I am really struggling to express enough

[CARNAT22]

It's taken me about half an hour and I have barely managed 2oz, now I am sat here in tears thinking I should just swap to formula as this is just too difficult.

I couldn't breastfeed and now I can't even express properly.

We've had such a shitty day and this just tops it off.

xxxxxx

 

[christyleigh]

I can't offer advice as I'm not there yet but sending you love.
You are a brilliant mummy whatever you decide to do xxxxxx

 

[MrsT2011]

Hi Hun I commented on your other thread but will offer support here as well.

It's honestly normal to have days like this - especially if your stressed and tired.
It took me six weeks to get enough breast milk to give it exclusively before that I was topping up with formula so you've done amazing to give him basically all your own milk.

As I said in your other thread take a few hours off from expressing then try again when feeling chilled and I'm sure the milk will just flow out.

I found once I stopped putting pressure on myself to pump every 3 hours and just did it when my body told me (before I turned into Jordan obviously!) I got so much more milk.

If you need/want to give formula then do but don't make any big decisions on stopping expressing based on today as you may feel different in the morning.
(hope I'm not being rude by saying that but I would cry at 3am saying I couldn't do it anymore but then feel different the next day)

Xxx

 

[Karate Kid]

MrsT is bang on the money, if you can get some sleep then do. Step away from the pump and look after your needs.

You need to do whatever you feel right for you and LO but you have got this far.

Even though BFing is established and I love it 99% of the time when I am up every two hours feeding I often doubt myself xx

 

[willowwisp]

Another ditto MrsT. I pump before bed, and first thing (6am) but I don't pump in the night as I get too tired. Once I dropped the night pump I get SO much more milk per 24 hours than I was previously. And it's still going up.

The more sleep I get, the more milk I can express!

 

[MrsT2011]

Not sure what pump you have Hun but have you considered hiring a double one? Saved my life when I was on my own for a week when B was 6 weeks.

It costs about £45 a month but I get through a tub of formula every 5 days so it works out the same cost (I know it's not about the money but it's worth knowing!)

Double pumping encourages more milk flow do its quicker to get a full feed and eventually you'll start building up supplies.

Also you can go hands free - make a bra like Tweety has or buy one - I got mine of eBay for £5. Think I still have it laying around if you want it?

Also have you had a chance to get on mother2mother website?
There are exclusively expressing forums that are great to read - really encouraging.

 

[dyscochick]

Can't offer advice but huge you have done amazingly so far and the advice above sounds sensible to me, all I keep being told us that stress is bad for bf and expressing, you are no failure, you are an amazing mummy so take some time to relax, use formula if you need to and try later xxxx

 

[tweetyfoo]

Can only just say - what MrsT said - but to be fair, she helped me get up and running

Can't recommend the double pump enough! I've been really fortunate that the childrens hospital gave me one on loan for free. I wouldn't recommed putting it on high straight away though!

I give myself the night off every now and again if Im too tired, its perfectly fine xx

 

[Kate1985]

I only get 2 oz most times!im starting to worry now xx

 

[fresh]

I really struggled with supply on express, C wouldn't latch on so I expressed for 7 weeks, we had so much going on and in the first few weeks we were in hospital my pumping was good at 8 times a day I managed to get up to about 20ml off each boob; great for me!! When I got home we had appointments every day for about 2 weeks and it was so hard to pump when I should have and went down to 6 times a day so I think it affected my supply and I went down to 10ml each boob after 7 weeks I had to give up, was decision time on another month of hiring the machine
So the advice I had was double pumping, hospitAl grade machine, domperidone tablets, eat oats, pump at night, lots of skin to skin, and don't watch the bottle while you pump

Good luck, it's bloody hard to work and supply and demand is not the motto for all ladies boobs, mine dwindled even pumping 6 times a day for 20 mins a time, but then supplies were rubbish right from the start

 

[willowwisp]

I brought a second hand double pump from eBay for £80, less than two months rent and I will sell it when I'm done and hopefully get some money back on it. It's a godsend.

I hook up for an hour in the morning, then 20-40 minutes each session during the da/evening depending on how long it takes to drain my boobs. I give myself a couple of hours in the afternoon and cluster pump which I also find helps.

 

[FirstBabyEek]

When I was expressing I found I got a second let down 15mins after the milk had stopped. I know it means pumping for longer, but id sometimes get an extra 2-3oz that way.

Rest is sooo important as the others have said, fenugreek and oats in your diet plus regular good meals in the day abd lots of fluid too.

You're doing brilliantly well, don't beat yourself up about anything xx

 

[Andreabrad]

I've got good milk flow. But certain times of the day I am lucky to get 2oz!! Today has varied. 6am got 6oz 11am got 3oz 4pm got 4oz 7pm got around 50ml then 10pm got 2.5oz. My best time to express is early morning. Lunch time to mid afternoon my flow is rubbish.

Try a supplement called fenugreek it worked a treat for me but doesn't work for all. £9.99 for 100 caps in holland & barrat.
Expressing during or after a hot bath helps. Also I've found hand expressing first for 5 mins or so can really get it going. Massage & hot flannels can help but most importantly is relaxing. I had a tough time at the beginning and really wanted to give up. But I stuck with it.

Cluster expressing is good. Express for 15 mins at 7,8,9,10pm for a couple of days and you will see a big increase.
Also you could try 10 min expressing 10 min off then 10 min expressing etc etc for a hour.
Keep expressing even though milk has stoked it tricks your brain into thinking you need to produce more milk
Also try gently compressing your boob while expressing it stimulates the ducks to release more milk.

These are all tips I've used to get my milk going and they have worked for me.

Hope this helps xxxx

 

[tweetyfoo]

When I was expressing I found I got a second let down 15mins after the milk had stopped. I know it means pumping for longer, but id sometimes get an extra 2-3oz that way.

Rest is sooo important as the others have said, fenugreek and oats in your diet plus regular good meals in the day abd lots of fluid too.

You're doing brilliantly well, don't beat yourself up about anything xx

I get a second let down at 10 mins, then a third at 25 mins - quite annoying really

I've been doing this for 12 weeks and last night I only got 4-4oz in 30 mins, but I find I catch myself up throughout the day. First thing in the morning is good for me - evening time is rubbish/

I take fenugreek too - I forgot to take it for a couple of days and definitely noticed a difference.

 

[Andreabrad]

Last night I expressed at 3am and I only got 1oz!!!! Then expressed again at 7am and got 2oz
I catch up during the day xx

 

[Celene]

Hey hun most people have covered what needs to be said. Hang in there a bit longer if you can. I started expressing for every feed when kaelan was 4 weeks old as I had a few problems. At first I was lucky if a got 10mls and even less when tired. I started taking blessed thistle tablets which really helped now I get 120-180mls each time I express. And it's always less in the evening. Try and eat regular meals and get some rest time it really does help. I hope it gets better for you. xxx