Question about expressing.

[SarahScot]

DD is 5 weeks old. When I express (have only done it 3 times so far) I only get 3oz out. Does this mean that DD only eats 3oz at each feed, or do babies get more out than pumps? I plan on freezing feeds but 3oz doesn't seem like much to freeze, and obviously she'll be taking more as she gets older.

The amount you express doesn't have much bearing on how much the baby is getting - I've never been able to express more than an oz at a time and I'm pretty sure my fat 8 month old gets more than that! The baby is more efficient than a pump.

EBF babies tend to average 25oz a day between 1-6 months, so if you divide 25oz by the number of feeds your DD has a day that should give you an idea. 3oz is probably about right.

3oz if nearly a perfect amount to freeze. Small batches are good then you not in danger of wasting any.

I agree 3oz meal is about right, but babies often take more than need from a bottle which can cause some fluster and alarm.

FWIW BM is fine in the fridge for up to 8 days, so if you plan to use it in the next week it is more versatile not to freeze it (as it needs to be treated more like formula milk once defrosted in terms of timings etc.)

bloody hell! it takes me all day to get 3oz. :D

The more you express the more comes out. Drinking unusual quantities of water and full fat milk helped me. I was expressing 6-8oz per sitting..

You'd think wouldn't you. but I've been expressing after every feed for 2 weeks and so far the improvement is 20ml to 40ml, very occasionally 60ml a go. Still, she's feeding fine and finally gaining weight which I guess is the point. OP, I promise you pump output is in no way indicative of the amount of milk you have. I have a 6 year old boy, never managed to pump more than an oz, he's the tallest boy in his class and fit as a fiddle. :)

if you want to express more in one go try expressing while baby is feeding. I would express off one breast while ds was feeding off the other and I would get 7-8 oz. If i expressed without him feeding I could barely get an ounce.

FWIW, I freeze in 2oz batchs now as sometimes DD only wants 2oz, sometimes it's 4oz. And defrosted ebm lasts no time at all!