Need some help, a few questions.

[Tiggy26]

Hello Ladies,

Im hoping some of you maybe able to help me with my following questions, im a first time mum & not sure on a couple of things.

I am currently breastfeeding however I am thinking of expressing some milk for the following reasons:-
1) OH would love the opportunity to have some "bonding" time with baby Antonio & we were thinking of doing 1 breastmilk bottle a night?
2) With certain events coming up i.e a christening e.t.c It would be better if I could give my breastmilk via a bottle.

Antonio is nearly 4 weeks old and really loves his dummie, he has not had any "nipple confusion" and latches straight on my breast afterwards, so.....considering the dummie is the same size teat as a bottle, do you think I will have any problems?

Ok, here are my questions.....(instuctions dont answer me these, and the ones they do are confusing!)

1) After sterilising my breastpump & bottles, how long do they stay sterile for? do you keep them in the steriliser till you use them or take them all out and store them somewhere?

2) How often during the day do you express? Does it take all day? If so, do you put what you have just expressed in the fridge untill you express the next lot and continue using the same bottle? or do you use several different bottles?

3) Do I have to express my milk into a different tub/bottle and then pour it into the "just sterilised" bottle when im about to feed Antonio?

I know the above questions may seem really stupid, but id rather be safe than sorry

Hope you can help.

Thanks

T xx

 

[leckershell]

these are the guidelines I use re: storage...

http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/ ... toring.pdf

ok the rest of your questions...

After sterilising breast pump and bottles, I use them straight away. I don't bother sterilising it all unless I'm about to use it.. easier that way, and it comes out all warm I don't know what the guidelines are though.

I don't express every day anymore, I used to. When I do it, I'd do it after Ryan has gone to bed because I know that's the longest time he would go without a feed and I'd have enough time to build up some more milk for when he wakes. I don't know what the rules are, but I do one session into one bottle and then put it in the fridge. The next time I use another bottle and put that in the fridge. Then I combine them when they are both cold. I don't know whether that's what's right or not, I'm just a bit weird about mixing hot and cold liquids, just seems a bit wrong..

When I fed Ryan I would just use the bottle that the milk was already in, but again I'm not sure if that's what's right or not.

Hope that's helped a little..?

 

[andreag]

I used tp express every day with the first morning feed. I had an avent Isis steriliser which had a travel pack attachment so I sterilized it and took the whole lot to bed. Because I was doing it every day, there was a good supply - C had one side and I expressed off the other. I found I got much more out if C was on the other side.
The other way to do it is to express after each feed, or in between feeds. You are best having a go at different times and seeing how much you get. You have to be relaxed though!
After a bath or shower were also good times as it stimulates you to produce milk.
I never mixed milks but from what I remember, the MW said you could provided they were both refriderated - you shouldn't mix the fresh warm milk with cold milk from an earlier session - let it cool down first. I sterilized everything between sessions, but a friend of mine who had to express for her premature baby in hospital said that the hospital said only the storage jar needed to be sterilized, and just to rinse out the pump, but I didn't like this idea - like you say - better safe than sorry.
My OH loved giving C a bottle - it is very special for them as well.