How much milk do you get when expressing?

6 replies

candr · 08/10/2011 22:07

I have a 3 week old DS and have just started trying to express partly so my DH can feed him and partly as he clamps on my nipple and it has started hurting. When I express I try to do the opposite side after his feed but only ever seem to get 1oz when he feeds at least 3oz. How much is normal to get as I don't want to run out but it takes me 3 goes just to get 1 feeds worth?

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 08/10/2011 22:30

Well, there is no 'normal' amount to get when you express- some women get loads of milk, whilst others get hardly anything, but can still meet their babies needs fully.

Do you mean run out of milk in your breasts?- that won't happen as the milk never runs out.

Perhaps it would be good for you to see someone in rl and they might be able to tell you why he is clamping down on your nipple. Some babies do this when the flow is too fast for them? Could that be the case with you do you think?

titferbrains · 08/10/2011 22:37

I don't get much from expressing and have stopped and focussed on feeding often instead.

Have u looked at latch? Ensure baby's lips are flanged /turned out onto nipple not tucked into mouth? Taking enough areola into mouth?

titferbrains · 08/10/2011 22:38

Might take a bit longer to get feeding established , quite early to expect to express enough for an extra feed IMO

FeelMyWraith · 08/10/2011 22:41

Everybody's different. It's a bit early too. By 6 weeks, you should have bfing established in a better way.

DS is 5 weeks old today and I can express a bucket full in about 3 minutes. Same with dd. Some women can express nothing. There's a vast range of normal.

1catherine1 · 08/10/2011 23:54

as everyone else said, there is no normal. Normal for me isn't always normal. At the extremes sometimes I get 1 oz in an hour and some times I get 5 oz in 15 minutes.

I tried expressing when DD was that age so OH could do some of the night feeds - it didn't happen, I woke first every time as I seemed to be tuned into her better so it was pointless faffing. So I gave up expressing as I wasn't getting any more sleep anyway.

I sometimes wonder if I'd have persevered whether DD would be a bottle refuser now at 6mo..

MigGril · 09/10/2011 07:34

1oz is quit a good amount to get when you first start expressing. Expressing is a bit of a learn skill. If you want you can carry on trying this and you should be able to up the amount of milk you get at each seasion.

But as you have discovered expressing can be a PITA. If you don't need to do it them getting you OH to help with everything else appart from feeding to give you a break would be a big help for you.

you meantioned him clamping on your nipple's sound like you could do with some RL help with latch. Is there a BF group you could go to?

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