Is it worth expressing??

[Mummabubbles]

Not sure if I should express or not. Dd is 8 weeks old and feeding is going well. I have no immediate plans to introduce a bottle but would probably like to offer breastmilk from a bottle at around 4-5 months (just for odd feeds not all the time).I have a good supply and often leak. Is it worth using breast shells to collect this milk and store it for possible future use?? Also if I express milk to freeze will my supply be greatly affected? I don't want to do anything that will have an adverse effect on feeding as it is going so well....

[Beatrixpotty]

If you have established bf and it is going well you probably can get some more to freeze through expressing.I found an electric pump best and had more milk first thing in the morning.But having done it for my first son I didn't think it was worth the effort with the other 2 and if they had the odd bottle I used a carton of formula.Once they are weaned at 6m they have all sorts of things so I felt the occasional carton at 4-5m wouldn't be a big deal as apart from that they were EBF.It's a very personal thing though.

[tricksybaby200]

I would express and introduce a bottle for one on the feeds on a regular basis. Didn't with my first son and he would NEVER take a bottle. I had to use a beaker when he was old enough.
With second Ds I had one bottle feed of expressed milk a day so no issues when I went back to work.
I only mention as you said your planning to introduce a bottle at 4 months.. My plan with Ds 1. It did not go well.

Having some milk in the freezer is always handy just in case anyway.

[KatAndKit]

I agree with tricksybaby - friends of mine who have tried to introduce bottles later on have found this to be very problematic. I might just have been lucky but my DS had a bottle sometimes from earlier on and it did mean I knew he would accept a bottle from someone else if needs be. At the stage you are at now DP gave him a late evening bottle feed a few times a week while I went to bed early. This worked quite well.

[BumbleBee2011]

I expressed once a week from about 8-10 weeks with DD, as I'd be leaving her with DH for a couple of hours a week for a volunteer role. It didn't affect my supply, and also meant I always had a bottle "just in case"...not that I ever had unplanned absences from her.

I don't know about refusal but the milk can come out more easily from a bottle and in fact DH used to say she seemed like she was struggling a bit til we got some Medela Calma bottles/teats, these are supposed to make the baby work harder to get the milk out, so gives them more control. I've never bottle fed her though so have no idea if she preferred breast or bottle as far as packaging!

[Mummabubbles]

I don't need to be away from my baby, not going back to work so just wanted to introduce a bottle so she doesn't become a refuser but it seems there are no guarantees that she will take a bottle whenever I try to introduce it. I don't want to start yet for various reasons so I think I may just stick to breastfeeding until she is old enough to take a sippy cup.
I don't fancy the faff of sterilising, freezing etc anyway. I am definitely a huge fan of the laziness of breastfeeding

[Mummabubbles]

Did you do baby led weaning?? It is an alien concept to me! My other 2 children were weaned the old fashioned way! I'm looking forward to giving it a go though....

[Mummabubbles]

1st 2 babies were not breastfed so this is new to me too.

[FamiliesShareGerms]

I started expressing in hospital because DS was in SCBU. It was really helpful to have BM in the freezer for a couple of occasions eg when I was ill for 24 hours, and expressing can up your milk production, so when DS was going through growth spurts I was already producing enough and just didn't express on those days.

Having said that, I was definitely a lazy feeder so never gave a bottle on a regular basis and ended up donating most of my frozen supplies to the hospital.