Expressing - why bother?

[Schulte]

Can someone remind me please why expressing / feeding EBM in bottles is a good idea? Feeling a bit rebellious today because my pump doesn't work properly, I hate bottles, formula and sterilising anyway, and DD hasn't really accepted the ebm bottles I have offered her so far. So why should I persevere?

[CMOTdibbler]

Only reason to express/use bottles is if you are going to go to work or out without baby before they are 6 months old or so.

If you don't need or want to, then don't. And I expressed 5 days a week for a year, so am not anti it in any way - it's just a big faff

[Reallytired]

If you don't want to express then you don't have to. It can be inconvient if a child wont accept a bottle but its not the end of the world. Its only a big problem if you need to go back to work before 6 months.

I am hoping my daughter will drink from a beaker at 9 months. I can't hate expressing milk.

[Schulte]

Can I avoid bottles altogether then? Beakers from 6 months? Seem to remember DD1 drank from a doidy cup quite happily when only just starting to wean.

[ruddynorah]

who has told you you should be expressing?

[mothersmilk]

exactly why? when i comes much more easily strait from you i'll admit though it easy for me to say as i dont have to work and chose not to leave dd and ds untill they were over 6months and ds never took a bottle anyway

[CurryMaid]

I don't think you do have to, do you?

I started a big stash of expressed milk for last December so I could get sloshed tipsy over christmas when the in-laws were here to keep an eye on DD.

DD could drink from her doidy cup from about 4mo iirc.

[CherryChoc]

I hate it too - have only ever expressed for a real purpose, ie I am going out somewhere. If the babysitter runs out of milk they can give formula, never had to so far though

[kathyis6incheshigh]

A certain childcare writer tells people to express from early on as she thinks it's an essential part of successful breastfeeding

Actually, of course, it's just one of those things that some people find useful/easy and others don't.

[Schulte]

There is that issue of babies not accepting bottles if they are not used to them / offered them regularly though isn't there? What if I can't bf for some reason - say I have to go to hospital without dd - and she won't drink from a bottle? I know not very likely but...?

[dawntigga]

The only reason I express is to give the ebm away I express for Countess of Chester milk bank. I do have a couple of bottles for my own use in case I feel like a glass of wine etc.

dxx

[spicemonster]

Schulte - many babies are happy to shuttle between breast and bottle if needed. My baby was exclusively bf except on the very odd occasion when I went out without him, when he accepted a bottle no problem. You don't need to express to get the baby used to a bottle.

I've never seen the point of it personally, unless you're going out. Although I do know someone who expresses all her baby's feeds for some reason but then she is clearly a bit of a loon

[CherryChoc]

I'm personally sure that the theory of having to get a bf baby used to taking a bottle in case she ever needs a bottle is utter rubbish - mainly because I've seen countless threads on here about babies who have had regular bottles suddenly deciding they prefer the breast and absolutely refusing the bottle whatsoever. And lots of people only rarely use bottles - my DS had a bottle a couple of times when he was 2.5 months old, and then again a couple of times when he was 8.5 months old, with no problems at all.

If you have to go into hospital you should be able to take your DD with you. If (God forbid) there was an emergency situation in which you absolutely could not bf her yourself (very unlikely, please don't worry about it) she would have to take a bottle, or she could be cup fed, syringe fed, spoon fed, beaker fed milk... and if it was that much of an emergency, it would be the last thing to worry about that you didn't have any milk stored.

So realistically, you only need to express and try her with a bottle if you want to go out or return to work. And if you want to do this then you'll be planning it in advance and will have chance to try her with a bottle/cup/beaker/different kind of bottle well in advance.

(Also, if you are reading that What to expect if you're breastfeeding... book, be aware that it contains quite a bit of questionable material. You might be better off with something like The Food Of Love.)

[moanyhole]

aw spicemonster maybe she hasto. i expressed all of dss feeds for 2 years cos we couldnt bf, hope im not a loon!

ex bf dd now, couldnt be arsed with the pump now.

[Grendle]

If you don't want to then don't bother. Lots of people breastfeed without ever expressing. Dd was exclusively breastfed for 6 months and still going at 22 months, but has never had a bottle -there's no need!

[audreyraines]

DS never had a bottle in his life and I bf'd him until 20 months or so. It meant I didn't get much of a break for the first 6-9 months, but he did learn to drink from a cup quite early (doidy is great) and would eat a little bit of food, so meant I could then leave him with dh for a bit.
It really just depends on your circumstances. I always thought all the sterilising and expressing was such a faff, i'd rather just whip out my boobs

[Grendle]

Meant to say, of course if you have to go back to work before your dc can manage for the length of time you're away without a bf, then there may be a good case for expressing. Some people obviously do it out of choice so they can leave baby with expressed milk and go out and that's fine if they want to.

If you had to go into hospital, then they ought to accommodate your breastfed child accompanying you or being brought to you for feeds . In an emergency, you would find a way through.

[spicemonster]

This is her 2nd child moanyhole and as far as I know she never tried. But I am cross with her anyway for other reasons (she is a relation) so I am probably not being very kind

[Meglet]

my ds took 3 weeks to latch on so i had to express in that time.

when I had dd i expressed off the excess milk from 6 days so i could have a stash in the freezer.

[moanyhole]

cant imagine why anyone would do it out of choice spicemonster so maybe she is a bit of a loon

[Schulte]

Well thanks everyone for your posts - no more expressing for me !

[kathryn2804]

Only expressed if I was going out, hated it with a passion! Definitely much easier to do it directly!