silly question about expressing?

[tiny01]

hi, my dd is two weeks old and is feeding on and every two hours for an hour at a time. I have been told this is normal so I am preservering with it as I didnt manage to get past two weeks with ds and really want to do it. I have also been trying to express twice a day to help increse my supply (is this right). When I express I only manage to get out 1oz at a time and I wondered if I was ok to express at 10am then put it in the fridge and then at 7pm and then pour it on top of the first lot, in the one container so I can freeze it. I know this is silly but I am paranoid about this whole process.

[Lonelymum]

I think you are meant to freeze it straightaway TBH but I admit I have done similar to what you suggest in the past.

Slightly off the point, but are you aware that your supply doesn't become fully established until 6 weeks after the birth? I was always told not to try expressing (unless there were medical reasons to do so) until at least 6 weeks after the birth. Perhaps you will get more each time if you leave it until your supply is established (although I wouldn't bet on it - one or two ounces was about the norm for me too).

[Twiglett]

I personally think you should hold back on the expressing until the baby is a little older - say 4 to 6 weeks, you will find it far easier then

HTH

good luck and congralations on your new daughter

[Twiglett]

the express, fridge and add is fine btw

[tiny01]

Thanks for the response, I didnt realise it took six weeks, blimey. Ok I will hold off on it till then. It was just someone told me this would help to build up supply as dd is a very sleepy baby and tends to fall asleep no matter what I do (tickle her toes, wind her, remove a layer of clothes she she doesnt get cosy) All well never mind at least I wont get despondent with my lack of supply so far. Just no nights with the girls and some wine for another while yet Thanks again.

[tiktok]

tiny - no need to express. It's a hassle unless you really need to do it, and you don't - the frequent feeding means your baby will be making you make enough. If your baby is thriving and pooing often, you are doing just fine. If you do express, no need to freeze it straight away - just stick it in the fridge and add to it if you want to. After 3-5 days you then freeze it (or of course before if you want to, and know you are not going to use it).

[tiny01]

Thanks tiktok, yes she is thriving but her poos are very watery and she is windy. I cant remember what ds was like at this stage (he is now 5). Yes it was a hassle to express in between feeds so I wont bother. It is probably my diet I will review it today. My dh is the cook of the household and tends to put chilli in everything even if it is a little, so I will cut that out too. I will have her weighed tomorrow so hopefully she is putting on sufficient weight. Although the poor darling has now got mine and my dhs cold and is now all snotty which doesnt help feeding. Thanks again

[Gillian76]

I agree tiny, you don't need the hassle right now! She will be stimulating your supply sufficiently on her own. Babies are much more efficient than breast pumps in that department

Persevere with it, it will definitely get easier in time. Good luck x

[Gillian76]

Just a point about when you do express. You need to cool the freshly expressed milk to the same temperature as the refridgerated milk before you combine the two.

[Lonelymum]

Don't forget to eat well yourself - you can indulge in some naughty foods too to build up your calorie intake if you think that is necessary! - also drink plenty and rest all you can (I know easier said than done). Those things will help your supply of milk to increase too. What you really need is to have a full compliment of servants to attend to the house, your family and your own needs. It must have been easy for rich women who fed their babies themselves in centuries past don't you think?!

[tiny01]

opps, I was just putting the new stuff straight into the cooled stuff. What a dufuss! oh well when I do start again I will know. Thank for that Gillian76

[tiny01]

lonelymum - That made me laugh. My dh is off now on paternity leave so we shall see if that helps.
Somehow I am not sure, considering he thought the magnet from the intregrated washing machine door was the button to open the machine!!!! God help me. My poor dd has now got a cold from us and was wondering if there is anything I could give her to help the stuffiness. I know she cant have calpol, but thought there might be a natural remedy to help the situation.I have the olbus oil in a burner.

[Lonelymum]

Ds2 caught a cold when he was 8 days old - his breathing was really noisy and I was quite concerned to see one so small getting a cold, but it was OK in the end. Actually, because his breathing was noisy, it meant I could always hear him and be reassured he was still alive (you know how you panic in the early days that they aren't breathing anymore?) I don't remember giving him anything for it. perhaps someone else will know more about that.

[Lonelymum]

Ds2 caught a cold when he was 8 days old - his breathing was really noisy and I was quite concerned to see one so small getting a cold, but it was OK in the end. Actually, because his breathing was noisy, it meant I could always hear him and be reassured he was still alive (you know how you panic in the early days that they aren't breathing anymore?) I don't remember giving him anything for it. perhaps someone else will know more about that.

[Lonelymum]

Ooooh, don't know how I came to post twice there.

[tiktok]

Gillian, I've never heard this about cooling the recently expressed breastmilk down first - can't see the point of this. I suppose it's because that way you don't slightly warm up the refrigerated stuff with the 'new' milk.....but honestly, what would be wrong with this? It's breastmilk, and it ain't full of germs

Lonelymum - no need to eat, drink or rest for the milk's benefit. Milk will be fine whatever. Of course the servant thing would be really good anyway

[beansprout]

Tiny - just wanted to wish you well. I used to treat my milk with kid gloves, as if it was chemically unstable at room temperature or something, but really, it's fine. It's pretty sturdy stuff. You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days before you freeze it. Btw, I was advised to keep it right at the back of the fridge and not in the door (presumably the temperature is more constant there, but now I have just contradicted myself!!! argh!!!)

[roosmum]

tiktok & beansprout - is it really ok to keep ebm in the fridge for a few days before freezing - thought I read somewhere that it can only be kept for 24 hours & so have never kept any longer than that...

hi tiny, hope the feeding is going well - ds is now 10 weeks & it's definitely got easier with a little more time
xxx

[tiny01]

hi I was feeding again, she is sooo snotty poor thing but in good form and it didnt stop her feeding this time. Your right lonelymum I can hear her loud and clear. Beansprout I heard about the not keeping in the door thing too. Thats great that I can keep it in the fridge for a while because I have about three days worth of 1oz bags in the freezer, my dh thinks I am boonkers. I will just chill out about it and not do it for a few weeks.

[beansprout]

Roosmum - I'm only saying 48 hours and IME that has been absolutely fine. Haven't gone for longer as Bean has usually drunk it by then!!

[jolly4]

i read in a book somewere that you can only store bm for 24hours in fridge then in freezer or has too be drank !3 months in freezer

[Gillian76]

La Leche League's guidelines on storing ebm .

Hope that works!

It seems you have to cool freshly expressed milk before adding to frozen milk. Oh well, nearly right!

[tiny01]

Thanks Gillian76, I just had a look at the link and it was very informative. I cant believe you can leave it in room temp for 8hrs, so much more hardy than I thought. I am going to my brothers wedding Friday week and thought if I could get enough milk for the following day then I could have a few drinks, but in the mean time I found the current thread on drinking while bf and I now wont worry about it untill I have to go back to work. I love mumsnet.

[tiny01]

While I am here, just another silly question. I was wondering why I dont need to wear breast pads as I never leak even when my breasts are very full. Is this normal? I hear stories about women leaking everywhere. I know she is getting enough supply as midwife weighed her and she is putting on the correct weight.

[tiktok]

tiny - experience with leaking is hugely variable....some women do at first, some women do for weeks, some women do occasionally, some women never leak. It has nothing to do with the 'quantity' of milk available to the baby

Some women leak with one baby and not with others.

It is absolutely nothing to be concerned about.

[tiny01]

Thanks tiktok, thats good to know, I wasnt really worried, just thought it was odd. At least I am spared the expence of breast pads, babies are expensive enough, and also spared the embarrasment of wet patches.