure I have plenty for Maia and some left over to express.
 
It may well be your supply hasn't fully come through yet (how old is your LO?) and if so expressing will be pants and you have to do little and often. But that is also a problem as if your LO is small he'll be needing to demand feed and it will deprive him of what he needs.

Also many women find that while baby gets enough milk frmo boobs expressing hardly produces any. Some just cannot express anything worth saving. But your baby will be fine getting it all :)

If you are anywhere in the first 6 weeks I'd say not to bother expressing at all and if you really have to give formula then do so. But beware that a) LO might not like it or it might not like him b) he might not take a bottle teat and c) is it really worth it for a couple of drinks.

Personally for the sake of a couple of drinks I'd leave things as they are. Plenty of time in the future for a few glasses of something once Lo is a bit older.
 
I have trouble too, and Angel's 4 months old! I spoke to the Nursery Nurse at the weigh-in yesterday and she reckons there's an art to it! I've been given some info to read through so it may be worth asking your HV. She also mentioned that hand expressing is a bit easier.
 
Hi!

Im sort of gate crashing here from 1st Tri, but from my experiance with feeding my 1st..
I recommend an electric pump they are fantastic.. i tried in vain with a hand pump with no luck! mine was expensive but worth every penny! my friend has borrowed it currently (she also loves it!!) and i plan on using it this time, so im gettin my money's worth.

Emma x
 
Hey :wave: , have you tried expressing after every feed, so you can build your supply up for Friday?? Are you leaving it long enough for let down to come?
 
my lo is 5 weeks old, im not sure when to express to be honest i will try after every feed! how long should i do it for and will it mess up my supply 4 the nxt feed?? xxx
 
I'd suggest expressing in the morning, thats usually when boobs are at the fullest. I'd do one boob and see how much you get. You still might not get very much from expressing, even in the morning.

Expressing after every feed won't really be much good as you will only have the hindmilk and not the foremilk also so its kind of an imbalanced feed. Plus your LO will have emptied your boob so you won't have much left in there. And expressing the other one means that'll be drained for the next feed.

Have a shower first thing in the morning before the morning feed, massage your boobs while in there, go back and feed your LO from one and then express straight after from the other. Massage your boob some more if it needs it and try different angles to help the let down etc. If that doesn't work then I'd not bother as thats the best time of day.
 
It wont mess your supply up as the more you stimulate the bigger the supply will come :)I think if i remember correctly that it takes an hour and a half for your supply to build up again after a feed :think: but there is ALWAYS something in there regardless.
It can be quite tricky getting used to a pump, but If your not able to express a lot at that time of day, try maybe lunch time then evening.

Feel free to pm meif you need me xx
 
Sherlock said:
Expressing after every feed won't really be much good as you will only have the hindmilk and not the foremilk

bugger I forgot about that!!!!! thanks Sherlock, it seems so long ago worrying about foremilk and hindmilk :doh:

I suppose if babs only feeds from one breast then to make sure you express off the other??
 
maria1976 said:
Sherlock said:
Expressing after every feed won't really be much good as you will only have the hindmilk and not the foremilk

bugger I forgot about that!!!!! thanks Sherlock, it seems so long ago worrying about foremilk and hindmilk :doh:

I suppose if babs only feeds from one breast then to make sure you express off the other??

I only express a single feed from one boob. I never combine milk from both boobs so as to ensure I am giving LO as he would if he were on my boob.

Saying that, once mixed the foremilk loses its thirst quenching properties as its combined with the hindmilk. So if I am giving a few EBVM bottles in one day I always offer a bit of water in a bottle to even things out. But I don't like expressing from my boob and only giving LO the hindmilk and not having the foremilk in there somewhere. It has good stuff in it also so I include it. Just it doesn't quench thirst as such.
 

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