DD in hospital. How often should I express?

[reddle]

Poor DD has been admitted with bronchiolitis. She's 7 weeks old and breastfed. Yesterday she was having EBM hourly down a nasogastric tube but they stopped this overnight and are just giving her iv fluids to try and take pressure off her chest from a full tummy. She is doing ok though and hopefully the milk will be reintroduced later today.

I hadn't expressed milk yet for her, started yesterday. I want to keep going with the breastfeeding and don't want my supply to go off so how often should I be expressing? She usually feeds 2-3 hourly through the day but was going 11pm to 6am without a feed before she got poorly (thought I had it made!) I have been trying to copy those timings but am finding my boobs don't feel 'full' after 3 hours like they would if I was feeding her. Thanks for any advice.

Just keep persevering.

The thing about breast pumps and expressing is that they do not replicate the suckling of an Infant and will not be as efficient as a baby when it comes to milk production. Just keep doing what you're doing which is the best you can in these circumstances and don't worry about your breasts not being as hard as normal. I would definitely express overnight though whilst you are having this issue as the more you can encourage supply, the better.

I'm glad your daughter is showing signs of improvement and hopefully she'll be back on the breast before you know it and things will return to normal x

Sorry your DD is not well. I'm a bf peer supporter in SCBU. Try to mimic when she feeds (2-3 hourly) and also pump in the night between 2-4 am when your prolactin levels are high. When she is well enough lots of skin to skin. Double pumping can help, as can looking at pics of baby or having something that smells of her. Pump by her cot if you are comfortable doing that. Massage of breast and nipple before pumping can help and breast compressions during pumping. Don't panic- some people really struggle to express but bf fine and you've had a great 7 weeks to get going. Finally, if there is bf support in the hospital ask for someone to come- they will come to children's ward but often only if asked.

Hope you are able to feed her today and she is home with you soon.

Hello. I was in this situation with my dd2 a few months ago. Firstly, I know it's scary but the doctors deal with this all the time and she will be fine.

I was told to pump both sides every 4 hours during the day. If you don't feel confident in your supply or aren't managing to express much I'd do it overnight too just for peace of mind, but for a few days at 7wks you don't need to - when she is better she will feed frequently to build up your supply again. Also if you're producing more in the morning than the evening that's normal too.

Hope she's better soon.

Thanks everyone. Just got a puny 40mls but it's something. I'd managed bigger volumes before so there is a bit of a stock in the fridge. I will try during the night tonight as well.

Don't feel like you need to produce as much as she would normally have, try and think of it as just keeping your supply going and stopping you from getting mastitis. You aren't going to stop producing milk from a few days not pumping as much as she would have normally. Even if you could pump that much they won't need it all because of the day(s) she will spend just on a drip.