Expressing question

[SaBearOz]

After some advice regarding expressing.
DS is 6mo and is EBF. For the last 3 months I have expressed First thing every morning to build up a store in the freezer for times that we perhaps need to be apart as well as be able to give him 5 ounces for a dream feed as my supply in the evenings does not appear to be enough to sustain him for very long.
I block feed over night for any feeds and pump from the side I haven't used as this means I am engorged in the morning and makes pumping much easier. I swap sides every time so that one side doesn't get used to not being used at night so to speak.
So my problem is this, for the last 3 days my supply seems to have dropped from 5 ounces to barely 4 ounces and I am no longer feeling as engorged as I did last week. it has always taken me 1/2 hr to get this amount. I recently changed the membrane on the pump as I felt it wasn't pumping as well. Is this something that just happens or am I doing something wrong?
TIA for any advice

Sorry So, I was always hopeless at expressing but someone who knows more might be along soon .

I am not an expert but I think that as baby gets older, your supply adjusts. So if you don't feed from both sides at night, your body eventually thinks you're producing too much milk and starts to produce less, to stop you being engorged. I think you'd be better off feeding from both sides and expressing from both too. How much milk have you stored up now?

Also what pump are you using?

Thank you for replying- I think u are probably right about the supply readjusting. I think I have been spoilt with a slight oversupply and after 6 months it's just rectifying itself.
I have about 75 ounces stored in the freezer but he has 4-5 ounces every night as part if his last feed. the idea is that I am meant to go to bed early and DP feeds him- DP does feed him but so far I haven't managed to go to bed early.
I am thinking I might offer him the breast at this last feed to see if this helps things along as well as spending a bit longer attached to the pump throughout the day.
I am keen to continue BF as long as I can until I have to return to work in 5 months time and I don't know anyone who has continued past 6 months therefore I feel a little lost with these sorts of questions so I do appreciate your replies.
I am using a Medala swing which I have found good. I started off with a Tomme Tippee which I found rubbish and really ineffective with the let down.

Hopefully someone can help with the expressing question (it does sound like your supply is altering now baby is older but if nothing has changed with his feeding habits or your times of expressing, I'm not sure).

I was just going to add that if you are due back at work around 11 months, it will be likely that you ds will be well on the way to eating solids and milk feeds decreasing around this time, therefore, expressing this early on may not be necessary (can only keep in the freezer for 6 months)

With breasted babies, IME (myself and friends with bf babies who went back to work) they tend not to take much of ''mummies milk" when away from you, they prefer the 'real deal' of boobie when your back. Plus if they're in nursery or with relatives, they attention is on new things, games and not on boobie milk.

I have a stash of milk in the freezer which dd refuses point blank to drink as its not me. I've left her for up to 7 hours at around 11 months and she increased her solid intake instead and took water from a sippy cup, no tears or demands for milk at all but she then fed like a monster when I picked her up Suppose I'm just trying to see if you really need to express so much (I found expressing a faff even though I had/have a good supply).

Don't know if this info is useful or if others would agree or have a different experience?

I have a 9.5 month old. I returned to work a couple of months ago, and I am continuing to breastfeed. She's down to 3 feeds a day now, so we have a feed in the morning before I go, I express at lunchtime, and she gets a feed at bedtime. It took a few weeks for her to accept the bottled milk as she did what GodisaDJ's dd did - ie refuse to touch it and wait for mummy to arrive then clamp herself to me.

I have the medela swing too, but ended up switching to the Phillips Avent as the Medela is a lot more cumbersome, being electric. Bizarrely, the Avent is more effective for me - it makes expressing so much easier! I wish I'd started with the cheaper Avent before buying the medela in the first place!

You should be so pleased with yourself for having got this far! I'm at the stage now where I'm starting to consider winding down BFs but will try to keep going til she's had her first birthday.