Pumping and breastfeeding

[Eryinera]

So I thought I'd post here as well.
From next week I'm planning to start using my electric pump to express whilst still ebf my daughter. I'm doing this so that when I go back to work my husband can do the feeds with my breastmilk when I'm not there. My question is how and when do I do it.

Do I just do one side after shes fed?
How long do you pump for?
Will she have enough milk for her next feed?
When is the best time to pump after she fed at the same time or just if I feel full?

I expressed at the start due to me making more milk than she could handle (I was getting about 2oz in an ad break from one boob) but I'm. Not feeling as full as often now so it's concerning me a bit!

Any tips for anyone who is ebf and pumping are much appreciated

 

[Shepherdess]

The best time to pump is straight after baby has fed that way you're body will have the milk ready for the next feed. First thing in the morning is usually the best time.

You might not get loads to start with but keep at it and you will increase supply. I pumped once a day off both sides and would get about 5-6oz in total but for the first few days this was much less. how long ypy need to pump for is an individual thing, I could get my 5oz in 10mins but I know my friend had to sit for quite a while

 

[Eryinera]

Awesome im trying it now she fed not long ago and I'm feeling full to bursting I'm gerring about 3Oz in 20min today. I'll try and get a bit more later she fed a lot last night though. Hopefully it will increase if I continue to keep it up it was getting more when she was durst born than it am now with get at month that's a tad worrying!

 

[Emily0505]

Keep pumping for five minutes after you stop getting milk out. This will tell your breasts to make more milk.

XX

 

[Eryinera]

Ahh I'll try that I stopped when I stopped squirting. I was shocked at only 2oz as I was getting 4oz per boob at the start (I'm guessing I stopped at 3oz each side as I only had a 6oz bottle! But I certainly hadn't stopped being milked if you get me)

 

[lisey]

I want to start expressing too but sometimes she has days where she cluster feeds a lot and can't find the time to do it!!
I want to express mainly to get her used to the bottle too as I don't want to be breast feeding until she is a toddler!!
Does Anya cluster? I have looked it up and apparently it's v normal and they reduce it around 3 months but I am worried I will just have a baby attached to my boob constantly when trying to do things. It's fine at the moment as we are mostly in, just go for walks or pop to family etc but when life gets back to normal a bit I don't see how can do that xx

 

[Eryinera]

She does cluster feed but usually at night time thankfully. My son used to cluster at the most awkward tines I remember on the 3rd feed around as da I gave up and just fed him walking round the shop lol. I did ny first public bf today buy awkward as I wasn't expecting her to be awake and with the heat I didn't have a modesty blanket but sod it lol no one said anything lol

 

[lisey]

You've got to do what you've got to do. I have a huge apron type thing to cover up. Still not keen on the public feeding idea, makes me nervous esp as she is a noisy eater!!!
Luckily she cluster feeds in the eve too, glad not during the night xx

 

[Emily0505]

I never use a cover to feed but it's personal preference andwhat makes you feel most comfortable.

I've bf sat in the middle of b&m on a swinging chair in their garden display, in the hospital foyer, in Morrison's cafe, all over the place! Nobody has said anything and if they did I'm afraid they won't like my response!! Especially given the difficulty I've had bf, I'll be dammed if someone is going to have a go at me for it! When I was in b&m a staff member asked me if I wanted a cushion!!

I had a dream last night that my milk came in properly when Eleanor was four weeks (so now!) Lol and I had so much that when I was expressing it was coming out so fast it was like a hose pipe on full blast filling up a bucket!! Lmao!!!

XX

 

[lisey]

But how do you do it discreetly Emily? My boobs are huge so would have to literally flop it out lol xx i have seen other women do it and you dont actually see anything but seems impossible xx

 

[Eryinera]

I have a good discreet bra lisey it still has fabric at the top and opens mainly just over the nipple area couple that with a good style bf top and it's hardly noticeable. I wasn't wearing my discreet bra yesterday hence me wanting a blanket. But still I'm with Emily no one's going to tell me stop sbd they wouldn't like my response either! No one mentioned a thing when I bf my son and it was a bit more taboo back then for dome reason.

 

[Emily0505]

I wear a bf bra and either a button up top or vest under a normal top. I unhook my bra and get baby in position and then get boob out although, mine aren't big so there's no floppage! Lol!

Next time you feed Sophie why don't you try sitting and doing it in front of a mirror so you can see how you can do it discreetly? You might find you're less on display than you realise.

XX

 

[Eryinera]

Yea at home I get the whole shebang out bur in public I get everything ready under my top then do a quick latch then relax lol

 

[lisey]

That's a great idea Emily. I have nursing bras too. Maybe there isn't as much on show from the front, I just have a whole lot to look at when I am looking down so maybe it's making me more paranoid. I am surprised she is not scared of them, each boob is bigger than her head lol xx

 

[Eryinera]

Lol I said that to my hubby. Especially when they are full sometimes see does look at them with a degree of caution but that quickly turns to the look I get when shown a chocolate cake bigger than my head lol

 

[lisey]

Lol. I guess it is their choc cake xx

 

[Eryinera]

Lol I guess it is! I found out I get more milk with the tommee tippee pump than the medulla ybut the medulla is a lot more convenient pump to use. I'm not pumping during this heat though she feeds near constant unless I take her into sir conditioned environmenta so we spend the day in john kew is today lol I may have brought some half price hotel chocolat chocolates that were near their bbe date... shame guess that means I have to eat them quickly lol

 

[Blueclass]

I used to pump on the other breast while feeding and then swap when my baby did x