I've just started expressing and have a question

[fhdl34]

I've just had a go with a manual pump this evening. I pumped for somewhere between 3-5 minutes on each side (as it said to in the leaflet) and got just under an ounce. Is this a usual amount for a first go and for how long I pumped for?
I'm quite chuffed that I got any out at all, especially in the evening as I've read that this was not the best time of day to express.
I plan to usually express in the morning as that's when my boobs are most leaky and am only doing it to build up some supply for the freezer for when I return to work in a few months time. DD is 17wks.

My DD is 15 weeks and I usually feed from one side in the morning and express from the other when they are both really full. I usually get between 4 and 5 oz from one side in the morning which I have been freezing (just to give you an idea), I think if I expressed in the evening I'd be lucky to get an ounce, sounds really good for a first go!

ooh, that's fab, thank you :)
Now I just have to get DD to drink it from a cup in a couple of months :)

Just a word of warning about freezing EBM - some people (like me) have excess lipase in their milk which can make it taste incredibly soapy and frankly unpalatable!

Don't do what I did and freeze blimming LITRES of the stuff before testing to see if one batch did indeed go soapy! Freeze a little bit, if it smells, or tastes soapy (sorry if you're squeamish about tasting your own ebm) then you'll need to heat treat it before freezing in future. All info in the kellymom link above. It broke my heart to pour 3 months worth of hand expressed milk down the sink, and I'd only done it every now and again, not every day.

Sounds like you did good. Just wondering which pump recommended 3-5 mins pumping? Usually it's more like 20 mins (though obviously it depends on each woman how long they pump to get 2-3 let downs and for no more milk to come out).

You can also help pumping work effectively by trying breast massage (massage towards the nipple - this increases oxytocin) and doing hand expressing after pumping to get as much out as possible.

mombo thanks, I don't mind trying my own in fact I quite like the taste. I tried it about 3hrs after I'd pumped it in case there was a lipase problem but I haven't read the lipase info in a while and now I have a sieve like memory so will refresh my memory. I need to get some breastmilk storage bags next time I'm at home bargains.
truthsweet it's a tommee tippee and it says to start at that and build up to pumping for 30 mins at a time (although I don't have leaflet in front of me so might be misremembering).