Tips on expressing for a novice?

[PiggyMad]

I've been ebf my 4 week old dd and would like to start expressing in the next couple of weeks so that dh can give a fed every couple of days.

I bought an avent manual breastpump today but have no idea what the next step is so am looking for guidance!

I often leak a lot from the non-feeding side when I'm feeding, so was wondering if this would be the time to express?

How much milk should I aim for at each session?

Do I just keep going until the breast is drained?

How long can I keep milk in the fridge for?

Can I top up the milk I already have stored in the fridge or should I keep all of the milk expressed from different sessions separate?

Have I missed anything major?!

I'm a novice pumper too but have been reading through info here kellymom.com/category/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/, great website.

Hope these links help.

What's a usual amount to pump & how long to pump for

What to do with expressed milk & how long to keep it

How much milk baby might need

How to bottle feed a bf baby - one for Dad!

That's great - thanks for the info ladies!
I'm sooo looking forward to going to get my hair done and leaving the baby with dh!

We've started expressing too. On a good day I get 7-8 oz. I feed dd then pump the other side

If you google bm storage there's a page with NHS guidance. Think they say 4 days at the back of the fridge. 6 months in a freezer.

Also if you have the Avent pump we found it was cheaper long term to get the screw on containers for freezing

Hello Piggymad
My Avent breastpump came with quite a good booklet on expressing, have you looked in the box to see if yours has one?
Feeding from one side while pumping from the other is a great idea but often a bit difficult at first because you'll feel like you need three hands! So maybe first find a time when you can concentrate on the pumping, probably going more by the time you pump for rather than aiming for a particular amount of milk. I do 10 mins each side, sometimes longer if it's not uncomfortable. Try at different times of day, you may find the amount you get varies wildly. I found it most relaxing to have the pump sterilised and put together then to pump at a different time of day as invariably I lost 10 mins sterilising and trying to put it together, then I would be all hassled, then baby would wake up...
Avent bottles can be fiddly to put together so make sure you include all the parts including two rings as otherwise when DP goes to heat them up he will pour them all everywhere
Oh and when you go to the hairdressers don't think soppy thoughts about baby or your tits will tingle and you may leak milk- embarassing!

Oh feeding and using pump at the same time is a nightmare. I feed do the nappy change get dd on her play mat then sit down and use it and keep her entertained

I found the hard part of expressing was getting the letdown, so I usually pumped while feeding, or ideally straight after.

Some days you get loads, other days you don't. Big thing is, drink loads of water - helped me boost supply quite a lot as I'm normally a tea girl.

I found the best pump was a cheapo Boots own brand hand one. So you don;t need to spend loads. Important it' comfy though.