Any top tips for expressing- (Im new to this!)

[SpoonfulOfJam]

So midwife and HV told me to wait till baby is putting on weight and my supply is established.4 weeks in, baby is certainly piling it on, there is always milk when he wants it, but i'm not sure if that means my supply is established yet.

I want to try to express but I have some queries.
-I have been lent a Medela electric pump, but MW said doing by hand is better. Any thoughts?
-if expressing by hand, how do I catch the milk? Does it go straight into bottle?
-what time of day should I express? (baby currently feeds every 2 hours with a cluster in the evening)
-how much milk is enough for a feed?

Apologies for what may seem like stupid questions- I just have no idea what I'm doing and don't want to mess up my supply.

Thanks in advance.

1. Depends on your preference. I HATED the electric pump, could never get much from it, and hated the noise. I had a Tommee Tippee manual one, and also hand expressed. Look up videos on YouTube for how to do it.

1. Depends how soon you want to feed it. If I knew I was going to use it straight away (we had latch issues), then just straight into a bottle. If you want to store it, I found those Avent storage pots ace, as they're nice and wide necked so great for hand expressing.

1. Morning is normally the best time, you will find you'll probably get less milk each time if you do it throughout the day. I used to express after every feed in the day, both sides. So in the morning I may have got 4oz after BF on both sides, then maybe 2-3oz after each feed during the day, and maybe another 1oz during the evening. Start slowly, so you don't get too engorged. Maybe just after the morning feed for a couple of days, then add in a lunch time pump.

1. Depends on the baby. I'd expect at least 4oz per feed.

4 weeks is a great time to start pumping, as baby will be going through a growth spurt at around six weeks, so you'll have upped your supply as well as having an emergency stash if you're feeling drained.
In order for your supply not to be effected, always try to 'empty' your breasts first before offering the bottle.
Continue to BF during the night too. This is a good way of keeping your supply up too.
Drink a big glass of water or juice EVERY time you pump. Oats are good for supply too, so eat porridge and flapjacks ;).

Sounds like you're doing really well though! Can I ask why you want to express?