Expressing AND breast feeding help?!

[lmh3]

Hi all,

I've been pretty set on getting an electric breast pump in order to be able to express. I will breast feed generally but think it would be handy to be able to express so that my partner can do the odd feed or if I'm somewhere that's it's difficult to breastfeed we will have breast milk available.

I've also heard that it actually increases milk supply and wonder if this really is the case as I'd obviously like to breast feed as effectively as I can.

Has anyone got any experience with doing both or knowledge on whether or not expressing does produce better milk supply?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm due at the end of this month!

Thanks :)

I will express at new night to boost supply. As for giving expressed feeds I believe you are better to wait until 6 weeks or so when your milk supply is established otherwise you risk your supply dropping as in effect your body thinkd you have skipped a feed and modified your supply accordingly (supply is based on demand). After milk is established missing the off feed does not affect supply to the same degree. Alternatively you could express whilst someone else is giving the feed to maintain supply.

Watching with interest. I need to go back to work quite quickly and I'm really hoping to keep going with expressing.