questions about expressing milk

[stillinpjs]

DS was bf for 4 weeks but lost too much weight so hv persuaded me to give formula so we ended up combination feeding.
Now, DD lost 8 oz in the first week but has regained that plus another 8oz since (she's now 1 month)
I would like to express enough for me to leave DD with DH whilst i go to an evening class (i'll be away for about 2 hrs) but only seem to be able to express tiny amounts. The most i've managed is 2oz but i'm now sitting here, after 30mins, with about a third of that!
So, what am i doing wrong? Am i just low on milk (again)?
Is there a particular time i should be doing it?
Is it that i'm using a cheap tesco pump (don't want to waste money on a more expensive model if its just a low milk supply issue)

Thanks

It could be that your baby doesn't need much yet and so your idea of how much you should express is higher. You might be like me though: have difficulty triggering letdown. Have you tried expressing while your baby drinks from the opposite boob?

yes she's feeding on the other side now. If she's feeding and stimulating letdown, will that be happening on both sides automatically or will it just be the side she's on?

When dh feeds her the expressed milk from a bottle its gone in 5 mins (even if its taken me an hour to express) then she acts like she starving!

I find I can get milk out far better if my baby's triggering letdown on the other side. It definitely triggers for both breasts, but clearly the unused side doesn't just keep flowing milk afterwards. Try mimicking your baby's pattern with your pump- a few quick, and one or two longer squeezes, and repeat. I have an electronic pump and also a manual. Sometimes the one works when the other doesn't. The electronic pump tries to stimulate letdown via its programming, whereas the above suggestion of what to do can work better.

Thanks will give it a try. At this rate I'll be expressing all week before I can leave the house for any length of time.

Unfortunatel,y pumping is a skill and you have to 'teach' your body to respond to the pump (it's a cold hard piece of plastic not your lovable squidgy baby) so doing things like thinking of your baby, holding baby, or as G1nger says pumping while bfing can be good too.

Looking at the pump can slow flow too, so throwing a muslin over it can help too.

Hi some women simply cant express much - the most I've ever expressed is 3.5 oz from 2 full boobs after about 4 hours!

It doesn't mean you have low milk supply - your baby is much better at getting the milk out than a pump ever will be :)

Have you also tried smelling some of your baby's (worn) clothes while expressing? Massage (back/between shoulderblades) can help (although it didn't for me) and breast compression (gently squeeze as bi a handful of breast tissue as possible while expressing) can stimulate the letdown reflex.

Also baby will prob drink expressed milk faster and more of it as it cones out of the bottle quicker and also they don't get the same taste of the fatty hindmilk cause it's all mixed in so don't realise when they're full as quickly I've been told. X

I've also been thinking of making a short audio recording of my baby's cry and playing it on a loop. When I last expressed, I spurted milk when he started crying over the monitor.

That is a really good idea G1nger - I have heard of some mums recording on their phones their baby feeding or sleeping or what ever 'pings' their oxytocin receptors!

i express 3 times a day and rarely get more than 2oz from a boob, often only 1oz

even 1st thing in the morning im lucky to get 2oz

(hence i express 3 times a day to make that 1 bottle)

and i have 3 breast pumps.... which give me the same amount of milk, just in a different amount of time

Can I ask a question too? When is best to express? Straight after a feed? Between feeds? In the morning?

Also (this is probably silly!), do you warm the milk before giving it? How? Do you just put the bottle in warm water?

I'm also struggling to get my dd to take the bottle. My HV says I should go out when we're trying to get her to feed because if I'm there she'll want me instead - anyone found that to be helpful?

Thanks, and sorry for hi-jacking your post OP!

My experience is I find it easiest in the morning to feed one side then express from the other.
My DD prefers her milk warmed back up to body temp. She isn't massively keen on bottles, so I never feed her as if I try she looks at me like I'm mad but she will grudgingly take one from DH.

Mrs hende - you can stand the bottle in a bowl of warm water to warm it but tbh my dd is so impatient when she gets hungry she has had it straight from the fridge!
It is a good idea to get someone else to offer bottle because if they smell your milk they want you not the bottle. I'm not sure about you needing to leave the house - maybe just go in a different room?

Thank you!