When can you start to express?

[Adnil11]

Hi My new son is just 5 days old, he's my second child, my older son is 9 so i have had a big gap, i breastfed my first child but gave up after 2 weeks.

My milk has now come in and Jack is feeding well, but i'm just exhausted, i still have high blood presssure and i'm a bit anaemic and i'm just really tired. My husband feels helpless as he cant help with the late feeds, i wanted to express a bottle a day so he could do a night feed for me, but my midwife has said i cant express for another 4 weeks!!!

I'm so upset, i really feel like going out and buying some formular milk. Please can anyone help i have been told expressing too soon can cause mastitis, I dont know what to do?

Many thanks Adnil

I think they say 5 days to a week, i expressed after 3 days.

The recommendation is 4 - 6 weeks, because expressing can interfere with your supply and so it's best to establish breastfeeding first before starting to express.

Sorry you're having such a difficult time.

i started at 4 weeks b/c i knew i was going to have to go back to work.

If your feeding's established well, give it a go in a week or two.

Adnil, my baby was born prem and I expressed for a week before I was allowed to put him to the breast. Others on MN such as throckenholt and Shivs have only used a pump, never fed directly, for up to a year because their babies never latched on. If you are that exhausted, I'd give it a go.

Thanks Chipmonkey
That really helps, its hard when you are given information that goes against what it is you need. I think i'll just express 1 feed a day so my Husband can get a chance to feed and give me a break.

thanks again x

Don't worry if you don't get much with the pump to begin with. It can take practice. I liked the Avent Isis pump, it was good for stimulating the let-down reflex.

Hi Adnil - I started expressing at about 4 or 5 days after DS was born - purely because I was convinced I was going to explode otherwise! All I did was feed from one side and then express the rest of the milk from that boob and the other side as well - had enough milk to feed 2 babies and could get some rest while DH fed baby. I did use an electric pump which I hired and it made a huge difference as it only took about 15 or 20 mins to empty a breast -
I was told that the reason you shouldn't express too soon is that you stimulate your breasts to make too much milk too early, but I never suffered mastitis or anything else. I would go for the "Express and Sleep " option any day.

Me too - had five children breast fed all of them but only really successful with last 3 ...i have the pump to thank for that.
i expressed after 3 days - hired a pump- good luck!

My ds was born with a tounge tie and couldn't latch on properly so I was expressing from day 2. It was quite hard whilst I was expressing the colustrum but once my milk came in it was fine.

How are you getting on Adnil?