Expressed Breast Milk

[Jellybaby13]

Hello,

Out of curiosity, those of you who are exclusively feeding your baby expressed breast milk instead of feeding baby at the breast, how many ml/oz are you pumping at a time and how frequent?

Is one pumping session enough to feed your babies once?

My baby is 3 weeks old atm, thinking of switching to just expressing (I'm doing expressing and breastfeeding atm due to breastfeeding problems I've had).

Thank you!

[Starshapeddreams]

Hi!
I was expressing and trying (not successfully) to feed baby at breast. I would have to pump every three hours, 10-15mins per breast. A good pumping session saw me get maybe 2oz per boob but I frequently needed more than one pumping session to make up enough milk to fed. I ended up combination feeding as I couldn't keep up with her.
It's hard work exclusively pumping and I'm not ashamed to admit after 8weeks I switched to formula.
Everyone is different on how much they can pump and it's not directly related to supply. I've had friends not able to pump an ounce yet have been able to successfully breast feed as the milk is there.
Good luck and I hope that helps!
Also congratulations on your new baby

[Youhavewonaprize]

I had to pump for my first baby due to feeding issues but always had low supply and was always topping up with formula too. I could get maybe 2oz every 3 hrs and was pumping 7-8 times per day.

My experience was soul destroying. I couldn’t easily pick up the baby if I was pumping, I had to be up pumping at night while DH fed the baby so both of us were knackered. I slowed down and gave up l about 4/5 weeks and just did formula and we were all so much happier for it. I look back now and just think it was madness and damaging for my MH and relationship with my DD.

If you’re dead set on ebf you should deffo give it a try, but it’s very hard work and I have major admiration for anyone managing it as a long term solution

[QueenEnid]

I exclusive pumped with both of my children.

Things I found to be 100% necessary to make it successful were:

-Hiring the medela symphony pump. You need a hospital grade pump. Off the shelf ones are not good enough.

-Drink 3-4 litres of water a day. At least. Any less and I noticed a drop in supply

-Oats and dairy help your milk supply. Also a lot of food! I ate loads of yogurts and cheese and porridge. Breastfeeding hunger is real!

-Pumping every 3 hours for the first 4/6 weeks and then reducing down gradually.

-Milk wise, I had a couple of 1l carafe jug from Ikea and filled at least one every day.

If my food and liquid intake deviated from the above I could expect up-to a 30% drop in the amount of milk I expressed.

HTH!

[QueenEnid]

Oops forgot to add:

I expressed with both for just under 6 months. I'd reduced to 4 times a day by 4/5 months.

I had enough milk to see my daughter through to a year with combi feeding once she was weaned. Same with my son.

I froze milk every couple of days and left it in the freezer until I'd finished expressing.

[Jellybaby13]

Thank you so much for your replies everyone! I'm currently seeing a Lactation Consultant for the breastfeeding problems I've had following my c-section.

I'm going to see it through with the Lactation Consultant before I decide whether I'm going to switch to expressed breast milk or to keep trying the breast but at the moment, not knowing how much she's having per session is stressing me out. I could feed her from the breast for 4 sessions straight then she'll get really fussy, won't latch, cry etc. and I'll have to feed her 120-150ml or expressed breast milk or formula (if EBM is not available). This is making me really paranoid that the amount she's getting out of the breast isn't satisfying her. Even though after she's fed and I try and pump that breast I get virtually nothing out of it so I know she's getting it but I don't know why she needs that extra boost after all the feedings?!?! 😖

Plus...my nipples are so sore!!!! I know how to get a proper latch but that first bit to get her to latch is so painful, once she's feeding it's fine. I think they've just stayed sore from when she was trying to get milk from me in the first few days when my milk hadn't come in and I haven't had time to heal. Any tips to quickly heal my nipples while still breastfeeding would also be appreciated if you have any 😂🙈

Xx

[QueenEnid]

It's really normal to be anxious about how much your baby is feeding but honestly, it's a hiding to nothing. The only thing it will achieve is you feeling more and more anxious.

Babies do cluster feed for the first few weeks and then again every time they go through growth spurts. It's something that you just have to get on with and accept I'm afraid.

Expressing isn't an easier option. It's a different one. You won't get the nipple soreness when expressing but you will be confined to ensuring you're doing it very regularly. Also, the formula isn't a bad thing so use that if you need to.

I've heard good things about the silver nipple shields although I've not used them myself. Lansinoh is great too if you haven't already tried it x

[QueenEnid]

It's really normal to be anxious about how much your baby is feeding but honestly, it's a hiding to nothing. The only thing it will achieve is you feeling more and more anxious.

Babies do cluster feed for the first few weeks and then again every time they go through growth spurts. It's something that you just have to get on with and accept I'm afraid.

Expressing isn't an easier option. It's a different one. You won't get the nipple soreness when expressing but you will be confined to ensuring you're doing it very regularly. Also, the formula isn't a bad thing so use that if you need to.

I've heard good things about the silver nipple shields although I've not used them myself. Lansinoh is great too if you haven't already tried it x

Just to add too, that's it's very normal as a first time mum to be anxious about everything and anything to do with weight. Imo the red books can make it even worse because you're then glaring at the centiles and getting more frantic.

If your baby is growing and pooing and weeing and in the right size clothes for their age (or whatever centile line they're on) then no need to worry.