Tips please...

[Clairexx]

Hi ladies, I'm still exclusively breastfeeding and although it is still very hard work and constant, I'm definitely glad I stuck to it!
Anyway... I have a question about when you are away from baby. I had a few drinks of Saturday night and so had expressed enough milk for the night feeds so I could ensure it was out of my system by the morning I was ridiculous full and it hurt quite a lot! I should have expressed before bed really! In a couple of weeks I am going to a day festival for my friends 30th, but I'm likely to be gone from midday till midnight. I'm not drinking as will be driving, but now I'm worried about how full and painful my boobs are going to get. For some reason I don't seem to be able to express by hand to quickly get rid of some so wonder if I'm just not doing it right? Any tips? It would be useful to be able to go to the loo and just express a little so that I am not in pain or start leaking through my clothes! Breastfeeding is fab.. But it definitely requires 24/7 baby contact, which although is lovely, sometimes it's nice to have a little break xxx

 

[missyeovil]

I struggled to express by hand at first but then I looked up some videos on youtube and cracked it! The midwives sort of vaguely told me how to do it but they were a bit useless - found it much better to actually see someone doing it and explain it at the same time. It doesn't take too long to just take enough off to relieve the pressure.xx

 

[l_maclean]

Yeah, have a look if you can see a vid online. Or invest in a wee manual pump, might be easier and they're not too expensive.

Went out a few times while exclusively bf, including all day for a funeral 3hrs away, - once you are past the newborn stage it def doesn't need to be 24/7

 

[Clairexx]

Thanks ladies, think I'll have a look on utube and if guided help still doesn't work, it'll have to be a cheap manual pump! Xxx