How do I express when ds feeds so often?

[Minkus]

DS2 is 4 weeks old today. I want to introduce a bottle so we can use ebm but he feeds often (every 1.5 hours at the moment although he has gone 3 hours but not for the last few days) and I just don't know when to fit in the necessary expressing sessions! From recollection with ds1, expressing would take about 1/2 hour and I'm worried that I won't be able to fill my boobs up quick enough!

Anyone got experience of this sort of situation?

(Additionally, I have talked to my really lovely hv about giving a bottle and she's fully supportive as ds is such a voracious feeder and putting on weight at a cracking rate so she's confident- as I am- that bf is well established.)

[LaTrucha]

When DD was feeding every two hours I did it after feeding. For me, I could usually get 5-6oz first thing in the morning and practically nothing in the afternoon. It only ever took me five minutes. Even if I waited for 20 I got no more.

Only my personal experience.

I don't think I ever really had a problem with getting milk on the actual feeding.

[thisisyesterday]

yes, I used to express first thing in the morning too, and get about 5oz.
used to feed ds2, then get up and wait maybe half an hour or so,m then express.

never seemed to affect his next feed and he was/is a 2 hourly feeder (at least)

[Booboobedoo]

Hi minkus. I couldn't express when DS was 4 weeks, precisely for the reason you've outlined.

Think I could by the time he was 6/7 weeks, but only about 2oz per day.

I never had much milk, though.

[missorinoco]

i used one boob twice in a row overnight in a sleep deprived haze. the other side was about to pop when i woke up, so expressed from that side, and had such a prolific response i continued to do so throughout bf.
(i expressed for a bottle feed daily).

once ds was having a bottle i also expressed also at the time of his bottle feed (ie his evening milk). this did mean i was expressing twice a day though. the morning supply was much better than the evening one, and i'm not convinced i would do it twice a day when dc2 comes along.

[swallowthree]

Have you a got an electric pump - they will get the milk out of anything. I used to do it last thing at night on the fullest boob when I knew she would be asleep for a couple of hours at least.

[Minkus]

Thanks for your speedy responses!

I've just used my avent hand pump now, and got a measly 1.5oz but admit that i always got a better response from my other electric one last time round so will dig that out and see if is better.

Guess I've been reluctant to express in the day because there's so little time (err I didn't even get to brush my teeth today until 4pm ewwwww!) but sounds like I've got to bite the bullet and fit it in somewhere amongst the nappies and pre-school activities (like "mummy you be lightning mcqueen and I'll be the King and you can be the King's wife too and you can be dinoco blue and you can be Chick Hicks as well" ad nauseum. Anyone else's children ridiculously big Disney Cars fans )