Top expressing tips in first few months

[Carrie (mumsnet)]

I've been asked to pull together some top tips to make expressing easier in the first few weeks/months - and typically need it by tomorrow morning (Monday).

I'm sure there are lots on the site already but my kids are still awake and husband unfed ( and grumpy)so not much time to search. If anyone had anything to impart on the subject I'd be most grateful!

Thans in advance

aim fr often like every two hours if possible it will increase the milk intake or so ihave been told anyway (couldnt breast fed myself)

I always used to bf from one breast, settle baby and then express from the other. For medical reasons I could only bf for 3 weeks, so quickly built up the milk, by expressing at every feed. After about 4 days I could get 6 oz at each express. I also used an electric breast pump which I can,t remember the name of - sorry (and it is on loan again) - but it was fantastic. Drank loads of water, and tried to do it in peace. Hope this is of some use.

Tips I've heard / used are
-express from one side while feeding on the other
-look at baby or a picture of baby to encourage let-down
-the marmet technique for hand expressing is really good to learn. It's quite easy and a la leche peer supporter can explain how or use a model to demonstrate!
-relax and take it easy! It's a totally different mehanism to a baby suckling so your body can take time to adjust.

Don't express like you feed a baby, ie empty one breast and then offer the other. When expressing you should alternate boobs regularly - the advice in the "expressing" room at the hospital was 10 minutes each side, then 5 then 3 then 2 (or something like that).

Also, it helped me that someone told me that putting together the Avent Isis hand pump was a real faff the first time, but once you'd got used to it, it was really quite straight forward. That way, as I cursed it the first time, I knew that I WOULD soon find it easy!

? Don?t express from day 1 unless you have to. Wait till your milk supply is well established (and both of you have the hang of breastfeeding).
? Relax as much as you can. Don?t do your first expressing session under pressure to produce a certain amount by a certain time ? just see how it goes.
? Try hand-expressing to getting the milk flowing before you use the pump, especially the first few times. A warm flannel on the breast can help too.
? You?re aiming for a let-down (especially if you?re using a hand pump) ? that feeling of milk coming in which you get when breastfeeding. Different women get this in different ways; it may help to think about your baby or look at a photo ? on the other hand you may find it better to read a frivolous magazine or watch the TV. See which works best for you.
? Milk comes out in spurts. As you get a let-down from one breast (you may leak slightly from the other at the same time) pump from that one, and then switch to the other when the first breast slows. Switching back and forth will produce more milk than pumping for a set time on first one and then the other.
? Some women express after breastfeeding, and/or from one breast if the baby?s concentrated on the other.
? A quiet night-time slot or first thing in the morning work well for many.
? If you?ve tried and tried and aren?t getting anything much, don?t push it. And you may even find that just as you stop worrying about it, the milk lets down.
? Don?t worry about having enough left for the baby. The breast will produce more milk when you breastfeed.

THese are the tips - culled from MNers - that I used for JPnB a while ago. Email me if you need any more of the piece!

Thanks so much!
I never cease to be amazed at how efficient and brilliantly helpful you are.