expressing

[ruth1104]

i have just started expressing to allow me the odd feed off and to have an emergency supply in the freezer. Im a wee bit flummoxed by all this technical stuff i thought i wouldnt have to think about while ebf! I have a manual pump, do i need to sterilize everything every time i use it? Im trying to buy storage bags online, will they go on to the pump or will i have to fill the bottle, then decant it? How much is a 2 month old likely to need per feed? tia!

Sterilizing - no you don't have to sterilise, you have to wash everything in hot soapy water and then let it air dry (I usually put it on some fresh kitchen towel). That is enough as breast milk is antibacterial. I read that you can then put it all in a big ziploc bag in the fridge until you need it.

Bags- don't use these myself - just bought some extra bottles - but from the research I did they may screw on if you buy the brand to match your pump. The reviews I read weren't overwhelmingly positive - it seemed more reliable to pump into a bottle and then decant. If you need to put the pump down while expressing that is impossible with a bag screwed on!

How much per feed - from what I've read, from 1-6 months babies take approx 25oz milk a day (19-30oz), so you divide this by how many feeds your baby had for a rough guide of intake per feed. this page on the kellymom website is where I read this. My 7 week DD will drink all of a 5oz expressed bottle in a feed although quite a lot dribbles out! But even 2-3oz could be enough if they feed frequently. DD usually has 6-7 feeds a day.

I wash mine in a hot dishwasher which is enough. Was given a steriliser so do use it but don't buy one specially.
Ours pumps into branded bottles. I then decant it into Tesco weaning food pots (neat 2 oz cubes) to freeze. Cheaper in tge long run than bags!
Kellymom has a "how much to pump" page where roughly put, most babies drink approx 24 oz in 24 hr. So you divide their average feeds per day over 24 (eg 10 feeds a day = 2.4 oz) or what I do is defrost an oz per hour ill be gone! DH warms up 1 oz at a time as sometimes she won't take 3 oz at once and you can only warm it once iyswim. Any left I feed her as a top up when I get back.

thanks, i forgot about kellymom! I actually have no idea how many feeds a day we're on now so an ounce an hour is helpful thanks