Expressing - how to get started??

[HandMini]

Hi all.

My DD is 3 weeks old, exclusively BF up to now. I would really like to start expressing and offering at least one feed a day from the bottle. I have read that 3-6 weeks is the right kind of time to get a bottle esrablished.

Can anyone give me any guidance on how to get started with expressing? I have a Medela swing (electric) pump. When / for how long / how much milk should I pump? Will it take a while to work up a decent amount to give a feed? Slightly concerned about pumping too much and over stimulating supply or emptying breasts too much and not having enough for DD's feeds.

She tends to feed every 3-4 hours except in the evenings when she cluster feeds.

Many thanks in advance!

I think the normally quoted advice is to wait 6 weeks for bf to be established before starting but I started before that both times and for me, it caused no problems. Its really up to you when to start, whenever you feel is right, though if you feel bf isn't going well I wouldn't start.

I think most pump only once a day, I did every morning first thing, though a friend found it worked best for her about 3am and she did that for months and months.
I started each morning by giving baby one boob and expressing a little off the other at the same time (not much at first, build up gradually) and then when baby has finished one side, offer the other as I usually would and then pump on the side baby had finished with. I alternated which side baby had first each morning if that makes sense.
At first I was only collecting small amounts of milk but it gradually became more. Doing it gradually meant I had no over stimulating or hungry baby problems, my boobs just gradually got used to producing more milk for that first morning feed.