help! expressing questions

[beansmum]

lots of questions!

Going back to uni in a few weeks and want to keep breastfeeding ds. He's 14wks now.

Is an electric pump a lot quicker than a hand one? I wont have a lot of spare time during the day.

Are electric pumps really noisy? I have found a room to use (after a fight) but still a bit embarrassed about expressing in 'public'!

How much should i leave for ds? he'll be away from me from 9ish until 5-6ish, about 4-5feeds usually. I'll be able to work out exactly what he needs once we start but i need a rough idea for the first few days.

does the pump need sterilizing after i express the first time if i'm going to express again later in the day? i wont be able to sterilize it at uni

still haven't tried to give him a bottle! Aaaaahhhhh! i'm getting really stressed!

sorry I have so many questions!

[Twiglett]

message withdrawn

[hercules]

Get a sandwich cool bag and those things you can put in the freezer. Far cheaper than the avent thing and it looks like your sandwiches. I used this at school and the kids didnt bat an eyelid.

You dont need to sterilise in between expressing as you're keeping it cool anyway and breastmilk is okay at room temp for a few hours.

Take a few value plastic bags to put pump and bottles in within the cool bag and a couple of clothes to catch any drips whilst expressing.

I used an avent as I couldnt risk any noises with kids on the other side of the door.

I expressed into avent bottles but then had to use playtex to give it.

Start expressing now and build up a supply in your freezer. Freeze in 2 oz batches so as not to waste it.

[Gingerbear]

get pumping now! Freeze some as a back-up.
I used hand pump and got 2x 5oz during working day, used electric pump at home. Much quicker. Never bothered to sterilize the pump between feeds, just keept it sealed and in a fridge at work
9or used coolbag and icepacks).
I breast fed in the morning before work, then it was boobs out as soon as I walked in the door at 5.30, then a feed again at bedtime. Should be OK with 2 bottles. I left 5 or 6 oz in 2 bottles for my mum to give DD during the day.
Leave 3 5 oz feeds if you can manage it.

[beansmum]

will have to ask the nursery but could i leave a few big containers of milk and get them to put a bit into a bottle? ds feeds about every 2 hrs, but only for 10 mins each time so i don't think he takes much at each feed.

[hercules]

Freeze in bags- 2 oz in each bag. Then take out how ever many you need in the morning and give them to the nursery to keep in the fridge. You can warm/defrost by running bag under warm tap.

[Twiglett]

message withdrawn

[beansmum]

yep, always spraying all over the place! I know i will have to give ds a bottle soon, trying to put it off for as long as possible. I just feel terrible taking away his nice cuddly breastfeeds and then sending him to a nursery all day!

[jamiesam]

Never occured to me that you don't need to sterilize pump between expressing. All that time I wasted. On the other hand, if you do decide to sterilize, look out for Lindam bags which will sterilize hand pump in microwave in 3 mins. Great for holidays/staying away overnight..

[woodstock]

DS is a year and I've been pumping since he was 3 weeks old. I am using an Ameda Purely Yours which is very similar to the Medela Pump in Style. Comes with a black backpack, a little cooler thingy and six bottles. It is quite quiet and I never felt that people could hear or thought anything of it when pumping. I don't have a fridge so have to wash up between pumps. I haven't tried a hand pump but the electric is very quick (done in 10 min.) so I would have to think that it is faster. My pattern was to leave 2 8 oz. bottles for the day and that seemed to work pretty well.

[kbaby]

ive not gone back to work yet but do express. This is what you could do.
Freeze 2-3ozs breastmilk in disposable bags then they can defrost however many they need for each feed. Once you know how much she takes you can then just express that amount. My DD is 15 weeks and now takes 6ozs each feed of ebm.
I sterilise the pump once a day but during the day keep it in the fridge and just keep the funnel covered. Ive borrowed a electric pump and find it really noisy, Im sticking with the hand pump and if I express where ive missed a feed can generally get 4-6 ozs in 5-8 mins. I also only ever feed for 10 mins and as DD takes 6oz from a bottle im assuming she must get the same amount from my boob and just be afast feeder.