Expressing - help needed

[MonkeyTastic]

DS is 8 weeks old and bf. I express my milk at night for his dream feed literally minuets before he needs it (he's very sleepy then so would take an hour on the breast, bottle means he gets 4 oz and sleeps very soundly for five hours).

I'd like to express some milk to freeze for convenience but I only have enough every three hours for his next feed so if I expressed this I would be stealing his next feed. Is this normal or am I not producing enough milk? Does anyone have any advice about building up my supply (if thats what I need to do) or is this a common situation?

I haven't tried expressing after a feed as I'm scarred this will affect next meals supply, am I being silly? Can I express at anytime?

Thanks for any advice

I have 17wo twins girls and they were in SCBU for 8 days when they were born. The advice I was given was to express after a feed so you would encourage your body to make more milk without fraining the milk from the next feed as there will be enough time to produce more.

I found it was more successful to express in the morning and I got very little in the afternoon. I would be able to express about 4oz which I'd then mix with formula for a night feed as I couldn't get enough for both babies (both were on 4oz each). Occasionally I got enough but only by expressing twice, which with a 3 year old and twin was quite tricky. Everyone's body is different. I found that no matter how much expressing I did I never got more.

The only affect it will have on supply will be to encourage more. Good luck and happy new year x

Thanks Princess!

I guess I knew this already but I'm always surprised when people talk about expressing for later or going out. I'll try expressing after feeding to see if that helps. I guess I'm just making the exact amount DS needs for now. Happy New Year to you too

I used to express before a feed because your body will make more milk when your baby needs it. That way the pump removes what has built up IYSWIM and baby gets fresh milk on the boob.

If you can get the hang of it, try expressing from one side with the baby on the other - it can help with let-down.
I also get more if I express in the morning (during first nap).