I hate expressing!

[harverina]

Sorry to moan however I am staying up just to express and missing out on valuable sleep!

Going out tomorrow night for the first time in months (DD is 28 weeks). Only going to a friends for dinner and drinks but so looking forward to it. It is with a goup of my best friends who don't have babies and who I really miss.

Expressing is usually no bother for me but the past 2 days its been a nightmare. Have expressed on and off since 10pm and have 2 oz! That gives me a total of 12 oz for tomorrow night so far.

Starting to worry that I might not have enough and feel like crying. I know its pathetic

Don't worry. Why not feed them before you leave. 12 oz sounds like quite a lot for an evening. Give DD a wee feed before you leave and then you'll be back by the time 12 oz is over. I work nights and have to express for whole nights 2000 - 0800. 15 oz does the whole night and morning :-)

What age is your DC nuttyone? Thats reasuring. Last time I had an afternoon/night away (4pm-1am) I left 26oz so that I could have a drink and my DH could do the during the night and early morning feed and my DD drank the lot!

I now have 14oz and can express again tomorrow morning. I will feed my DD just before I leave her.

Say I had my last drink at midnight, would I be ok to feed my DD in the morning?

Going to stay up till I get another oz then head to be...no doubt the minute I fall asleep my DD will waken for a feed!

Alcohol: think of it in terms of being safe to drive...

12 oz sounds like a lot to me, but I am not an expert. At 28 weeks, I doubt your baby will starve - not that I have any experience of this as I only left my baby once and that was for a funeral (he was fine and drank the expressed milk when he got desperate enough) Good luck!!!

regardless of age (After 6 weeks) BF babies have on average 25oz a day (19-30oz) They tend to have more from a bottle as when they comfort suck they get milk. 12oz will do 12hours. Just get her offered 3-4oz at a time, then if she still cries for more, she can be given more

Thanks for that climberchick - that makes sense. I am giving up for tonight. Literally nothing is coming out now. Hopefully the morning will be better. Just want to be able to have a fewdrinks without worrying that my DD will need me to feed her. Thanks for your help

I was thinking of starting a "reasons to hate expressing 1,2,3..." thread

Does she eat solids yet, as leaving some rrice cakes and a cup of water or even a yoghurt, if she is at that stage, is also an option. Tell dh or other carer not to go overboard with bottles.

And after 6months my supply settles and I find expressing progressively harder.

Yes she is on solids. 3 meals per day, though its only in the past couple of days that she has eaten the full portions. Strangely, the past couple of days she has also been drinking more milk too!
She will have her tea before her bath so wont need a bottle till around 7pm hopefully if I feed her around 5pm.
My supply has gone down as my dd has been demanding much less over the last 2-3 weeks so thats probably why expressing has not been as easy . I used to be able to get 5oz in 5-10 mins. I was lucky!
Now have 16oz. Aiming to have 20oz for tonight. My dd is allergic to milk and eggs so we do have 2 special formula in the house but i'd rather not use it. Feel we have come this far without at drop of formula so no point in using it now!
Climber i'm sure that thread would get alot of posts!

I hate it too. By the way if you have last drink at midnight you can def do morning feed. I often only get 2 oz - miserable work!