Do you have to express regularly?

[Rhubarbgarden]

I've been expressing morning and evening for the past week or so. I wanted to do it so that I will be able to go out every now and then, and so that hubby can feed our little one the 10.30pm feed, which I thought would be nice for him and would let me get to bed earlier. But actually I'm finding it all a bit of a faff; I'm not getting to bed any earlier because I'm still messing around with the steriliser after expressing when hubby's already finished feeding her, and he says he's not that bothered about feeding her anyway - he's happy cuddling and changing her and doing all the other dad stuff. And I must admit I rather miss giving her her goodnight feed (which surprises me actually)!

So does it work to just express as and when you need to, like the day before you want to go out, rather doing it twice a day every day? Or would that mess with my supply? My daughter is six weeks and I'm just getting to grips with all this.

It sounds like you're doing too much to me, I wouldn't bother.

FWIW, I expressed once a day from around 5 weeks, while she had her morning nap (supply is greater in the morning because you've had some sleep, even if it doesn't feel like enough!), to build up a stash for babysitting and my return to work which was originally planned for 4 months. I'm sure it boosted my supply unnecessarily, but it was nice to have that backup in the freezer, and it meant my mum could take her when I needed a break.

If you're dropping the night feed idea, and just want a bit for when you go out, you'd probably be fine expressing when you needed it - or just cut down to one short expressing session a day instead of two. Morning is definitely easier.

my DD is 6 weeks and i also express morning and night but still feed her her 1030pm too, (express after shes finished) i just freeze what i get and stock the freezer, for when i want to go out, (i wont do this forever but its nice to know i have milk in the freezer for if i want to go out with DD1 on our own for example)

Have you got an electric or hand pump? ive just got an electric 1 from ASDA £40 reduced from £80 , tommee tippee 1 its great and only takes about 10 minutes so it not time comsuming either

I have around 4 bottles in freezer which is enough.... its a faff. Even if we go out in the evening, as long as we are back by 11pm DS2 is generally still asleep and hasn't needed feeding.

If I need extra I just express from one side in the morning, maybe 2oz while the baby drinks from the other. Take 3 days to get a full bottle. I could express more in the morning but wouldn't want the baby to be hungry or to overstimulate demand too much.

Yes I always just expressed as and when. No problems with supply.

If you have been expressing morning and evening AND feeding, don't drop both expressing sessions at once - drop the evening one for a week and then the morning one. But if you have just literally swapped a feed for the pump then I'd just go back to feeding.

FWIW your breast is never truly empty - you could express until you were only getting drips out and then immediately feed the baby on the same side and they will still get milk. But as MNWL says, I used to express a few oz a day a few days before we were due to go out and get a full bottle over 2-3 sessions.

Hi there,

You may find just expressing after the first and/or second feed of the day (7am, 10am) is more than enough. Many mums enjoy breastfeeding at the end of the day which defeats the object of expressing at 9pm. By expressing in the morning, you will only take off excess milk already present in the breast - so won't increase your supply to over production. (milk supply peaks between 1-4am)

Many of my clients like to have a baby who will take both breast and bottle, and to achieve this, most babies need to have a bottle once a day to keep up the practice/habit so that they don't refuse the bottle.

Depending on what your needs are, you can choose how often to express and whether or not to offer your little one a bottle once a day.

You know what your supply is like and if you have some milk stored away in the freezer already, you could just express on an ad hoc basis, as you have some to fall back on if you can't express enough in time for your 'dinner/outing/party'.

The only reason I am mentioning all this is that your milk production changes at around 6 weeks and for some mums, expressing can become a little trickier thereafter. I just wouldn't want you to feel caught out later down the line.

I mean to do a little everyday, but it is a PITA so don't really get around to it. I only really need one feed a week though.

Have just done some then and will again tonight and tomorrow morning as I am out tomorrow night.

I express everyday. I think it works well in terms of production as my body knows to make a lot overnight. When I wake up my breasts are bursting so baby has one side and I express the other. The expressed milk is placed in a bottle for husband to feed at 6am. (I then get to sleep in till 8.30/9)... it works really well for me. In the beginning I thought it was just too much faff, but honestly once you get your little system or pattern its not bad at all. Then if I am going out I just tell hubby not to give the bottle in the morning and to wake me instead..this way the babysitter has plenty.

Thanks, this is all really helpful.