expressing breast milk...how much?

[MrsLukaKovac]

My ds2 is 7 weeks and my ds1 starting nursery next week. I'd like to express so that during the settling in period I don't have to be breastfeeding when surrounded by loads of inquisitive little ones and not being able to support my ds1 properly.

Anyway, how much should I express? I've been pumping away for 10 mins this am and only got 50 mls. anyone any advice? Thanks!

[Harra]

I expressed. First attempt 2 mls, 2nd attempt 20mls and then I used to average about 80mls. So sounds like you are doing really well. I expressed in the morning and other friends and family said that was when they produced the most. One of my friends expressed 100mls a time.
My little one wasn't too keen on taking expressed milk from the bottle so I generally breast fed.
HTH

[time4tea]

hello

i found not using the avent flower-shaped soft plastic thing really helped, suction much stronger.

keep persevering, the supply/demand theory is so true with bf, even more so with expressing. I expressed for 4 months from DS1's birth as he didn't latch on well, and became one of those 4oz-in-10-min pumpers you mention, purely because I would drain both breasts at each pumping, the whole amount from each seemed to snowball, DS1 would polish off as much as he was given and gained weight very quickly. i think a naturally bf baby takes less - I bf DS2 for six months, now he takes small snacks of formula milk.

so keep pumping regularly and drain each breast (pump until no more will come) and amounts will add up. how much you will need will depend on your LO appetite.

good luck to you

[MrsLukaKovac]

thanks! Got 80 mls second attempt, and today it's coming thick and fast! ds1 finding whole thing very amusing! next question is, how does one store breast milk on a day out?! thanks for your replies!

[chopster]

Sounds like the expressing is going great, but I do wonder if you are worrying a bit to much and making mroe work for yourself than necessary, and it would be far easier for you to feed your ds2 on the breast. Small children aren't usually terribly interested and are usually happy with being told baby is being fed.

agree that first time in the morning is a good time, or during the night when baby wakes for feeds. I used to express mostly then, and maybe mid afternoon. I had dts though, and I've never been able to work out how anyone feeds two in public!

[chopster]

oh and while out and about - if you are expressing first thing for later that morning at nursery, you won't need to refrigerate it at all, providing you use it in 4 hours. If not, just take a cool bag with ice blocks, or a bottle bag.

[MrsLukaKovac]

yes I think I may be making too much of the feeding in public thing, but ds2 is a very fidgety feeder and I tend to end up exposing my entire chest to the world. I don't want ds1 to feel that my attention is on something else. DS2 seems to love feeding from a bottle instead of breast, and is much quieter and quicker! He's very big and hard to hold comfortably with one hand while breastfeeding.
I didn't realise breast milk was okay for 4 hours, that's great!