Any tips on increasing supply and stockpiling expressed milk?

[cherrybug]

DS is 6 weeks. I feed on demand - he tends to feed for long periods of time. And I express each day - usually only getting about 3 oz if I'm lucky (sometimes from expressing twice) which DP gives at about 11pm. This allows me to sleep for about 4 hours before DS wakes up wanting fed again. I usually feed right up to him getting the bottle so I dont feel like I'm missing giving him a feed. He tends to cluster feed all evening which is pretty exhausting though it may be mostly comfort.

I want to get a stockpile of milk in the freezer as I'm starting an afternoon class in January (I'll be away for 2 hrs once a week) and will need to leave a bottle with DP for while I'm away in case he needs it (though DS often sleeps in the afternoon). I've never felt I have a great supply (though DS is putting on weight ok ) and never feel very engorged or even particularly full. I wonder if this is why he feeds constantly as he cant get enough in just one feed.

I just use an avent handpump to express at the moment but was thinking of hiring a hospital grade pump for a few weeks to try and express more to freeze. Would this work? I'd be really pleased if I could boost my supply. I really dont want to have to give formula so would love to get into a position of having some frozen for when Im away.

Any tips?

Feeling full or engorged isn't a sign you have milk - it's a sign you have more milk than your baby is eating.

Your body shouldn't produce more milk than your baby needs given just how much nutrients/fat/antibodies/etc go into making milk, it would be very wasteful from a biological/evolutionary view point.

Most women who are exclusively bfing (as opposed to exclusively pumping) find it very difficult to get much out at each pumping session and would most likely have to express several times to get enough milk for a single feed (2-4oz would be an average feed for a bf baby under 6m).

Pumping at the same time(s) each day, breast massage before expressing, breast compressions during pumping, then hand expressing after using a pump (if you use a pump) will generally help to increase yield too.

Having said that, if you are only planning to be away for 2 hours and are able to bf directly before leaving (perhaps to sleep) then baby might not need a feed every week.

taking fenugreek and eating oats are supposed to help you make more milk.

i have 3 pumps, hand, medala swing and a super duper hospital grade medala free style. I dont get any more milk with any of my pumps.... i just get the milk out quicker

i find i pump about 1.5 oz per boob, sometime only 1oz occasionally up to 2.5oz, but i certainly dont get loads (like some other people do)

My baby has a 7oz bottle every day (has taken 7oz since 9 weeks old, needed 6oz from 5 weeks) and i have to express 3 times a day to make this amount.

a seven oz bottle? I haven't ever heard of a bf baby taking in that much expressed milk in one go.

I manage to get a good 4-5 ounces (a full feed and a bit over) in the morning by block feeding from one breast from 3 am onwards (we co-sleep) and feeding off one breast and pumping at the same time off the full one. sometimes I get two let downs in one 5 to ten min session.

i don't express every day but like to build up a few bottles supply so I can go out with my other daughter.

DD3 who didn't have a bottle until a hospital stay for me necessitated it at 6m & 9m only took an absolute maximum of 120mls and only then if DH gave it to her (rather than Mil or my mum) and she was starving. The rest of the time it as more like 90mls a feed (at 6m she was not on solids either due to her paed. taking her off them so she could recover from bronchiolitis - I got ill the next week and solids weren't resumed when I was in hospital).

At 6m, even though she was only coming in for one or more usually 2 feeds a day and I had access to a double hospital grade pump (which I used on average of 8-12 times a day inc. block pumping), I still needed to pump at least 6 times for 4 feeds of 90-120ml.

Pumping isn't the most effective way to feed a baby (generally speaking) - unless you do it all the time (either EPing, pump at work on a daily basis, or have regularly scheduled pumping sessions during the day) or have a very good relationship with your pump. It's an acquired skill not an easy thing to do at the drop of a hat unfortunately for a lot of women (some women will find that they let down easily for a pump though and there is nothing wrong with that either!).

yup my little miss takes 7 oz

at about 4 weeks old when she was cluster feeding all evening (and i had had enough) I gave her a 4oz top up (after 3 hours of constant feeding), she downed the whole lot, and was still rooting for more, so had another 2 oz within 20 mins!

Between 5 / 9 weeks she would often still be hungry and be rooting after ehr 6oz bottle, so i would often have to give her a breast top up after... if my little girl is not full to the top she wont sleep... and will root and root (and not sleep!)

she downs 7oz (and has for several weeks now) She will be 3m tomorrow, and im sure she would drink 8oz if i let her. (she sometimes has 7.5oz)

I normally breast feed her her dream feed, but occasionaly i havent and after her 7pm 7oz she has downed 6oz at 11pm

She is not a giant either... between 25th / 9th centile and still not 11lb

When building a stash I pumped before
feeds and then put DS on the boob.

You should find that week on week you can pump out after your class enough for the next week.

When you express each day, is it randomly throughout the day or just before you go to bed?

As others have said, I found that expressing at the same time each day ensures I get a good amount of milk in the fastest possible time. When I have been consistent, I could easily get 3oz off one side and maybe 2oz off the other (I seem to have lopsided production!) :)

When I get lazy and do it at the same time just occasionally, I'm lucky to get 3oz in total.

(I use a Madela Swing pump)

I think it would be a good idea if you expressed before you went to bed, if you don't already.

The other thing that I've done in the past is express little and often throughout the day, e.g. 1-2oz 3x per day.

I think building up a stockpile is a great thing. Not only will you feel more confident while out taking your class, but it's great to have for emergencies. This week for example I fell ill with a horrible tummy bug. There was a 5-6 hour window when I just couldn't BF my baby without having a pail to puke into as I was feeding her... so rather than suffer my husband dipped into the stockpile giving me a few hours relief.

Thanks. I didnt know about expressing at the same time each day - I've been doing it randomly when I can fit it in. I get more if I manage to express in the morning - usually about 3oz at once. I'll try doing it at the same time each day, I'd really like to have some frozen just in case. I also wont bother hiring a pump as it doesnt take long to express with a handpump so it would probably just be a waste of money!