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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

The expressing clique

455 replies

popsycal · 11/09/2005 20:22

I'm Popsy and I am a pumper

DS2 is 6 months and i am bac at work 4 days a week mon-thurs. I express and lunchtime and get around 5oz.......
He needs 2 7oz feeds during the day but i am hoping to reduce his lunchtime feeds as his solids increase.
BEen back at work properly only one week but am having to express during every feed and every time on my day off to get enough.
my boobs hurt

Who else is in my gang

OP posts:
chipmonkey · 30/09/2005 21:11

I think the Purely yours and the lactaline are the same thing. Just different names in the the US and UK
Tom-AY-to vs Tom-AH-to!

savanna · 30/09/2005 22:46

Thanks, alux and chipmonkey.

likklemum · 30/09/2005 23:03

Great tips about cleaning equipment. It really is one of the most boring and annoying things.

chipmonkey = thanks for the playtex tip. I'll give them a whirl.

lua = My HV has confused me too. But I've asked her about it twice and she has said the same thing. Drop all the feeds (except first thing and last thing) and replace with water only. To me, this won't give DS enough milk? Must admit I phoned a BBC Babysquad helpline last night to ask them and they consolidated my thoughts. They said that this wouldn't be enough milk at all.

Any views?

mummyhill · 01/10/2005 23:16

Desperatlet trying to get hold of a lactaline any suggestions other than ebay for picking one up second hand? I have to return the engell to the hospital soon and as I am really struggling with the isis and want to express for a long time yet need a really reliable pump. Can't afford to buy one new otherwise there would be one winging it's way to me right now!!!!!

chipmonkey · 02/10/2005 00:41

Giraffeski was selling one a while back, don't know if she's sold it yet.

mummyhill · 02/10/2005 10:38

thanks chipmonkey will try to cat her.

jabberwocky · 02/10/2005 14:07

likklemum, that does sound like odd advice. I learned the hard way with ds to follow my instincts on things like that. Ds did (and still does!) drink lots of milk - although at 2 he is now on cow's milk.

I don't know if anyone has posted this yet or not, but here is the information re: bm storage that came with my Ameda Purely Yours:

Room temp = 10 hours

In the fridge = 8 days

freezer compartment in the fridge = 2 weeks

in a freezer with a seperate door = 3 - 4 months

in a seperate deep freezer = 6+ months

previously frozen bm = 24 hours

I have done all of the above with no problems.

Original poster
popsycal · 02/10/2005 21:03

I cant remember who asked about that bra thingy for hand free expressing but here is a cheaper trick....
get two hair bobbles ...knot them together tso they make a kind of figure of eight......attach one bobble aroud the funnel of the pump and the other to the clip of your nursingbra...voila!!!

HAd a very very odd weekend. Been away at parent in laws and had intended to express but havent at all and I feel like dolly parton!!! hadnt quite realise d how much I express as i feed...think I could have fed ds2 twice over....
anyway - off to express now. Not very well ...and considering have a sick day tomorrow or I will be really poorly by the end of the week.....

OP posts:
Original poster
popsycal · 02/10/2005 21:04

also
welcome to new clique-ettes

OP posts:
alux · 02/10/2005 21:17

It looks like i will have to pump more. I've made a little discovery. It looks like dd is allergic to cow's milk. I have cut dairy from my diet in the past week and her eczema has improved loads. I did not notice that my margerine had whey etc in it till yesterday so I'm working on taking that out of my diet too. so hard to do after a life time of using margerine. and I love cheese!

alux · 02/10/2005 21:31

Have also been meaning to ask. Has anyone here used fenugreek to increase their pumping supply?

jabberwocky · 02/10/2005 22:08

I had to eliminate dairy while I was expressing too, alux. Ds also disliked Mexican food

alux · 02/10/2005 22:58

what! no mexican? you poor thing! dd got her healthy doses of jalapeño et al via the placenta. she dare not turn her nose up at mexican.

jabberwocky · 02/10/2005 23:15

It was a shocker. I craved spicy food my entire pregnancy and then had to endure a bland diet for a year.

LadyLazarus · 03/10/2005 14:27

hello everyone! i had my baby 3 weeks ago, and have been having probs b'feeding (flat nipples + major probs latching on). have had to express as much as possible + do top up formula feeds (on advice of midwife, as baby lost too much weight).
Have just ordered the Ameda Lactaline pump, so eagerly awaiting its' arrival, as hopefully I might be able to cut down on formula feeds, or abandon it altogether (do you think this might be likely? i am currently giving my baby 30mls of breast milk and around 80mls of formula at each feed, can;t get any more out with the hand pump than this at the moment)... just wanted to add my name to the list of pumpers

savanna · 03/10/2005 16:32

Welcome to the group, LadyLazarus. Like you, I wasn't able to get much milk out with a hand pump and have been able to get much more with the Medela Mini Electric. I too have just ordered a Lactaline pump and am hoping to express more milk in a shorter period than I am doing with the Mini Electric.
And thank you popsycal for the tip about using hair bobbles. Also thanks alux for the info on where to buy a Lactaline. I've decided to order mine direct from Ameda Egnell as they offer free delivery.
Here's to a good week of pumping, everyone.
Savanna

HelenEmjay · 03/10/2005 17:39

Just starte to express using the avent isis so dp can give dd (3 weeks old) a night feed so i can get a bit more sleep! only producing about 4oz from each breast, does this sound about right or should i have more????

Original poster
popsycal · 03/10/2005 18:17

that sounds fantastic

OP posts:
mummyhill · 03/10/2005 18:31

Hi ladyL and helenemjay nice to see people i know on here. Helen at the amout you are managing hope to equal it by time ds is 3 weeks. LadyL let me know how you get on with the lactaline. May have to bite the bullet and call in birthday and christmas presents off dm for next 3 years and order mine from the manufacturer as i keep on being out bid on ebay!!!!

jabberwocky · 04/10/2005 10:22

HelenEmjay, that is what I got when I was expressing. At the time, I had no idea that some women have problems attaining that amount. You should be very pleased!

creepmonkey · 04/10/2005 23:28

Jabberwocky, thanks for the breast compression tip!Really worked for me today!
(chipmonkey by the way!)

HelenEmjay · 05/10/2005 09:08

Oh it is a good amount then! my dp took one look at the amount i expressed into the avent bottle an just said god thats not much is it! - got me all fuddled - the sod! She has been 'attatched' almost permanently since she was about an hour old - and if she's not feeding i have the breast pump attached - i feel like daisy the dairy cow!

Original poster
popsycal · 05/10/2005 10:19

chipmonkey..describe what you do for 'breast compression'...

i have the rather odd situation today where i am unexpectedly off work and have bottles ready for ds2 so I am going to have to feed them to him as they are defrosted milk which has to be used today......
feels very odd

OP posts:
mummyhill · 05/10/2005 12:02

yipee we are on half our feeds ebm and half formula 4oz of either at each feed. Feel like i am making progress. Now need to work on increasing supply so we can be exclusivley ebm, and hopefully build up a stock in the freezer for emergencies/return to work!

jabberwocky · 05/10/2005 12:36

for breast compression, while pumping grasp your breast firmly at the base (don't know how else to say it ) and apply constant, gentle compression. It's amazing how much more you can pump and I believe it helps to get out more hindmilk, if I'm not mistaken.

chipmonkey, so happy that it worked for you! This thread has been really helpful to me as I had felt a bit sad about having to exclusively pump for ds. Now I feel rather proud

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