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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Expressing help...

25 replies

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 14:42

I bought the Nuby electric pump and had my first go at expressing today. The hv had told me to wait until dd had finished her feed, then express from that boob.there was a 20 minute interval between dd finishing and me being able to put her down/ set it all up. I pumped forc15 minutes before the flow stopped completely and all I got was one measly ounce! Any help will be greatly appreciated! Dd has now woken and is on the other boob!

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savagehk · 11/02/2017 14:44

It takes a while before you get any volume with expressing IMO. You'll get more if you express first thing in the morning. Make sure you are drinking enough fluids etc. Personally I pumped first thing in the morning from one breast, and DS had his milk from the other (he never had two breasts in one feed).

How old is DD?

Original poster

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 14:51

3 weeks. Bf is going well but she is permanently attached to a boob or at least it feels that way. We are hoping to introduce an expressed feed in a week or so but I wanted to build up a bank first. She only really goes 90 minutes - 2 hours between feeds. People are telling me she clearly isn't getting enough because she is constantly feeding but she's gaining weight and producing tonnes of wet and dirty nappies so I'm persevering and ignoring everyone. I'm determined to get to 6 weeks ebf because everyone says that is the point where things settle down. The trouble is, only expressing an ounce in 15 minutes has led to comments like 'no wonder she's permanently feeding if that's all she's getting'.

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Bex107 · 11/02/2017 14:55

@Whatsername17 ignore them! How much you can express has no bearing on how much baby gets when she feeds - babies are much more efficient at getting the milk out! It's perfectly normal for a 3-week old to feed so regularly, and you're doing fabulously by feeding on demand - hang on in there, and it will settle down eventually! However I would say don't push to get her into a routine, every baby is different so just keep up the on demand feeding and she'll settle into her own routine. be proud of yourself for getting this far!

Original poster

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 15:04

Thank I really appreciate the support. I'm determined to keep going because she is thriving and I can see it. With dd1 I had lactation failure and had to use to formula but it was a disaster. She had colic which we later found out was due to lactose sensitivity. She would only feed an ounce at a time and struggled to poo. She cried all day long and it was soul destroying. I have nothing against formula and I'm grateful it was there when I needed it, but, it really wasn't an 'easy' or better option for us. With dd2 I was determined to avoid history repeating itself because it was so hard so I've thrown my energies into trying to make bf work and it is. We need to introduce a bottle of expressed milk for when I return to work. Plus I'm hoping dh can do one night feed and enable me to get a some sleep. If this is normal I'll just persevere. I'll try expressing in the morning. Thanks again.

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savagehk · 11/02/2017 15:27

That's normal for 3 weeks!

And her tummy will still be tiny. I built up to one 5oz bottle in one express but DS was quite a bit older by then (and it was the morning express, when you tend to have more milk - at least once they sleep a bit longer :) ).

It does get better (and a lot better!) - promise The first two weeks were hardest for me.

As for only getting an ounce - she'd just fed off that breast! Plus, babies are more efficient than pumps.

tiktok · 11/02/2017 15:31

Everything you say in your post is normal. It sounds to me that the people commenting on your bf do not have the first idea about what normal is. What business do they have in commenting anyway? Why did you tell these ignoramuses about your expressing 'result' anyway? An ounce at three weeks is perfectly fine!

Original poster

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 15:43

Thanks for the reassurance that it's normal. In fairness, my mum and mil are just being worried mothers. Both bf 30 years ago when the advice was very different. Mil was told to top up her 9lb baby with formula in the evenings by midwives and because it worked for her she thinks that is what I should do. My own mum just worries because I look knackered amd have lost the weight so quickly. She was also told to top up at night times. Dh just wants to help. The thing is, as tough going as it is at the minute, bf is proving easier than ff was with dd1 so I feel like I can ignore them even though it's kindly meant. If I'd been more prepared for what bf was like with dd1 then I might not have had lactation failure. I'll never know. This time I am focused to getting to 6 weeks, then I'll set myself a new target and hopefully achieve that too.

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Bex107 · 11/02/2017 15:54

@Whatsername17 I totally agree - it is bloody hard work and I think lots of mums aren't prepared for that, which I guess is why so many don't continue to BF. I feel like health professionals are so desperate for women to BF that there isn't much honest advice out there - I wish someone had told me how hard it would be! But DS is now 8 months and still going strong, so I can tell you it's so worth persevering!

Heirhelp · 11/02/2017 15:58

Are you expressing because you want to or to keep others happy? Breast feeding requires an emotional response so try looking at and sniffing your baby will expressing. Some people just can't express but they can breast feed.

Original poster

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 16:02

I want to express. Dd2 will have to take a bottle when I go back to work (although she will have started to be weaned onto food a few weeks before) and I don't want her to refuse a bottle or it will make leaving her a constant worry. Dh will be taking 3 months leave with her when I go back. The hv said that I should introduce the bottle between 4 and 6 weeks as if we leave it later she might refuse.

