Help with expressing

[izpie]

So dd is now 4 weeks old, we're pretty sorted with bf and I'd love an occasional break/evening out/hefty drink and plan to start expressing so there is a supply to help me achieve all the above

Tried expressing with DC1 and never really got v much out so looking for tips this time round. Also wondered if anyone can recommend best bottles for bf babies and any pumps which got lots for little effort.

Finally... is there a best time of day to express? DD is demand fed and can feed every hour (or more) or sometimes goes 3, don't want to steal her milk.

Thanks

ive got a medela swing pump which is really good and easy to use, and i use the medela bottles with the variflow teat which DS seems to like. i get lots of variation in the amounts of milk i get, sometimes only an oz and sometimes 2 or 3, never more so far. ive only been expressing for a few days though so this might improve! the first time i got really stressed i had no milk but DS seems to manage fine so just think pumping isnt as efficient as a baby! i tend to pump one side in the afternoon (which DS hasnt fed on) and then pump both sides when he gets the bottle, he feeds every 3 hours. apparently though you can pump and then be good for feeding straight away as the milk is made continuously though it might be a little slower coming out, ive not tried that though as still tend to worry DS wont get enough! hope this helps!

I used to express in the morning, when I felt fullest. I was most successful when I expressed on one side while DS fed on the other, but it took a few goes to juggle everything properly!

I just used a Tommee Tippee manual pump as it was on offer at the time. If I had needed to express more reguarly, I'd probably have invested in an electric pump.

I also seemed to have a lot more milk in the morning so found it best to express then. I have a Medela Swing pump. I never tried a manual one but it was hard enough work with the electric so I wouldn't want to try! DS had Tommee Tippee bottles and he never had a problem switching between bottle and breast.

izpie there is some good info here and here and you may find this website useful too.

Congratulations too.

HTH

Thanks for all the replies and links, think I'll go for a hand pump and see how it goes. Love breastfeeding but looking forward to some time out too.

Massaging befoe & whilst expressing significantly increases what you get fwiw.

I have a used not-very-much tommee tippee manual pump if you don't mind it being second hand. I never got on with it and bought an electric medela mini instead X

scgd thanks so much for the totally lovely offer of the pump. My sister is lending me her avent hand pump so will see how I go with that initially, may get back to you though!

No probs the offer is there X

I found that I got a good 90-120ml if I expressed first thing in the morning. I used a manual Tommee Tippee pump but it felt like it was going to give me RSI!

I successfully mix-fed from 3 weeks and used the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles with a slow flow teat. DS had no problem switching between bottle and breast and after six weeks I gradually mixed the EBM with formula. Eventually his daily bottle feed was purely formula as I found expressing too much of a bind (giving a bottle was supposed to give me a break!)

another medela swing fan here..... hand pumping is too energy consuming

I use a Tommy Tippee manual pump. As the others have said, mornings are best for me too, I try to do it while DD is on the other boob. Initially, I struggled to get even 2oz out, but after a couple of weeks it got easier and I can get about 4oz without any difficulty.

I find if I do it every couple of days and stick it in the freezer, I can go out without having to plan weeks in advance.