Help with expressing for return to work

[BelinaTheZombieChicken]

DS will be between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 months when I return to work (depends on how much holiday I can take). I'm going on to night shifts to allow me to express during my shift. I work 30 hours a week, so will be doing about 3 shifts a week, 8pm till 7.45am.

Went back to work with DS1, but he was 5 1/2 months and I did fewer hours, but I still didn't manage to keep up and ended up supplementing with formula, then my supply dropped and by 7 1/2 months I had stopped feeding altogether. Really want to avoid it this time.

Can express between 1 and 2 ounces a session at the moment, but only expressing once a day as am crazy busy with cluster feeding DS2 and entertaining DS1. Also I think I'm making it harder for myself by panicking everytime I don't get much out, and practically counting each drop that goes in th bottle. Pretty sure that's not helping!

Could do with some help working out what I should be doing to build up a freezer stock and increase my supply for pumping

Ta!

You are right that the worrying won't help, so because the worrying might impact on your ability to express is there any way at all you can try to relax before you do it? I know it's hard with an older child around, so can you get someone else to take over for a while or maybe (shock horror ) bring out the Cbeebies?

There are studies showing mums who take a few minutes to relax, take some deep breaths, release the body's tension before expressing do get better results. Try not to watch what's coming out, and just keep focusing on relaxing and visualising let down.

Can you express while your baby is feeding on the other side? That can really help. Breast compressions can also work well. With your hand in a C-shape, gently cup your breast and squeeze/compress it (not too hard, this shouldn't hurt at all). Hold it until you get a release of milk, then move the hand to another part and try again.

When you are expressing at work having a photo of your baby, and maybe his blanket or a babygrow he's worn with his smell on it might help you, too.

In the end, if it doesn't work out then you can continue to feed when you are together. Your supply may dip, but it should not stop and even if you need to top up with formula your baby will benefit from every drop of milk you give him. :)

Tried the breast compressions which seemed to help a bit, really trying not to think about it, trying to read or MN so I don't over think it, but it's hard!

Bit of a moot point at the moment as he is cluster feeding, but how much does your average 6 week old eat in a feed? He's a bit of a fatty