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Joyofscreamingjoy · 11/02/2017 16:03

I just want to second/third how normal (&tiring) this sounds! I am by no means an expert 6months of breastfeeding so far but also reading lots of breastfeeding support groups etc and found that helpful to know how normal lots of feeding is. I had these types of comments cos my ds fed for a long time at each feed 🙄🙄🙄 I think I was the only one not to have a problem with this - I enjoyed it. Even DP got use to saying to well meaning judgy interfering people 'they work on a supply and demand basis so no need for bottle' haha.
The fb support group for 'Can I breastfeed in it?' I find helpful. (Also good group itself for clothing ideas) & also kellymom 🙂 If I pump now i get between 2-3 oz & LO is 6 months.

AppleMagic · 11/02/2017 16:13

But that 1oz you pumped was extra milk as she'd only recently fed! You wouldn't expect to get much in those circumstances.
I am exclusively pumping for dc3 as he is in hospital and only get 2-3oz a session.

eurochick · 11/02/2017 16:16

That sounds good to me. I exclusively expressed and remember getting around 30mls a time in the early days - and that's without a baby having had a feed first. It's normal and the amount you produce increases as the baby grows. My baby was prem so to begin with we had to feed her hospital mandated amounts on their schedule to build her up and what I was producing was plenty. She was exclusively express fed until 5.5 months (when we started mix feeding in preparation for my return to work). She went from being a skinny little premmie with sticking out ribs to a chubby bowling ball baby in that time, all on what looked like small amounts of milk. Their tummies are tiny and human milk is very fatty so they don't need a huge quantity to get what they need.

Original poster

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 16:35

Thanks this is all really reassuring!

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Redkite10a · 11/02/2017 16:37

I never got anything out expressing straight after a feed, I got more out waiting for an hour or two after a feed - easier said than done with a 3 week old who is feeding every couple of hours..... I also got more out in the mornings than afternoon of evening.

Original poster

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 17:03

That's interesting- maybe I'll try that. I tend to put dd back to the smell breast to make sure she gets the hind milk so if I were to express it might be possible to wait and hour. At times dd is feeding every hour anyway so my boobs are used to it!

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Original poster

Whatsername17 · 11/02/2017 17:24

Same not smell

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teaandbiscuitsforme · 12/02/2017 18:18

The amount you pump is no indication of the amount your baby is BF. Babies are far more efficient feeders than a pump is!

You're doing a brilliant job feeding. Newborn babies are supposed to be attached permanently! They're building your supply. Unfortunately older people are generally very badly informed about BF as the advice they were given has been proven to be totally inaccurate. It's no coincidence that many women were told to feed every 3/4 hours or top up with formula and then didn't have enough milk!

Trust your baby to make the milk she needs! But to do that, she's got to be allowed near constant access in these early weeks.

If you want to express, just remember the warnings about introducing a bottle before 6 months. Also, look up expressing on websites such as Kellymom and the Milk Meg. Good luck!

teaandbiscuitsforme · 12/02/2017 18:19

Introducing a bottle before 6 weeks, not 6 months!!

Original poster

Whatsername17 · 13/02/2017 20:10

Thanks all! Yesterday I managed to get 3oz from both boobs and today I got 3oz from just one! Dh gave dd2 thec3 Oz yesterday night and she still insisted on feeding from me after. However, she then slept forv3 hours solid so I'm claiming that as a win!

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Redkite10a · 13/02/2017 20:35

That's very impressive!

Shadowboy · 13/02/2017 20:46

It's all about the pump! I had a medela swing as everyone raved about them and it was pants! I used to only get an ounce after 20 min. My husband bought me a calypso this time (Scandinavian make) and my god it's good! I got 4 oz in 20 min off each boob in a day a was getting 18oz. It's a double pump if you want it to be. Highly recommend them as they do different cup sizes and have additional silicone padding if needed to help fit round the breast

reallyanotherone · 13/02/2017 20:52

What age will she be when you go back to work?

If it's 6m or more don't worry too much. Expressing is such an utter pita i just didn't bother with my 2nd. Went back to work at just over 6 months, she didn't take a bottle so the nursery just gave her a dairy snack and she tanked up when i got home. I think she wike for an extra night feed for a while but that didn't last long.

museumum · 13/02/2017 21:01

I was only ever able to pump in the morning and I had to really relax to get the letdown with a pump - got warm and comfy and closed my eyes and deep breaths.

tinymeteor · 13/02/2017 22:17

Sounds like you are doing great!

I found mid-morning was my best time for expressing, as later in the day her feeds got closer together so there was no window to express! Having the baby next to you, or looking at pics of her, can help get the milk flowing.

I actually wouldn't aim to do massive volumes yet, 2-3 ounces is great going. Don't forget that whatever you express is telling your body to make more than the baby is taking that day, so it will increase your supply if you're building up a freezer store. Do it gradually to avoid oversupply issues later.

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