OMG...... For the first time in my life of a mother I've just been able to express breast milk......but I've been taking ibrupofen though....DS4 can't have it can he??

[LadyTophamHatt]

I'm happy and gutted all at the same time.

LOL! Probably, yes

No advice just syaing what a joyful thread this is.

Oh and many congrats on DS4 BTW.

LTH - take the young man to bed with you him in just a nappy and you with norks out let him have a sniff and a root and see what happens, no pressure just lie there and have a lovely cuddle if he latches her latches if he doesn't it's no biggie.

I agree MN is wonderful

Too tired to try during the night.....now theres nothing coming out!

boobs not really hurting much either, nipps abit tender but i think thats because of the yanking the pump does.

what going on?? is it drying up already??

Agree, LTH, the pumping can make you feel raw and tender. The best stimulation is getting baby to breast if you can.

You won't be empty, the more you stimulate, the more you produce. Baby is better then the pump, though

LTH - I am no expert,a nd hopefully one will be along in a mo, but I expressed for about 7 weeks (dd wouldn't latch no matter what). I think to begin with you do have to express during the night which is very hard if you're doing a feed as well.

I expressed every 3 hours (dd needed every 3 hours as she was IUGR) during the night for the first week but then found it too much what with a baby that took an hour to feed and then half an hour to express... So I stopped expressing during the night and then cut down during the day hence why it only lasted 7 weeks.

I found expressing really hard and was frequently in tears over it. I kept saying, I'll do it until x and then I'd do a few more days. If you want to do it, then try saying to yourself you'll do it for 1 week or a few days and then see how it goes. Of course, if you look at your other boys (ff I think ?!) and think they did fine (which I am sure they did) that's fine too.

anyway, thats taken me so long to write an expert has probably come along !

Just had shower to try and get it going like it did yesterday and not a drop came out....

I'm a freak

Tried latching him on last night but he just couldn't get a grip of it, He's ahungry baby so withthe teat it just trickles down the back of his throat with a little suck. My nipps are quite flat so he couldn't get enough in his mouth to suck.
I know lots of woman can BF with flat/inverted nipples but I think, maybe, I'm one of the ones who can't, it would certainly seem the case after the all the trouble with the older ones.

Going to do brekkie and will try the pump again. I'm still very proud of myslef for doing just this little bit so I want to make it work for longer.....

HAve you thought about a nipple shield if he is used to a bottle teat? Others will frown on it but it helped me with DD1

Hi LTH

I know what pump you're using

One of my friends had inverted nips and breast fed for 7 months. Her wee one was 10lb 8oz and tongue tied BUT she got loads of help and kept on pestering the bf counsellors. She expressed rather than feeding herself IYSWIM for several weeks and then it seemed to click.

I used to gently squeeze my boobs from the top down while I pumped - was v prone to blockages and this helped. But don't use dry hands or you'll drag the skin. I got a lovely oil from Spririt of Nature which apparently stimulates milk flow and had a much more successful time bf dd than ds after using it.

Also used ibuprofen or paracetamol before every feed in the beginning cos it was so sore!

And you're bloody amazing keeping this up so well done

I think I need to increase the supply by pumping to start with..... When I can get it going I'll try them and hopefully then he'll get used to doing it direct.

Sorry to jump in, but perhaps if ds4 is around when you're trying to pump that might stimulate a bit of a flow. It's so long since I did this I may have mis-remembered, but I thought if you can actually look at your little darling with no other distractions around, it will stimulate the milk a bit. Also RELAX!

Another tip is to put a warm flannel on them first although, if you'd just had a shower that would have had same effect probably...

tiny bit coming now.....how long should i pump for on each??

No advice here as have never breast fed or expressed, but just wanted to say a huge well done and good for you. I know how much you wanted to try and do this.

LTH,

Get on the blower to the Maternity Unit you delivered in and ask if you can borrow and electric pump.

Far more efficient than hand pumping well - that's in my experience. Also less aggro than sitting there 8 x daily pumping for England and getting nothing.

Seriously - I have had a Breast Reduction so know all about the perils of expressing from unwilling boobs .

ohhh, thanks dejags, i didn't know i could borrow one...will call them in a minute....

Otherwise they aren't hideously expensive on ebay.

can i recommend this site and this double pump? I found their service excellent. I also used the hospital grade Ameda pump and found this little Lactaline just as good.

here

When you only get a trickle, keep pumping on the same breast if using a handpump. (hard with a hand pump if you aren't used to it.) just 'zone out', i call it and don't look. it takes a few minutes (i'd say give it alt least 5 mins) to get a second letdown, but it will happen. even if you don't get the second letdown, it is additional stimulation for next time.

you also have to try to pump at roughly the same time eg: 9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, then your body starts to expect to perform for those times. in less than a week your body gets used to it.

and yes, call the maternity unit to get a double pump asap. NCT also rents them and possibly other bf charities. another way to source one today.

LTH - when you are trying to latch him on you can use two fingers to make a sizzor round your nipple which pops it out and then pop that into his mouth. It should make it easier for him to get a latch on once you've popped the nipple out

Have you tried expressing a little to draw out the nipple before trying to latch him on ?

Ok, zoning out when I pumped helped but I do really need an electric/battery pump.
Might just go and buy one.

Managed to get just over an ounce from both but concentrating on the manual pumping makes it's harder.

choc update

Sorry, forgot to say, I've tried again to latch him on. All the suggestions your all said and it's not happening.

I might stick with the expressing...then I getthe thrill of seeing how much I get too